Military Macaw (Ara militaris)

Identification & Behavior: ~68.5 cm (30 in). The Military Macaw is all green with a red forehead. The bill is black. It has well defined black lines on the bare skin on the sides of the head. The flight feathers are blue. The tail feathers are red with a blue tip. It is one of the four unmistakable large macaws.

Status: The Military Macaw is rare to uncommon on the east slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 600-1500 m. It is also rare in northwest Peru, where it may be a seasonal visitor. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Guacamayo Militar.

Sub-species: Military Macaw (Ara militaris militaris), Linnaeus, 1766.

Meaning of Name: Ara: Tupi Brazilian Indian, name to designate several parrot species. militaris= L. In allusion to the red forehead and green plumage resembling a military uniform.

See more of the Family Psittacidae