Ara militaris
Silhouette: Myriam_Ramirez · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The military macaw (Ara militaris) is a medium to large-sized macaw, named after its green and red plumage vaguely resembling a military uniform. It is native from west-central Mexico south through northern Argentina and Bolivia. While most wild populations are currently listed by the IUCN as vulnerable - and listed as endangered by Mexico - the species is still seen commonly in zoos and parks worldwide. The military macaw may be bred in captivity with relative ease, and is usually available through the pet trade. It is among the longest-lived one can own, requiring advanced knowledge, experience and confidence to keep them healthy, stimulated and thriving.
The military macaw was formally described in 1766 by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 12 edition of his Systema Naturae, where he placed it within the genus Psittacus, coining the binomial name Psittacus militaris. Linnaeus did not specify a type locality, but it was designated as 'Colombia' in 1912. The military macaw is, now, one of ten species in the genus Ara, designated in 1799 by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède. The name Ara comes directly from the Tupi word ará ("macaw"), of the native Brazilian... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Tayrona National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 3 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Henri Pittier National Park | 🇻🇪 Venezuela |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Military Macaw sighting in Sierra de la Macarena National Park on a given day, based on 67 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 182nd most-seen of the 418 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–March and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Military Macaw in Sierra de la Macarena National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and June–December, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Military Macaw sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Military Macaw sightings, Sierra de la Macarena National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Amboró National Park (Bolivia, about 60%) and Tayrona National Natural Park (Colombia, about 20%).
Same genus: Ara
The closest relatives of the Military Macaw that you can see in Sierra de la Macarena National Park (genus Ara) are Chestnut-fronted Macaw (about 30%) and Scarlet Macaw (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Military Macaw is recorded against all the birds logged in Sierra de la Macarena National Park (67 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
