Hyacinth macaws are the largest of the parrots and, as their name implies, are covered with bright blue plumage. They have bare yellow eye ring circles around large black eyes, a yellow chin, a strongly hooked beak and zygodactylous feet (2 toes that point forward and 2 toes that point backward).

HYACINTH MACAW DESCRIPTION

Like all Macaws the tail is very long. This particular section of the body alone can be about half his length. The colors of blue on the feathers often varies in places from light to dark blue. The colors blend in very nicely with each other to give this bird a magnificent appearance.

Habitat

They are at home in the forests and grasslands of South America’s Pantanal region, south of the Amazon River.

Diet

Hyacinth macaws require more fat in their diets than other parrot species. Their main source of food in the wild is from palm nuts which have been passed through the digestive systems of cows.

They also enjoy other types of nuts, fruits and berries, and flowers and stems of plants.

Size

Hyacinths are the largest of the parrot species and one of the most easily recognized. They grow to approximately 40 inches long with a wingspan of up to four feet. Adults generally weigh between 3 and 4 pounds.

Description

Their feathers are a bright blue color with brightly contrasting yellow rings around their large, black eyes and smaller yellow streaks beside their lower beak. Their beaks are long and sharply curved and are gray to black in color. The genus name “Anodorhynchus” means “toothless beak”. Their feet are zygodactylous, meaning that they have two toes that face forward and two toes that point behind them.