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THE PARROT SPECIES FIELD GUIDE · Psittacidae

Great Green Macaw

Ara ambiguus

Meet the great green macaw: its taxonomic place, natural range and conservation record.

Great Green Macaw — Ara ambiguus
Great Green Macaw
SPECIES NOTES

A closer look.

Scientific names follow AviList v2025b. Read the taxonomy and source notes for changes in classification.

About this species

The great green macaw (Ara ambiguus), also known as Buffon's macaw or the great military macaw, is a critically endangered Central and South America parrot found in Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. Two allopatric subspecies are recognized; the nominate subspecies, Ara ambiguus ssp. ambiguus, occurs from Honduras to Colombia, while Ara ambiguus ssp. guayaquilensis appears to be endemic to remnants of dry forests on the southern Pacific coast of Ecuador. The nominate subspecies lives in the canopy of wet tropical forests and in Costa Rica is usually associated with the almendro tree, Dipteryx oleifera.

Conservation record

AviList v2025b records this species as critically endangered. Assessments and taxonomy can change; follow the source checklist for updates.

Sources & image credit

Names, family, range and conservation record: AviList Core Team (2026), AviList v2025b, CC BY 4.0. Species summary: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0. Length, weight and longevity when listed: World Parrot Trust species account.

Image: Alois Staudacher. Original file and full credit · CC BY-SA 3.0. Display size and encoding adjusted.