Macaws are not just huge birds, but also came from a huge family! There are around 23 different types of macaws that fall into 6 main categories.
In this post, you will learn all the different types of macaws, their main characteristics, their colors, and their conservation status because some of them are highly endangered and even already extinct, obviously, if they are, then you will not be able to acquire these types of birds. But the good thing is that there are many to choose from.
Here is a quick overview of the 6 categories with over 23 types of macaws in order.
1. Genus Anodorhynchus
Anodorhynchus is made up of large species of blue macaws found in central and eastern South America and generally inhabits open and semi-open areas.
This genus includes three types of macaws, one of which is already extinct.
- Glaucous macaw
- Hyacinth macaw
- Lear’s macaw
2. Genus Cyanopsitta
This genus has only one species. Unfortunately, this bird is already extinct.
- Spix’s macaw
3. Genus Ara
The genus Ara has 14 species of macaws, two of which are already extinct. Experts describe them as large Neotropical birds with long tails and brightly colored plumage that clearly resemble male and female species.
- Blue-and-yellow macaw
- Blue-throated macaw
- Military Macaw
- Buffon’s Macaw
- Scarlet macaw
- Green-winged macaw
- Red-fronted macaw
- Chestnut-fronted macaw
- Dominican green and yellow macaw
- Jamaican green and yellow macaw
- Jamaican red macaw
- Lesser Antillean macaw
- Cuban red macaw
- Saint Croix macaw
4. Genus Orthopsittaca
The red-bellied macaw, which is scientifically known as Orthopsittaca manilata. Red-bellied Macaw is the only known species in the genus Orthopsittaca.
- Red-bellied macaw
5. Genus Primolius
This genus is made up of 3 species of macaws, which are also considered mini-macaws. They are mostly green on the body with a touch of blue, yellow, and red on their feathers and wings.
- Blue-headed macaw
- Blue-winged macaw
- Golden-collared macaw
6. Genus Diopsittaca
The red-shouldered macaw, which is scientifically known as Diopsittaca Nobilis, is the only known species in the genus Diopsittaca. There are 2 types of Red-Shouldered Macaw which are called Noble Macaw and Hanh’s Macaw
- Red-shouldered macaw
1. Glaucous Macaw
It has a turquoise blue body color with a grayish head. Its size is about 75 cm and it has a wingspan of 85 to 95 cm. This species was last recorded in the 1870s; due to extreme bird smuggling, as well as the loss of palm forests, they eventually became extinct.
These birds are native to northern Argentina and southern Paraguay.
Quick Facts
- Size: 65 – 75 cm
- Wingspan: 85 – 95 cm
- Lifespan: 14 – 60 years
- Body Color: Turquoise Blue
- Conservation Status: Extinct
2. Hyacinth macaw
These Macaws are known as the largest and longest type of parrot in the world! Despite their enormous size, they are reputed to be the calmest of all parrot species; these birds are often referred to as the “gentle giants”.
Hyacinth macaws are native to focal South America. Although these species are also declining in population, they can still be found in Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.
Hyacinths can make excellent pets, but like any other parrot, the owner should have extensive knowledge of how to care for these species. Their beaks are extremely sharp and strong, which could harm people if you don’t train properly. These parrots love human interaction and are extremely intelligent creatures too.
Quick Facts
- Size: Approximately 100cm
- Weight: 1179 grams – 1678 grams
- Wingspan: Approximately 120cm
- Lifespan: 50 – 60 Years
- Body Color: Bright Blue
- Conservation Status: Threatened with Extinction (Appendix I)
3. Lear’s Macaw
These parrots are also known as Indigo Macaw, they are native to Brazil and measure around 70 to 75 cm, weigh around 950 grams with a wingspan of about 100 cm, and a lifespan of 30 to 50 years. Its maximum flight speed is approximately 35 miles per hour.
Its body color is metallic blue and it has a yellow skin patch adjacent to its beak. It is also described as a slightly smaller Glaucous and a larger hyacinth macaw.
These birds are extremely rare and have a very limited range. Today Lear’s Macaws have a population of around 1,200 to 1,300, however, they are still considered an endangered species due to rampant hunting and bird trade.
