The Military Macaw (Ara militaris) is a large, gregarious parrot characterized by blue-green plumage, a red forehead patch, and yellow eyes. It inhabits montane dry to humid forests in Mexico and humid or deciduous forests in the Andes of South America. As a specialized granivore, it primarily feeds on seeds from trees like Hura polyandra and Brosimum alicastrum, and is known for its distinct croaking vocalizations at dawn and dusk.
Learn to identify
Adult Military Macaw photographed in a zoo garden in Nassau, Bahamas.
Learning lesson · openly licensed photographs, labelled by BirdBot; labels checked against the cited sources and approved by AI
Red forehead patch: a bright red patch above the bill. Bare face with dark lines: pale bare skin with fine dark lines. Large black bill: heavy, slate-black bill. Blue flight feathers: blue in the wings of a mostly green bird. Green macaw, red forehead, black bill.
Great Green Macaw is similar but larger; its bill is not all black.
Sources: Animal Diversity Web: Ara militaris (military macaw) · Wikipedia: Military macaw (revision 1382312870)
Photo: Charles Pluta from Augusta, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; labels added by BirdBot.
Identifying a Military Macaw in the field relies on a combination of plumage details and vocalizations. The bird is monomorphic, meaning males and females look alike. Key visual markers include a paler green head compared to the body, a distinct red patch on the forehead, and a white eye-ring with dark lines. The flight quills are blue, and the tail feathers are red. The large black beak and yellow eyes are also distinctive features.
Acoustically, the species performs distinct croaking vocalizations every morning and around sunset. These calls can vary between geographically separated populations, so local familiarity with the specific "dialect" of the area can aid in identification. The calls are used for alarm, territorial disputes, and mating.
The Military Macaw has a highly disjunct range. In Mexico, it occupies montane dry to humid and oak-pine forests in the Sierra Madre Occidental (from central Sonora southward to Oaxaca) and the Sierra Madre Oriental (eastern Nuevo León and eastern San Luis Potosí). In South America, it is found in deciduous to humid forests in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Sierra de Perijá, and the mountains of coastal Venezuela, as well as in the western and central Andes of northern Colombia and the eastern Andes southward to the Yungas of northernmost Argentina.
Within these regions, the birds are most commonly found at elevations between 500 and 1500 meters, though their elevational range extends from 0 to 3600 meters. They prefer tropical sub-deciduous and deciduous forests, as well as rainforests. In South America, they also utilize highly wooded areas and shaded coffee plantations.
Military Macaws are specialized granivores, meaning their diet is primarily composed of seeds. The specific seeds they consume vary seasonally and by location based on availability. They have been reported eating arbol del diablo (Hura polyandra) and the breadnut, or Maya nut (Brosimum alicastrum), with high frequency. Their diet also includes fruit, bark, wood, and leaves. Notably, they have been observed eating the stems of nosegay (Plumeria rubra) to consume the latex and getting water from the leaves of air plants (Tillandsia grandi).
These birds are gregarious and often found in groups of 50, though groups of up to 100 have been recorded. Despite living in colonies, they forage independently or in pairs. They move daily among feeding, nesting, and roosting sites. Flight is their main mode of locomotion, but they are also capable of climbing up and around trees.
For field observation, look for large, mature specimens of Hura or Brosimum in semi-deciduous forests, as these trees provide the high-frequency seed sources that attract foraging pairs. In Mexico, target the montane dry to humid and oak-pine forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental, where these seed trees are concentrated. In Colombia, focus on the deciduous to humid forests of the western and central Andes in the north and the eastern Andes in the south-central regions. Because the birds move daily between specific feeding and roosting sites, locating a productive seed tree often reveals the daily foraging route of the local group.
Military Macaws are monogamous and stay with one mate for life. They are secondary cavity-nesters, using pre-formed holes in tall trees or karst cliffs. When nesting in trees, the tree must have a diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than 50 cm. Communal roosts are found in trees taller than 16 meters. Both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing duties. Chicks are altricial, meaning they are born fully dependent on their parents. The breeding season varies by region; for example, in western Mexico, it starts with nest selection from October to November and ends with juvenile departure from January to March.
The Military Macaw is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as recorded in AviList v2026. This status reflects threats from habitat loss due to logging and wood harvesting, which leads to fragmentation and degradation. The species is also threatened by the illegal pet trade. In the United States, it is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and it is listed under Appendix I of CITES, which restricts international trade.
Use the distinct morning croaks to confirm the presence of groups from a distance, rather than positioning yourself for visual contact. Because Military Macaws are diurnal and move daily between specific feeding, nesting, and roosting sites, their presence is often predictable at dawn. Listen for these acoustic cues to locate the group, then maintain a significant distance that prevents the birds from abandoning their foraging trees or roosts. If the birds show signs of stress, such as increased vocalization, flight, or abandonment of the site, leave immediately. Avoid feeding or approaching closely, as these actions can disrupt the social dynamics of groups that may number up to 100 individuals.
For planning a trip, the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico (from central Sonora to Oaxaca) and the Andes in northern Colombia are prime locations for observation. In these regions, the species occupies montane dry to humid forests and oak-pine forests, respectively, where the specific seed trees and cavity-nesting sites are most concentrated.
