These birds are also very intelligent, strong-willed and full of personality!
Macaws’ streamlined bodies help them glide through dense rain forests, and their strong beaks crush rock-hard tree nuts with ease.
Average size: Grow up to 35 inches long and weigh up to 1-3 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 80 years
Key physical characteristics: Yellow feathers on their chest, blue-feathered wings and green feathers on the top of their head with a black and white skin mask around the eyes
Native regions/habitat range: Large range from the rain forests of Panama into southern Brazil and Paraguay
Eating habits: Omnivorous; feeds on nuts, seeds, small fruits and insect
Conservation status: Least concern
Fun facts: A macaw’s tongue is dry, scaly and has a bone inside it, all of which makes it an excellent tool for breaking open and eating food.
Average size: Grow up to 34 inches long and weigh up to 1-2 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 80 years
Key physical characteristics: Bright blue feathers on their bodies and right below their beaks, whereas the rest of their bodies are yellow
Native regions/habitat range: Native to northern Bolivia; usually found in swampy lowlands to savannah grasslands
Conservation status: Critically endangered
Fun facts: Among the rarest of macaws, less than 200 of these parrots remain in the wild. Blue-throated are often mistaken for the blue-and-gold macaw. But they can be distinguished by the colors on their throat and on top of their heads.
Average size: Grow up to 33-35 inches long and weigh up to 1-3 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 60 years
Key physical characteristics: Green bodies with blue outlined feathers and a red patch on the tail and forehead
Native regions/habitat range: Native to central America, found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador; usually found in rain forests
Eating habits: Omnivorous; feeds on nuts, seeds, small fruits and insects
Conservation status: Endangered
Fun facts: Macaws are playful, curious and are able to mimic human vocalizations very well.
Average size: Grow up to 39.4 inches long and weigh up to 3 to 3.7 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 50 years
Key physical characteristics: Bright blue bodies and feathers with a small outline of yellow around their eyes and beak
Native regions/habitat range: Native to southern Brazil and western Bolivia; usually found in forests and near rivers
Eating habits: Omnivorous; feeds on nuts, seeds, small fruits and insects
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Fun facts: The hyacinth macaw is the largest species of all parrots with a wingspan of up to 5 feet.
Average size: Grow up to 35 inches long and weigh up to 2-3 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 80 years
Key physical characteristics: Red head and body with bright colored feathers, like green and turquoise, but it’s distinguished by its red lines around the eyes and green stripe in the wings
Native regions/habitat range: Native to South America; usually found in rain forests, savannas and mangroves
Eating habits: Omnivorous; feeds on nuts, seeds, small fruits and insects
Conservation status: Least concern
Fun facts: Green-winged macaws are often mistaken for scarlet macaws but they can be distinguished by their facial feathers and green on the wings instead of yellow.
Average size: Grow up to 30 inches long and weigh up to 1-3 pounds
Median life expectancy: Up to 50 years
Key physical characteristics: Green-feathered bodies but a brighter color range on their wings with a red patch on top of their head
Native regions/habitat range: Ranging from Mexico to Argentina; usually found in foothills, canyons and forests
Eating habits: Omnivorous; feeds on nuts, seeds, small fruits and insects
Conservation status: Vulnerable
Fun facts: Macaws are able to reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
Average size: 33-35 in 2.2 lbs
Median life expectancy: Typically between 40 and 50 years, occasionally up to 75 years in captivity
Social behaviors: Can be found in pairs, parties of 3-4, or flocks up to 30 birds
Native regions/habitat range: canopy of the rain forests of Mexico, Central America, South America
Eating habits: Fruits, nuts, nectar, and flowers
Conservation status: Least Concern: Huge range and tolerance for fragmentation has kept these species from major losses, but their population is still declining
Look no further. Connect with our amazing animals and learn about the wild places they come from.
There’s something in the air with Magnificent Macaws presentations. See flocks of these big, brightly colored birds fly from destinations across the Zoo — in open air — to The Perch inside our Bicentennial Pavilion. It’s unlike anything else you’ve ever seen! Take a bird’s eye view and meet seven species of macaws, including the blue-throated macaw, scarlet macaw, great green macaw, blue-and-gold macaw, military macaw, green-winged macaw and hyacinth macaw. While these parrots are soaring back and forth across the Zoo, these highly intelligent and social birds are in constant communication with loud squawks, croaks and screams.
The Macaw Recovery Network (formerly The Ara Project) is dedicated to saving the two native species of Costa Rica: the well-known Scarlet macaw and the endangered Great Green macaw. The network helps protect these incredible birds from threats like the wild bird trade, hunting and habitat loss through captive breeding programs and reintroducing offspring into the wild. In 2015, the Indianapolis Zoo joined in these efforts, supporting a captive breeding and release program, enhancing the breeding center and conducting research of wild macaws. Recently, the Zoo’s resources provided an opportunity for Dr. Sam Williams, director of the network, and his mentor and 2016 Indianapolis Prize Winner Dr. Carl Jones. The pair are now working to monitor and manage wild Great Green macaws to develop the best practices for parrot conservation.
Despite the capture of blue-throated macaws ceasing in the early 1990s, this species is critically endangered. The World Parrot Trust has worked to protect the birds, understand their ecology and create successful reproductive recovery programs since 2001.
The project focuses on protecting wild nests from predators to ensure a higher percentage of young birds fledge, conducting habitat studies, monitoring breeding pairs and installing artificial nest boxes to eliminate some of the threats affecting wild populations. While building a captive breeding program based in Bolivia, the project is also dedicated to providing community education opportunities to further conservation as well. The Indianapolis Zoo’s support will assist with the establishment of a blue-throated macaw field station within the newly designated Gran Mojos Reserve.
