Hyacinth Macaw
Photo: Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0

African and New World Parrots

Hyacinth Macaw

Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

VUVulnerable
Family
African and New World Parrots (Psittacidae)
Order
Psittaciformes

Overview

The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or hyacinthine macaw, is a large parrot native to central and eastern South America. With a length (from the top of its head to the tip of its long pointed tail) of about one meter it is longer than any other species of parrot. It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species. While generally easily recognized, it could be confused with the smaller Lear's macaw. Habitat loss and the trapping of wild birds for the pet trade have taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild, so the species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, and it is protected by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Diet: Palm nuts.

How to identify it

  1. The longest parrot: all cobalt blue
  2. Yellow eye-ring and yellow skin at the base of the lower bill
  3. Powerful black bill cracks palm nuts

Voice

Loud guttural screeches.

Listen to recordings on xeno-canto

Where to see it

  • Pantanal, Brazil

Destination guides featuring this bird

Similar species

Lear's Macaw
smaller with a greener tinge; north-east Brazil only

Range and habitat

Interior southern Brazil, far northwestern Paraguay, and adjacent eastern Bolivia.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.