Macaws are among the world’s largest parrots, renowned for their striking plumage and impressive size. These majestic birds are instantly recognizable by their vibrant colors—often brilliant reds, blues, and yellows—and their long, tapering tails. Macaws are native to the tropical forests, woodlands, and savannas spanning from Mexico and Central America down through South America. They are intelligent, highly social animals that typically form lifelong pair bonds and communicate with loud, distinct vocalizations.
The Definitive Count of Extant Macaw Species
The most current scientific count places the total number of living macaw species at 17. These species represent the diversity of the group, from the small “mini-macaws” to the largest flying parrots. Examples include the Scarlet Macaw, the Hyacinth Macaw, and the Blue-and-Gold Macaw, which are often seen across their South American range. This count is specific to species currently considered to have surviving wild or captive populations.
The official number of species can sometimes be confusing because two species are classified as extinct in the wild or are likely extinct. The Glaucous Macaw is considered extinct, with no confirmed sightings in decades across its former range of southern Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The Spix’s Macaw, a smaller blue species, is officially listed as Extinct in the Wild, though intensive conservation programs have successfully reintroduced captive-bred birds back into their native habitat in Brazil.
Understanding the Major Macaw Genera
Macaws are not classified under a single genus but are distributed across six distinct scientific groupings, reflecting their evolutionary relationships and size differences. The largest and most well-known macaws belong to the genus Ara, which includes the Scarlet, Green-winged, and Military Macaws. Ara species are characterized by their large size and extensive facial patches of bare, white skin.
Another important group is the genus Anodorhynchus, which contains the three large, mostly blue species: the Hyacinth, Lear’s, and Glaucous Macaws. These macaws have a unique bare patch of bright yellow skin around the eye and at the base of the lower mandible, contrasting sharply with their deep blue feathers. The smallest macaws are found in genera like Diopsittaca, which contains the Red-shouldered Macaw, a bird no larger than some common parakeet species.
Extinct and Hypothetical Macaw Species
The total number of macaw species changes significantly when extinct populations are included. Several distinct macaw species, such as the Cuban Red Macaw (Ara tricolor), vanished relatively recently, with the last specimen collected in the mid-19th century. These Caribbean species were driven to extinction due to early European colonization and habitat destruction.
Historical records and subfossil remains point to several hypothetical macaws that once inhabited the islands of the West Indies. Species like the Martinique Macaw and the Lesser Antillean Macaw are known almost entirely from early explorer descriptions and anecdotal accounts. While challenging to confirm taxonomically, they indicate that the total historical diversity of macaws was considerably higher than the 17 species alive today.
Current Conservation Status of Macaws
The world’s macaw species are currently under significant threat across their Central and South American range. The primary pressures are the rapid loss of their forest habitat due to agriculture and logging, alongside the persistent threat of the illegal pet trade. These factors are damaging because macaws have a slow reproductive rate, laying only a few eggs per year, which makes population recovery difficult.
Several species have a precarious status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) is listed as Endangered, and the Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis), endemic to a small region of Bolivia, has fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the wild. Successful conservation efforts, such as those protecting the Hyacinth Macaw and the ongoing reintroduction of the Spix’s Macaw, offer models for protecting these parrots.