Name Confusion & Alternate (Global) Names

English Names

Historically, there has always been a lot of confusion with the Green-winged Macaws, which also have a mostly red plumage. However, the Green-winged has a broad green band on the wings, which is mostly yellow in the Scarlet.

The confusion also extended to their naming. The macaw with the green wing band – Ara chloroptera – was known as the Green-winged or Red and Blue Macaw, Red-blue-and-green or Red-green Macaw, Crimson or Maroon Macaw.

The smaller one with the yellow band – the Ara macao – was referred to as Red or Red and Gold Macaw, Red and Yellow Macaw, Red-yellow-and-blue or Scarlet Macaw.

Dr. Osmond Hill researched these species, and in 1949 suggested as a way of ending this mix-up to refer to the Ara chloroptera as the “Green-winged Macaw” and the Ara macao as the “Scarlet Macaw”.

Global Names

Chinese: ???? … Czech: Ara arakanga … Danish: Lyserød Ara … Dutch: Geelvleugelara, Macao … Estonian: puna-aara (makao) … Finnish: Puna-ara … French: Ara macao, Ara rouge … German: Arakanga, Hellroter ara, Hellroter Ara … Irish: Macá scarlóideach … Italian: Ara rossa e gialla, Ara scarlatta … Japanese: kongouinko … Norwegian: Gulvingerødara, Lyserød ara … Polish: ara zóltoskrzydla, Ara ?ó?toskrzyd?a … Portuguese: arara-boliviana, Arara-canga, arara-macau, arara-piranga, arara-vermelha, arara-vermelha-pequena, macau … Russian: ??????? ??? … Slovak: Ara arakanga … Spanish: Guacamaya Macao, Guacamaya Roja, Guacamayo Macao, Guacamayo Rojo, Guacamayo Rosado, Guara roja, Guara Roja, Lapa Roja … Swedish: Ljusröd ara, Röd ara

Macaw Information … Photos of the Different Macaw Species for Identification … Common Health Problems / Diseases of Macaws … Macaw Nutrition for Good Health