20-12-2015 JURONG, SINGAPORE - RED AND GREEN MACAW (Ara chloropterus)

The red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus), also known as the green-winged macaw, is a large, mostly-red macaw of the genus Ara.

This is the largest of the genus Ara, widespread in the forests and woodlands of northern and central South America. However, in common with other macaws, in recent years there has been a marked decline in its numbers due to habitat loss and illegal capture for the parrot trade.

This magnificent and easily distinguished parrot is one of the largest species of Macaw. The Green-winged macaw has yellow eyes, surrounded by bright red bars, made up of rows of small feathers, covering the white patch on the bare skin. The bird's chest, upper wings, upper back, and head are red. The legs of the bird are colored grey. The feathers of the middle wing are green with blue tips. The tail consists of motley plumage, surrounded by red feathers. The horn-colored upper beak is black on the sides while the lower beak is colored in black or dark grey.

The area of the Green-winged macaw distribution is partly Central and South America, stretching from eastern Panama to Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas, across the western part of South America from eastern Ecuador and eastern Peru to northern and eastern Bolivia. Throughout eastern South America, including Parana and Mato Grosso in Brazil, reaching Paraguay and Formosa in northern Argentina. The natural habitat of these birds is tropical rainforest, lowlands, and foothills. They are mainly found in interior regions, rarely occurring in coastal areas.

Green-winged macaws are social birds, living in pairs as well as gathering into family groups or small flocks, consisting of 6-12 individuals. In feeding trees and at clay licks, however, these birds can occasionally be seen in even larger flocks, mixing with other macaws and making a lot of noise, each bird demonstrating its full vocal range. Green-winged macaws are diurnal, spending most of the time under the dense cover of rainforest, where they find shelter as well as socialize and feed. They also spend a lot of time, playing and cleaning each other's plumage, removing lice and ticks from the feathers. If you see 3 or 4 macaws together, it will probably be a pair, and their young. These birds are extremely shy, and rarely seen in the foliage. Feeling danger, the bird immediately flies off, emitting loud screeches.