Green-Wing Macaw
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ara chloropterus |
| Origin | South America |
| Size | 34-37 inches (86-94 cm) |
| Weight | 2.5-3.5 lbs (1100-1600 grams) |
| Lifespan | 50-60+ years |
| Noise Level | High (but calmer than most macaws) |
| Talking Ability | Good (can learn many words) |
| Diet | Pellets, nuts, fruits, vegetables |
| Care Level | Expert - Demanding |
| Space Requirements | Very Large (minimum 40"x50"x65" cage) |
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Recommended for Macaws
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Red and green, and the size of a toddler
Green-wing macaws, Ara chloropterus, are about 34 to 37 inches and 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. They have a reputation for being the calmer large macaw. Reputation is not a puppy class. They bond hard, they bite hard, and they need a person who can read a hormonal season without turning it into a wrestling match.
Pellets, vegetables, fruit, and a measured handful of nuts are the diet. A seed-only macaw is a vitamin deficiency with feathers. Chew toys are lumber, not a plastic supermarket bird toy. Captive-bred only.
Fifty years of noise
Have two people who can handle the bird, a will, and an avian vet from AAV who has seen a macaw. Heavy-metal poisoning from a cheap toy is a real emergency. A fluffed green-wing that will not eat is the quiet bird page.
Green-wing macaw questions
Are green-wings quieter than scarlets?
Some are steadier. The noise is still high. Do not buy one as the quiet macaw. The neighbors will correct that plan.
How big is the cage?
A minimum around 40 by 50 by 65 inches is already a small room, and the bird still needs hours outside it. Measure the door the cage has to come through.
Do they talk?
Many learn words. Many scream more than they talk. Speech is a bonus on a bird you can house for 50 years, not the reason to buy one.
Decision Guides for Green-Wing Macaw
Face lines, glass, and two diseases to name
Ara chloropterus carries fine red feather lines across the face and a red band on the wing, while a scarlet shows a bare white face, so the two birds separate at a glance even when a seller uses one name. The range runs from eastern Panama through the Amazon basin to northern Argentina. Ordinary window glass filters ultraviolet B, which is the lighting point in the Merck Veterinary Manual chapter on pet-bird nutrition. The Association of Avian Veterinarians discusses full-spectrum lighting and blood calcium with the clinic that has the bird, a conversation that comes up especially for African greys. A green-wing is its own species, and the avian veterinarian who draws the blood is the person who decides whether a lamp fits that house. Zoo Med instructions on ReptiSun UVB tubes say to write the date on the lamp and replace that tube twelve months later. Avian chlamydiosis and proventricular dilatation disease are the two parrot topics in the Merck Veterinary Manual to raise at the visit, and any risk for this macaw is the clinic's judgment after an exam.