The Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is a large bird in the Psittacidae family. It is a psittacine. It is also known as the Hyacinthine Macaw.
The Hyacinth Macaw is blue all over. Its eyerings are bright yellow, and an area underneath its beak is also bright yellow. Many species of Macaw are featherless on their cheeks, but the Hyacinth Macaw has feathers on its face. It has a large, strong, grey beak. It has a long, pointed tail. The Hyacinth Macaw, like other parrots, has its first and fourth toes pointing backwards.
It measures about 100 centimetres (39 inches) tall, with a wingspan of 110 centimetres (44 inches). It is the largest Macaw.
It is native to South American countries, such as Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It prefers the tree tops in wet, tropical rain forests.
It eats seeds, nuts, fruit, flowers, roots, and tree bark.
It nests in holes in tall trees. The female Hyacinth Macaw lays two eggs, but usually only one chick survives. One parent sits on the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 30 days. Both parents raise the young. The chicks leave the nest after around 110 days.
The Hyacinth Macaw can live, on average, for 50-60 years.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM