Bird Guide

Red-and-green Macaw vs Scarlet Macaw

Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus)

Red-and-green Macaw

Ara chloropterus

Large1.2 kgForest

The green-winged macaw can be readily distinguished from the scarlet macaw. While the breast of both birds are bright red, the upper-wing covert feathers of the green-winged macaw is mostly green (as opposed to mostly yellow, or a strong mix of yellow and green in the scarlet macaw). In addition, the green-winged macaw has characteristic red lines around the eyes formed by rows of tiny feathers on the otherwise bare white skin patch; this is one of the biggest differences from a scarlet macaw to the casual viewer. Iridescent teal feathers are surrounded by red on the tail.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Miguel A. Paixão · CC BY 4.0
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

Large1.0 kgForest

It is about 84 centimeters (33 in) long, of which more than half is the pointed, graduated tail typical of all macaws, though the scarlet macaw has a larger percentage of tail than the other large macaws. The average weight is about 1 kilogram (2 lb 3 oz). The plumage is mostly scarlet, but the rump and tail-covert feathers are light blue, the greater upper wing coverts are yellow, the upper sides of the flight feathers of the wings are dark blue as are the ends of the tail feathers, and the undersides of the wing and tail flight feathers are dark red with metallic gold iridescence.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Scarlet Macaw
Recorded by Richard Borrmann · Alarm call · San Buenaventura (near Tumupasa), Iturralde, Departamento de La Paz, Bolivia · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Letartean · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Red-and-green Macaw and Scarlet Macaw.