Scarlet Macaw vs Hyacinth Macaw: 6 Key Differences

Key Takeaways

The scarlet macaw is red, yellow and blue with a white face; the hyacinth macaw is uniform cobalt blue with yellow eye-rings.

The hyacinth macaw is larger (about 95-100 cm) and is the world's longest parrot; the scarlet is around 81-96 cm.

Scarlet macaws range from Mexico to the Amazon; hyacinth macaws centre on Brazil's Pantanal.

The hyacinth is a hard-palm-nut specialist; the scarlet macaw is a dietary generalist.

The scarlet macaw is IUCN Least Concern, while the hyacinth macaw is Vulnerable with a decreasing trend.

Scarlet macaw vs hyacinth macaw: how to tell them apart

The scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) are two of the most recognisable parrots on the planet, and people often group them together as simply "macaws." But they sit in different genera and differ in colour, size, range, diet and conservation status. Here are six key differences. For the full family overview, see our macaw species guide.

1. Colour

The scarlet macaw is unmistakable: a vivid red body with bands of bright yellow and blue across the wings and a bare white face. The hyacinth macaw is a uniform deep cobalt blue, set off by a vivid yellow ring around the eye and a yellow marking at the base of the lower beak.

2. Size

The hyacinth is the larger bird and the longest parrot in the world, at roughly 95 to 100 centimetres. The scarlet macaw is large too, but typically shorter overall at around 81 to 96 centimetres including the tail.

3. Range

Scarlet macaws have a broad range from southern Mexico through Central America and into the Amazon basin of South America. Hyacinth macaws live in central South America, with the main stronghold in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands and smaller populations in the Cerrado and along the southern Amazon.

4. Diet

Both eat seeds, nuts, fruit and flowers, but the hyacinth macaw is a specialist on extremely hard palm nuts such as acuri and bocaiuva, which its massive beak is uniquely built to crack. The scarlet macaw has a more generalist diet across a wider range of forest foods.

5. Conservation status

This is the most important difference. The scarlet macaw is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern, with a large wild population. The hyacinth macaw is listed as Vulnerable, with roughly 4,300 mature individuals in the headline estimate and a decreasing trend.

6. Beak

Both have powerful beaks, but the hyacinth's is the heavyweight, capable of exerting several hundred pounds per square inch to open nuts that defeat almost everything else.

Whichever species draws you in, both are targeted by the illegal pet trade. Our partner-funded reception centres in Colombia and Brazil rehabilitate confiscated macaws, and you can support that work if it speaks to you.

Read the full Scarlet macaw wildlife guide for the facts, IUCN status and conservation context — or donate to WARN to help fund the local partners protecting this species.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a scarlet macaw and a hyacinth macaw?

The scarlet macaw is a red, yellow and blue bird with a bare white face, native from Mexico to the Amazon and listed as Least Concern. The hyacinth macaw is larger and uniform cobalt blue with yellow eye-rings, centred on Brazil's Pantanal, specialises on hard palm nuts, and is listed as Vulnerable.

Which is bigger, a scarlet macaw or a hyacinth macaw?

The hyacinth macaw is bigger. At roughly 95 to 100 centimetres it is the longest parrot in the world, while the scarlet macaw typically measures about 81 to 96 centimetres including its long tail.

Are scarlet and hyacinth macaws endangered?

Their statuses differ sharply. The scarlet macaw is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN with a large wild population, while the hyacinth macaw is listed as Vulnerable, with around 4,300 mature individuals and a decreasing trend driven by habitat loss, fire and historic trapping.