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Hyacinth Macaw

  • Order: Psittaciformes
  • Family: Psittacidas
  • Genus: Anodorhynchus
  • Species: hyacinthinus
Fun Fact

Hyacinth macaws are the largest parrots in the world.

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    About Hyacinth Macaws

    These birds measure about 40 inches and weigh about 2.75 pounds. Their predominant color is a deep cobalt blue but they have a golden eye ring and a golden stripe on their lower mandible.

    Hyacinth macaws typically nest in tree cavities, however they have also been seen nesting in holes of cliff faces. The macaws will enlarge pre-existing holes from woodpeckers or a broken tree limb. They will line the large holes with sawdust from the tree.

    Hyacinth macaws are extremely social birds. They live in the wild as mated pairs. Like other parrots, hyacinths tend to gather at the end of the day in roosting trees where they spend the night. These birds make very loud vocalizations that include a variety of very loud, harsh, guttural squawks that can be heard over a mile away in the wild.

    Hyacinth Macaws in the Wild


    Lightly forested areas with seasonally flooded grasslands.


    South America – Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay


    Their diet, in the Pantanal region, is largely made up of palm nuts from two species of trees: the acuri and the bocaiuva. The nuts from the acuri come off the trees with a thick green covering. They are eaten by cows and only the green covering is digested by the cow. They are then sent through the digestive system and excreted. The birds actually have been observed searching through piles of cow dung for theses nuts. The nuts from the bocaiuva tree are eaten directly off the trees.

    Population Status

    This species is listed as “vulnerable” due to the wild pet trade and habitat destruction.

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