Quick facts
- Size: 70 – 75 cm
- Weight: 950 grams
- Wingspan: approximately 100 cm
- Lifespan: 30 – 50 years Body
- Color: Dark, metallic blue
- Conservation status: Threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
4. Spix’s Macaw
Spix’s macaws are said to be native to Brazil, measuring 22 inches from head to tail, and having a wingspan of approximately 10-11 inches. These parrots are mostly blue in color on the body and have a gray tint to the head area.
Their population was already declining during 1819 and due to continued deforestation, smuggling, illegal logging, and the development of various lands, these birds became completely extinct in the 1970s.
Quick Facts
- Size: 22 inches
- Wingspan: 10-11 inches
- Body Color: Blue
- Conservation Status: Extinct
5. Blue and yellow macaw
These birds are also known as blue and gold macaws, mainly because of the color of their bodies. They are native to South America and inhabit forests and swamp forests.
They are one of the largest members of the macaw family; It measures around 30 to 34 inches and weighs around 900 to 1,100 grams, has a wingspan of 41 to 45 inches, and can live up to 80 years.
These birds have an extensive range in South and Central America, particularly in Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Paraguay. Blue and yellow macaws are not endangered animals and can make great pets.
Quick facts
- Size: 30-34 inches
- Weight: 900 – 1100 grams
- Wingspan: 41-45 inches
- Lifespan: 80 years
- Body Color: Blue and gold/yellow
- Conservation status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
6. Blue-throated Macaw
Blue-throated macaws are commonly known as Wagler’s Macaws and Caninde’s Macaws. They are mainly found in northern Bolivia and mostly inhabit grasslands and savanna swamps.
These birds measure approximately 34 inches from head to tail and weigh approximately 750 grams with a lifespan of approximately 80 years.
Its throat and cheeks are all blue, even under the tail. Their wings and plumage are usually turquoise in color. Some experts believe that it is a subspecies of the blue and yellow macaw due to their similarities.
Blue-throated macaws are in danger of extinction due to their small population and as a result of the illegal bird trade.
Quick Facts
- Size: 34 inches
- Weight: 750 grams
- Lifespan: 80 Years
- Body Color: Blue; Turquoise
- conservation status: threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
7. Military Macaw
The color of their body, which is “military” green, is the main reason they got their name and because it resembles a military uniform.
These birds are native to South America and generally inhabit forests, particularly in Mexico. These macaws typically measure between 33 and 43 inches, have a wingspan of 39 to 43 inches, weigh between 862 and 1,200 grams, and can live up to 60 years in the wild.
An interesting fact about them is that their personality enters the room before they do! According to bird enthusiasts, they love to screech and are often very loud; however, like other types of macaws, they are also highly interactive and sociable. Keep that in mind before buying one!
Quick Facts
- Size: 33-43 inches
- Weight: 862-1200 grams
- Wingspan: 39-43 inches
- Lifespan: 60 years
- Body Color: Dark green
- Conservation status: Threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
8. Buffon’s Macaw
The Buffon’s macaw, also known as the bright green macaw, is generally mistaken for the military macaw due to their similar body colors.
This bird is about 33 to 35 inches tall, weighs about 1,300 grams, and has a 50-inch wingspan. They are endemic to Ecuador and have a large population in South America, particularly in the humid lowlands of Honduras.
Their body color is primarily green with a distinctive reddish forehead and bluish-green plumage and feathers.
Quick Facts
- Size: 33-35 inches
- Weight: 1300 grams
- Wingspan: 50 inches
- Body Color: Green
- Conservation Status: Threatened with Extinction (Appendix I)
9. Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is the national bird of Honduras. These birds are endemic to the humid forests of Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Mexico. It measures around 32-36 inches from head to tip of tail, weighs around 1000 grams, and has a 1-meter wingspan.
These birds can generally live up to 50 years in the wild and 75 years in captivity. It has a scarlet plumage with a touch of blue and yellow, sometimes green on the upper wings.
An interesting fact about these macaws is that they have great vocalization, vision, and hearing and are considered by bird enthusiasts to be one of the most magnificent macaw species.
These birds are not in danger, but they are highly threatened by illegal trade.
