Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- About 70–75 cm long, including the tail
- Weight
- 900 g – 1.2 kg (2–2.6 lb)
- Habitat
- Arid to semi-humid forest, foothill canyons and cliffs
- Diet
- Herbivore — seeds, nuts and fruit
- Active Time
- Diurnal, active by day
- Lifespan
- Up to 50–60 years in captivity
- Its dull olive-green plumage, unusual among macaws, inspired the common name 'Military' Macaw.
- It often nests in cavities on steep cliff faces rather than only in tree hollows.
- Its range is broken into scattered populations stretching from Mexico to Argentina.
- Like other macaws, it visits exposed clay licks to eat mineral-rich soil that may offset toxins in its diet.
About the Military Macaw
The Military Macaw is a large green macaw found in scattered, disjunct populations from Mexico south through the Andes to Argentina. Unlike the vivid reds and blues of its rainforest relatives, it wears mostly olive-green plumage, brightened only by a narrow red forehead band and blue-tinged wings and tail. It favors arid to semi-humid forest, foothill canyons and cliff country, often nesting in cavities on steep rock faces. Military Macaws travel in pairs or small noisy flocks, feeding on seeds, nuts and fruit, and like other macaws they gather at clay licks to supplement their diet with minerals. Habitat loss and capture for the pet trade have made the species vulnerable across much of its fragmented range.
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