Red-And-Green Macaw – Different From The Scarlet Macaw

The red-and-green macaw is quite an eye-catcher as its glides over you and swiftly disappears into the distance. You’re in awe as it spreads its wings and you behold its amazing colours that conveniently goes well with each other. As the name suggests, the red-and-green macaw is primarily red with green greater and median wing-coverts. This bird’s primaries are blue and has blue scattered throughout the rump and tail. This macaw is similar in appearance to the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) which lacks the green wing-coverts that the red-and-green macaw has.

The Difference Between The Red-And-Green Macaw And The Scarlet Macaw

• Green Wing – The green-winged macaw can be readily distinguished from the scarlet macaw. While the breast of both birds is bright red, the upper-wing covert feathers of the green-winged macaw is mostly green but can occasionally sport a few yellow feathers above the band of green (as opposed to mostly yellow, or a strong mix of yellow and green in the scarlet macaw).
• Bright Red Eye Lines – 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.
• Larger – If seen together, the green-winged macaw is clearly larger than the scarlet macaw as well.

Tip: In terms of length, this species is second only in size to the hyacinth macaw, the largest of the macaws. The red-and-green macaw attains a total body length of 90 to 95 cm (35 to 37 in) in adults. Twelve adults were found to average 1,214 g (2.676 lb). A weight range of between 1,050 and 1,708 g (2.315 and 3.765 lb) has been reported.

Red-And-Green Macaw | By anovva (pixabay.com) – https://www.needpix.com/photo/454374/parrots-bird-animal-macaw-colourful-color-colorful-red-pet

Scientific Classification Of The Red-And-Green Macaw

Red-And-Green Macaw – Ara chloropterus [Scientific name]

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Psittaciformes
• Family: Psittacidae
• Genus: Ara
• Species: A. chloropterus

Habitat Of The Red-And-Green Macaw

The red-and-green macaw is a resident of humid lowland evergreen forest and tropical deciduous forest, as well as occasionally savannas and llanos. These large parrots nest in holes in trees, as wells cavities in sandstone cliffs. Although this species is not globally threatened, red-and-green macaws are targeted by the pet trade are in decline at the edges of their range. Their area of distribution includes central and northern South America, east of the Andes Mountains, from southern Panama, through Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to Paraguay and northern Argentina.

Diet Of The Red-And-Green Macaw

They feed on seeds, nuts, fruits, berries and different types of plant matter that they find high in the treetops. These macaws are herbivores (granivores and frugivores) and they also consume clay and bark of trees.

Reproduction Of The Red-And-Green Macaw

The red-and-green macaw generally mates for life. They mate once in a lifetime, remaining and travelling together even out of the breeding season. They breed in December, nesting high in tree hollows. The female typically lays two or three eggs in a nest made in a hole in a tree. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days and is on the nest while the male provides her with food, regurgitating it from his throat pouch. By the end of incubation period, the eggs begin hatching with intervals of 1-5 days. The parents feed the chicks by means of regurgitation, provided that the firstling is always fed prior to others.

Hatchlings – During the first 3-4 months of their lives, the hatchlings stay in the nest, where the parents feed and care for them, until the young leave the nest to find mates. They tend to live in pairs or small family groups, although in some sites like the clay deposits on the vertical walls of rivers, they can come together in large groups, often mixed with specimens of other parrot species. Sexual maturity is reached at about 2-3 years old.

Five Facts About The Red-And-Green Macaw

1. The red-and-green macaw is also known as the green-winged macaw and is mostly red in appearance.
2. This macaw is the largest of the genus Ara and is widespread in the forests and woodlands of northern and central South America.
3. Like all macaws, their populations are endangered today, due to the destruction of their forest habitat and excessive capturing for the pet trade.
4. The green-winged macaw can talk, but is not known to be a chatterbox; instead, an owner can expect intermittent screaming, which is quite loud, but not persistent, that is, if the bird is being cared for properly.
5. An unhappy green wing can cause a ruckus that will get someone tossed out of an apartment building.

Red-And-Green Macaws In Guyana

These are large macaws with a long, pointed tail, a red head and body with mostly blue wings and green wing coverts. It has a white face with distinct red stripes. It is often confused with the scarlet macaw, which has yellow (not green) wing coverts and lacks red stripes on the face. The red-and-green macaw is usually found in pairs, flying over the forest and perching in the canopy. They gather in small groups, especially at fruiting trees or clay licks. These beautiful macaws are found in Guyana; they are an added beauty and pleasure to the Country.

Article References:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-and-green_macaw
• https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/ragmac1/overview
• https://www.zoobarcelona.cat/en/animals/redandgreen-macaw
• https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/green-winged-macaw/
• http://animalia.bio/green-winged-macaw
• Main Image: Red-And-Green Macaw | NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) – https://live.staticflickr.com/8043/8129453141_c5e193f482_b.jpg