Quick Facts
- Size: 32-36 inches
- Weight: 1000 grams
- Wingspan: 1 meter
- Lifespan: 50-75 years
- Body Color: Scarlet
- Conservation Status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
10. Green-winged Macaw
These birds are often mistaken for the Scarlet Macaw due to the similar colors of the body and feathers. These birds are around 35.5 inches tall, with an average wingspan of 41-49 inches and a weight of about 1250-1700 grams that have a lifespan of 60 years and over.
Like the hyacinth macaws, they are also considered “gentle giants.” They are very ideal as pets due to their sweet character and sociable characteristics.
They are not in danger, but they are vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation and other illegal human activities that affect the habitats of these birds.
They can generally be found in the savannas and swamps of South America, particularly in French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
Quick Facts
- Size: 35.5 inches
- Weight: 1250 – 1700 grams
- Wingspan: 41-49 inches
- Lifespan: 60 years
- Body Color: Green
- Conservation Status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
11. Red-fronted Macaw
These birds are found in semi-desert mountainous areas of Bolivia that have a semi-arid climate. Its body color is green with a reddish forehead and a red spot on the ears and wings. It measures around 21 to 23 inches long, has a wingspan of 80 to 86 cm, and weighs around 500 to 600 grams.
Their life expectancy is 25 to 50 years. These birds are highly threatened and also vulnerable to the pet trade.
Quick Facts
- Size: 21 – 23 inches
- Weight: 500-600 grams
- Wingspan: 80-86 cm
- Lifespan: 25 – 50 years
- Body Color: Green with a reddish forehead
- Conservation status: Threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
12. Chestnut-fronted macaw
These birds are also known as a severe macaw. They are one of the smallest types of macaws, which is why they are also sometimes called “mini macaws” because they only measure about 18 inches from head to tail. Their foreheads have a brown chestnut patch, hence the name.
Their body color is green, with a touch of red and blue on their wings and plumage. It weighs around 300 to 400 grams and has a lifespan of 45 to 50 years.
It is endemic in the Amazon of Brazil and Bolivia. These birds are not in danger of extinction, although they are vulnerable to the pet trade. Interestingly, they like to be held and petted, unlike other birds, and they are also very sociable. They can be a great choice as pets.
Quick Facts
- Size: 18 inches
- Weight: 300-400 grams
- Lifespan: 45-50 years
- Body Color: Green with chestnut-brown patch
- Conservation status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
13. Dominican Green and Yellow Macaw
These birds are also known as the Atwood’s Macaw or simply the Dominican Macaw. This macaw is believed to have gone extinct in the late 19th century and was hypothetically native to the island of Dominica.
However, there was no real evidence or archaeological confirmation of the existence of this bird; It was only described and believed to have been seen by a scientist and zoologist, Dr. Thomas Atwood, hence the name.
Quick Facts
- Size / Weight: Unknown
- Body Color: Hypothetically green and yellow
- Conservation Status: Hypothetically extinct
14. Jamaican Green and Yellow Macaw
This bird has also been extinct since the 19th century and was native to the forests and mountains of Jamaica. According to the notes of a scientist named, Gosse, he described the color of his body as green with a reddish head, and he also has a yellowish tail and wings.
These parrots are also hypothetically considered extinct because no archaeological remains were found that could prove their existence.
Quick Facts
- Size / Weight: Unknown
- Body Color: Hypothetically green body and yellowish tail
- Conservation Status: Hypothetically extinct
15. Jamaican Red Macaw
This macaw is also potentially extinct; It is believed to have been discovered by Dr. Robertson in 1765 in Jamaica. Its body is mainly red with a hint of yellowish color from the top of its head to the nape of the neck with bluish under the wings.
Quick Facts
- Size / Weight: Unknown
- Body Color: Hypothetically red body and bluish wings
- Conservation Status: Hypothetically extinct
16. Lesser Antillean Macaw
These parrots are also known as Guadeloupe macaw because this species was found and native on the island of Guadeloupe around the Atlantic Ocean.
It measures around 15 to 20 inches and weighs approximately 1500 grams. It has a red body color and tail with yellowish blue wings. Their extinction is due to an outbreak of disease and hunting by humans.
Quick Facts
- Size: 15-20 inches
- Weight: 1500 grams
- Body Color: Red
- Conservation Status: Extinct
17. Cuban Macaw
These macaws became extinct in the late 19th century due to human activities such as hunting and trade.
