Chestnut-fronted Macaw

Overview

The Chestnut-fronted Macaw, also known as the Severe Macaw, is a small member of the macaw family found across the lowlands of northern and central South America and parts of Panama. It is often seen in noisy flocks moving between forest patches or clay licks alongside other parrot species.

Its subdued green plumage with a brown forehead patch sets it apart from the more colorful large macaws, while its size still exceeds most parakeets.

Feather Identification

• Body feathers: Green over most of the body, slightly duller and more olive-toned on the underparts than the back.
• Head feathers: A patch of chestnut-brown feathers on the forehead, distinguishing it from the blue-foreheaded Hahn's Macaw.
• Wing feathers: A red patch of feathers at the bend of the wing, with the primary flight feathers edged in blue.
• Tail feathers: Long and tapering, reddish-brown at the base grading to blue-green toward the tip.
• Compared to similar species: Larger than Hahn's Macaw with a brown rather than blue forehead patch; bare white facial skin crossed by thin lines of feathers helps confirm macaw identity.

Plumage Notes

Sexes are alike in plumage, both showing green body feathers, a chestnut forehead patch, and a red wing patch. The bare white facial skin has thin lines of small feathers running across it.

Juveniles resemble adults but with a less distinct forehead patch and shorter tail feathers until after their first molt.

Habitat & Range

This species ranges from eastern Panama through Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and much of the Amazon Basin into Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. It occupies lowland tropical forest, forest edges, and river corridors, often at lower elevations than some other macaws.

It is generally resident, though flocks travel daily between roosting and feeding sites.

Behavior & Field Notes

Chestnut-fronted Macaws are gregarious, often forming flocks of a dozen or more birds that fly with fast, direct wingbeats and give loud, harsh calls in flight. They feed on seeds, fruit, and nuts in the forest canopy and are frequent visitors to Amazonian clay licks.

They nest in tree cavities, often reusing sites across years, and are known for their raucous, screeching vocalizations, especially when flocks gather at dusk to roost.