Description
The Green-winged Macaw Ara chloroptera is one of the largest Macaw parrots. It is
quite beautiful in color and very distinguished in its own right. It is considered to be one of the
most docile Macaws and is often referred to as the ‘gentle giant’. This pet bird is appreciated
for both its coloration and its temperament. It tends to be gentler, quieter, and a more
affectionate Macaw than many of its relatives, making it a superb companion and family pet.
This large Macaw has been kept in captivity as far back as the 17th century. In these early
times, there was not a lot of emphases placed on breeding. As with most parrots at that time,
the Green-winged Macaws were usually kept singly and it was not possible to determine
their gender visually. Breeding parrots began in more earnest around the turn of the 19th
a century and breeding the Green Wing was highly successful. Today this large Macaw is well
established in aviculture and readily available as a pet.
The Green Wing is colored in a rich, deep red from its head down through the upper mantle
of the back and wings, the underparts, and the tail. Below the red, running across the
middle of its back and wings is a band of green and thus its common name “Green-winged”.
The green then yields to a light blue on its rump, the upper and lower tail coverts, and tip of
the tail, and to a dark blue on the wings. It is second in size only to the Hyacinth Macaw
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus which is the largest Macaw and is itself the second-largest
parrot in the world. Both of these Macaws are big birds. The Green Wing averages a length
of about 35 1/2″ (90 cm), compared to the Hyacinth at 37″ (95 cm), and a weight of about
2.7 pounds (1.2 kg) compared to about 3.7 lb (1.7 kg)
to as a ‘gentle giant’ because of their large size yet very pleasant personalities. In color, this
bird is often confused with the Scarlet Macaw Ara Macao because of the large amount of
red in its feathering. However, the Scarlet has a broad band of yellow feathers across the
back rather than green ones like this bird has. Common names were flurried about to depict
this bird as well as its red cousin with the yellow band of feathers. This Macaw was referred
to as the Green-winged Macaw, Green Wing Macaw, Red, and Green Macaw, Red and Blue
Macaw, Crimson Macaw, and Maroon Macaw. At the same time names to depict the smaller
Macaw with the yellow band ranged from Red Macaw, Red and Gold Macaw, Red and Yellow
Macaw, Red, Yellow, and Blue Macaw, and Scarlet Macaw. It was in 1949, when Dr. Osmond
Hill, after careful research of all available materials on these species, suggested that
everything be simplified. He suggested that Ara Macao simply be called the “Scarlet
Macaw”, and Ara chloroptera simply be called the “Green-winged Macaw”, And these are the
two common names primarily used for each of these Macaw species today. Despite
its overall red appearance, the personality of Green-winged Macaws is just about the opposite
of the Scarlet Macaw. The Green-winged Macaws are very sweet-tempered birds that are
affectionate, inquisitive, and intelligent. They make them a great companion not only for a
single person but when well socialized, they are friendly with everyone, even other birds.
This is quite the opposite of the brilliant red Scarlet, which can be quite a fiery bird and
needs a firm hand
