Hyacinth Macaw
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (Latham, 1790)
Range: Central South America
Habitat: Palm Savannah
Diet: Palm Nuts, Fruit
Social Grouping: Flocks of up to 30
Reproduction: Nest from July through December in tree cavities or on cliff faces. 2 eggs per clutch, but usually 1 survives to maturity. Eggs incubated by female for 25-28 days while male tends to her. Chicks fledge at 3 months, but dependent on parents until 6 months old. Mature at about 7 years old
Lifespan: 40-50 Years (Estimate)
Conservation Status: IUCN Endangered, CITES Appendix II
- The world's largest parrot, up to 100 centimeters in length (half of this length is made up of tail feathers). Wingspan 117-127 centimeters, weight 1.2-1.7 kilograms
- Sexes look alike with cobalt blue feathers, bare yellow skin around the eye, and a yellow patch of skin next to the lower bill; the bill is black
- Travel long distances daily in search of food, keep in touch with loud squawks and screams, return of roosts at sunset
- Feed on clay off of cliff faces, possibly to neutralize toxins found in their diet
- Known to feed on nuts that have passed through digestive tracts of cattle
- Adults have few predators; eggs may be taken by crows, jays, toucans, and coati
- Use of tools has been observed in wild and captive birds, such as using leaves to help maintain a grip on slippery nuts
- Major threat has been illegal collection of birds for the pet trade; also threatened by habitat loss for cattle ranching or damming
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