Lear’s Macaw
Anodorhynchus leari
- Family
- African and New World Parrots (Psittacidae)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
Overview
Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), also known as the indigo macaw, is a large all-blue Brazilian parrot, a member of a large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It was first described by Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1856. Lear's macaw is 70–75 cm (27+1⁄2–29+1⁄2 in) long and weighs around 950 g (2 lb 2 oz). It is coloured almost completely blue, with a yellow patch of skin at the base of the heavy, black bill.
Although there are records of the macaw from Britain from the early 1830s, this bird was only generally recognised as an independent species in the late 1970s.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Licuri palm nuts.
How to identify it
- Deep blue macaw, smaller than the Hyacinth, with a greenish tinge to the head
- Pale yellow patch at the base of the bill
- Roosts in sandstone cliffs in Bahia's caatinga
Voice
Loud screeches.
Where to see it
- Canudos Biological Station, Bahia
Similar species
- Hyacinth Macaw
- larger and uniformly blue
Range and habitat
Caatinga of eastern Brazil (northern Bahia); on verge of extinction.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Lear's macaw
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
