There are many different types of macaw and unfortunately, some extinct ones. There are also some very attractive hybrids and different subspecific varieties within the group.

In captivity one most often sees the blue and gold macaw, the green winged or the scarlet. These are all large and powerful birds. The largest is the blue hyacinth macaw and the smallest, the diminutive Hahn's macaw. All these birds share the same body plan with a more or less bare patch of skin around the eye and a long tail.