They were natives of Cuba and according to experts they inhabited swamps and open lands. It has an orange forehead and a yellowish nape, reddish-brown feathers, and blue plumage. It is also one of the mini macaws that are only 20 inches long and has a wingspan of about 290mm.
Quick Facts
- Size: 20 inches
- Wingspan: 290 mm
- Body Color: Yellowish nape, reddish-brown feathers
- Conservation Status: Extinct
18. Saint Croix macaw
Scientists found fossils of these parrots during the 1930s. Saint Croix macaws’ bones date back to 300 AD, although there is no evidence yet for their exact chronology. They were natives of Saint Croix and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. It is believed to be slightly smaller than a Cuban macaw.
Quick facts
- Size: slightly smaller than the Cuban macaw
- Conservation status: extinct
19. Red-bellied Macaw
Red-bellied Macaws are also known as the Manilata Macaw. Its name comes from the maroon patch on its belly. It lives in savannas and swamp forests in South America, particularly in Colombia, Brazil, and Trinidad.
These birds also prefer to live in palm groves, they measure around 45 centimeters, weigh around 300 grams, and have a life expectancy of 40 years.
They have a mostly greenish body, greyish plumage, reddish and bluish belly, sometimes orange or yellow under the wings. They are very loud and love to be in flocks. The population of these parrots is declining due to the pet trade and habitat loss due to palm trees and forest clearings.
Quick Facts
- Size: 18 inches
- Weight: 300 grams
- Lifespan: 40 years
- Body Color: Green with a red belly
- Conservation status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
20. Blue-headed Macaw
These birds have an extensive range in the lowlands of Peru and western Brazil. It measures around 16 inches, weighs around 207 to 300 grams.
It has a bluish head and flight feathers, a full green body, yellowish plumage, and according to bird enthusiasts, it has an undeniably large and heavier beak than any other medium-sized macaw.
They are very susceptible to illegal trade like other macaws.
Quick Facts
- Size: 16 inches
- Weight: 207 – 300 grams
- Body Color: Green with bluish head and flight feathers
- Conservation status: Threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
21. Blue-winged Macaw
This macaw is also known as Illiger’s macaw. It is endemic in deciduous and evergreen forests of South America, particularly in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
These birds have a pale green body with a red patch on the chest and bluish under the wings. It weighs about 265 grams, 43 cm in length, and has a lifespan of 50 to 60 years. It is near threatened according to the CITES appendices.
As a pet, Blue-winged Macaws are affectionate and playful, but they are also loud and love to screech a lot, so be careful!
Quick facts
- Size: 43 cm
- Weight: 265 grams
- Lifespan: 50 – 60 years
- Body color: Pale green with red patch and blue wings
- Conservation status: Threatened with extinction (Appendix I)
22. Gold Collared Macaw
These birds are also one of the mini-macaws; They are abundant in focal South America and inhabit forests, savannas, and lowlands, especially in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
They are typically 15 inches long, weigh about 250-280 grams, and can live up to 30-40 years.
They have a mostly green body color, with a touch of yellow on the nape and bluish-brown sometimes with a hint of yellow plumage and a blackish forehead.
These birds are marked as “least concerned” in the CITES appendices and commercial trade is allowed as long as the sellers have an export permit. They are described as quite mischievous but very intelligent and love to be with a small herd.
Quick Facts
- Size: 15 inches
- Weight: 250-280 grams
- Lifespan: 30-40 Years.
- Body color: Green with streaks of the yellow and blackish forehead
- Conservation status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)
23. Red-shouldered Macaw
These Neotropical parrots are considered the smallest of the macaw family, they are only around 12 inches tall and weigh 165 grams! Yes, you can literally carry them in your pocket, but don’t!
They have a full green body with a noticeable reddish patch on the shoulder and bluish feathers on the forehead. They have a reputation for being intelligent and personable macaws, although they also like to screech just like other macaw parrots.
Unfortunately, due to human activities, their population is declining and the trading of these macaws is listed as restricted to the pet trade by BirdLife International.
In captivity, these parrots can live up to 50 years. That’s what you can count on for sure!
Quick facts
- Size: 12 inches
- Weight: 165 grams
- Lifespan: 50 years.
- Body color: Green with red shoulder patch
- Conservation status: Not necessarily threatened with extinction (Appendix II)