Description: general cobalt-blue; bare area around bill yellowish; wings slightly darker blue; tail and wing undersides blackish; powerful bill blackish; periophthalmic ring yellow; iris dark-brown; feet dark gray.

Immatures with shorter tail; upper mandible pailer.

Length: 100 cm (40 ins)

Buffon's Macaw (Ara a. ambigua)

Description: general plumage yellowish-green; forehead and feather-lines to bare lores red; bare cheek area whitish crossed with black feather-lines, becomes pinkish-flesh colour when excited; cheek area and chin edged blackish-brown

Immatures with duller plumage; middle tail-feathers with yellowish tips; iris brown.
 

Length: 85 cm (33.5 ins)

Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

Description: general plumage bright red; bare lores and cheeks whitish with barely visible light red feather lines; some birds with yellowish edging to feathers on back of head; greater and median wing-coverts yellow with green tips; outer webs of wing feathers blue; lower back rump; upper and under tail-coverts pale blue; tail upperside red with dull blue tips; underside of tail and wings red; powerful bill horn-coloured with blackish sides; lower mandible blackish; iris light yellowish, feet dark grey.

Immatures with shorter tail; lower mandible lighter; iris brown.

Length: 85 cm (33.5 ins)

Green-winged Macaw
( Ara chloroptera )

Description: general plumage red; bare lores and cheeks whitish and crossed with red feather-lines; male occasionally with greenish edging to feathers on back of head; median wing-coverts, inner secondaries and shoulder feathers green; greater wing-coverts and outer secondaries blue; outer webs of primaries dark blue; lower back, rump, upper and under tail-coverts blue; primary coverts blue; tail upperside dark-red with blue tips; tail and wing undersides dark-red; powerful bill horn-coloured with blackish sides; lower mandible blackish; iris pale-yellowish; feet dark grey.

Immatures with shorter tail; lower mandible paler; iris brown.

Length: 90 cm (35.5 ins)

Distribution: eastern Panama and northwest Colombia; east of Andes from eastern Colombia and Venezuela south across Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana to Brazilian provinces of Parana and Mato Grosso, northern and eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentinian province of Formosa.