Great Green Macaw
Great Green MacawGreat Green MacawGreat Green MacawGreat Green Macaw

Great Green Macaw

Ara ambiguus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Tortuguero National Park
185 Verified records at Tortuguero National Park
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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. Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Great Green Macaw sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 185 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Scarlet Macaw
LC

Scarlet Macaw

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ara macao

5–10% · With luck
Red-lored Parrot
LC

Red-lored Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona autumnalis

40–50% · Likely
Mealy Parrot
LC

Mealy Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona farinosa

30–40% · Possible
Olive-throated Parakeet
NT

Olive-throated Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aratinga nana

30–40% · Possible
White-crowned Parrot
LC

White-crowned Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionus senilis

20–30% · Possible
Brown-hooded Parrot
LC

Brown-hooded Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionopsitta haematotis

10–20% · With luck
Orange-chinned Parakeet
LC

Orange-chinned Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Brotogeris jugularis

10–20% · With luck
Crimson-fronted Parakeet

Crimson-fronted Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aratinga finschi

<5% · Rare
Blue-headed Parrot
LC

Blue-headed Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pionus menstruus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
50–60
Feb
40–50
Mar
60–70
Apr
50–60
May
50–60
Jun
60–70
Jul
60–70
Aug
60–70
Sep
60–70
Oct
50–60
Nov
40–50
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 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
50–60%
2 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
30–40%
3 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
4 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
20–30%
5 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
10–20%
6 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
5–10%
7 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
8 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
9 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Great Green Macaw in Tortuguero National Park?

About 58% of wildlife watchers report a Great Green Macaw sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 185 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Great Green Macaw in Tortuguero National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Great Green Macaw in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Tortuguero National Park