Birds Active during the day

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

Ara ararauna

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

With its radiant turquoise wings and sun-drenched golden belly, the Blue-and-yellow Macaw is a living masterpiece of the tropical canopy. These intelligent, social giants are the crown jewels of the Amazon, known for their lifelong partnerships and thunderous calls.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length of 32–36 inches (81–91 cm); wingspan of 40–45 inches (102–114 cm); weighs 2–2.5 lbs (0.9–1.1 kg)

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Colors

Brilliant turquoise-blue upperparts with golden-yellow underparts; green crown; bare white facial skin with thin black feather lines

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Key Features

Striking blue back and bright yellow-orange belly
White facial patch with fine black lines
Long, tapering blue tail
Massive black hooked beak

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 6-9 AM, 3-6 PM

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Season Year-round

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Diet What this species eats and its foraging strategy

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Habitat Tropical rainforests, gallery forests along rivers, swampy woodlands, and occasionally palm-rich savannahs or suburban areas with mature trees.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Blue-and-yellow Macaw Live?

This spectacular parrot is native to the heart of South America and southern Central America, spanning from eastern Panama across the vast Amazon Basin. Its core territory includes large swaths of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, where it thrives in humid lowland forests. While extinct in some former island ranges like Trinidad, small introduced populations have successfully established themselves in urban parks and suburbs in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

10 Countries

11.8M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

BR Brazil PE Peru CO Colombia BO Bolivia VE Venezuela EC Ecuador GY Guyana SR Suriname PA Panama US United States

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

These macaws are incredibly social and intelligent birds, often seen flying in pairs or small family groups. They are famous for their loud, raucous calls that can carry for miles across the canopy, which they use to maintain contact with their flock. They are highly monogamous, usually mating for life and frequently seen preening one another to strengthen their bond.

In the wild, they are active foragers with a playful side, often hanging upside down to reach fruit or engaging in social play. While they are naturally wary of ground predators, they have a curious nature and, in areas where they are accustomed to humans, may visit gardens or feeders. Their ability to mimic sounds and 'talk' makes them famous, though in the wild, their vocalizations are purely functional for flock communication.

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Camera Tips

To capture these high-flying beauties, position your camera at a significant height or directed toward a known food source. Since Blue-and-yellow Macaws are canopy dwellers, a ground-level camera will rarely see them unless they are visiting a bird bath or a low-hanging fruit tree. Aim your lens at a 45-degree upward angle toward palm trees or fruiting trees like figs and almonds, where they tend to congregate in the mornings.

If you live in a region where they visit backyards, platform feeders or high-mounted mineral blocks can serve as a lure. They are attracted to the color of bright fruits, but consistency is key; they follow established flight paths and food calendars. Use a fast shutter speed or a high-frame-rate video setting (at least 60fps) to capture the incredible detail of their feathers and the powerful motion of their wings, as they are surprisingly fast in flight.

Lighting is crucial for bringing out their vibrant colors. Position your camera with the sun at its back to avoid silhouettes, especially during their peak activity hours at dawn and dusk. Because they are social and often travel in pairs, ensure your camera has a wide-angle lens or is placed far enough back to capture the interaction between birds, rather than just a single close-up of a beak.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Blue-and-yellow Macaw.

Scarlet Macaw

Primarily bright red body with yellow and blue wing feathers, lacking the Blue-and-yellow's solid blue back and golden belly.

Blue-throated Macaw

Critically endangered and smaller, it features a distinct blue 'bib' or throat patch that the Blue-and-yellow Macaw lacks.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Blue-and-yellow Macaws are strictly diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They are most vocal and mobile during the early morning hours (6-9 AM) as they leave their roosts to find food, and again in the late afternoon (4-6 PM) as they return to their sleeping trees.

If you live within their range, you can attract them by planting native fruiting trees like palms (especially Acrocomia) or almond trees. They also appreciate large, sturdy platform feeders stocked with unsalted nuts in the shell, such as walnuts or macadamias, and fresh water in a large, elevated bird bath.

Their diet consists mainly of seeds, nuts, and fruits. They use their powerful beaks to crack open extremely hard nut shells that other animals can't reach. They are also known to visit 'clay licks' on riverbanks to consume mineral-rich soil, which helps neutralize toxins found in some of the unripe seeds they eat.

While primarily a forest species, they are increasingly common in suburban areas of cities like Miami, Florida, and various South American capitals. They adapt well to urban environments as long as there are tall trees for nesting and a steady supply of ornamental fruit or nut trees.

The Blue-and-yellow Macaw is easily identified by its entirely blue back and yellow belly. In contrast, the Scarlet Macaw is primarily bright red with yellow and blue patches on its wings. Additionally, the Blue-and-yellow Macaw has fine black lines of feathers on its white facial patch, which the Scarlet Macaw lacks.

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