Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Blue-and-yellow MacawBlue-and-yellow MacawBlue-and-yellow MacawBlue-and-yellow Macaw

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

Ara ararauna

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Darién National Park
229 Verified records at Darién National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large Neotropical parrot with a mostly blue dorsum, light yellow/orange venter, and gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It inhabits forest (especially varzea, but also in open sections of terra firme or unflooded forest), woodland, and savannah of tropical Central and South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans. It is the most commonly kept macaw species in captivity worldwide as a pet or companion parrot and is also the cheapest among the large macaws. As of 2025, there are 1 million blue and gold macaws living in captivity worldwide, one of the highest populations of any large parrot in captivity. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-yellow Macaw sighting in Darién National Park, based on 229 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Darién National Park

Chestnut-fronted Macaw
LC

Chestnut-fronted Macaw

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ara severus

10–20% · With luck
Great Green Macaw
CR

Great Green Macaw

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ara ambiguus

10–20% · With luck
Red-and-green Macaw
LC

Red-and-green Macaw

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ara chloropterus

5–10% · With luck
Scarlet Macaw
LC

Scarlet Macaw

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ara macao

Insufficient data
Red-lored Parrot
LC

Red-lored Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona autumnalis

60–70% · Likely
Orange-chinned Parakeet
LC

Orange-chinned Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Brotogeris jugularis

50–60% · Likely
Blue-headed Parrot
LC

Blue-headed Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionus menstruus

40–50% · Likely
Mealy Parrot
LC

Mealy Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona farinosa

30–40% · Possible
Spectacled Parrotlet
LC

Spectacled Parrotlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Forpus conspicillatus

10–20% · With luck
Brown-hooded Parrot
LC

Brown-hooded Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionopsitta haematotis

10–20% · With luck
Saffron-headed Parrot
NT

Saffron-headed Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionopsitta pyrilia

<5% · Rare
Yellow-crowned Parrot
LC

Yellow-crowned Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona ochrocephala

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
5–10
Feb
5–10
Mar
5–10
Apr
5–10
May
<5
Jun
10–20
Jul
<5
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
5–10
Nov
10–20
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
80–90%
2 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
50–60%
3 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
4 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
30–40%
5 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
30–40%
6 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%
7 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
20–30%
8 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
10–20%
9 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
10–20%
10 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
11 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
5–10%
12 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
5–10%
13 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
14 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
15 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
16 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
17 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
18 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
20 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
21 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
22 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
23 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
24 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
25 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
26 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
27 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
28 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
29 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-and-yellow Macaw in Darién National Park?

About 8% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-and-yellow Macaw sighting in Darién National Park, based on 229 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Blue-and-yellow Macaw in Darién National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Blue-and-yellow Macaw in Darién National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Darién National Park