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Two bright blue hyacinth macaws perched together on a branch among pink flowers.
Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hyacinth Macaw

Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

The largest macaw, a bright blue parrot of central South America with yellow rings around its eyes.

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About the Hyacinth Macaw

Hyacinth macaws live in tall trees and palms in swamps, forests and along rivers in southern Brazil and western Bolivia. They are about 100 cm (39 inches) long, making them the largest macaws, and they can fly up to 35 miles per hour. They eat seeds, fruits, nuts and berries using a strongly hooked beak.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus[1]
Size
About 100 cm (39 inches) long.[1]
Weight
About 1,550 to 1,600 g (3 to 3.5 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
30 to 50 years or more.[1]
Diet
Seeds, fruits, nuts and berries.[1]
Habitat
Tall trees and palms in swamps, forests and near rivers.[1]
Where it lives
Southern Brazil and western Bolivia.[1]
Babies
2 or 3 eggs, which hatch after about 29 days.[1]
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016). About 2,500 to 10,000 remain.[1][2]

Fun facts

  • The hyacinth macaw is the largest macaw species.[1]
  • Hyacinth macaws can fly up to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h).[1]
  • Bare yellow rings circle a hyacinth macaw's eyes, and it has a yellow chin.[1]

Vocabulary

macaw
A large, long-tailed parrot from Central and South America.
pet trade
Buying and selling animals as pets; taking wild animals for it can harm them.
hooked beak
A beak that curves down to a sharp point.
palm
A tropical tree with a tall trunk and large leaves at the top.
vulnerable
A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Animal Info. “Hyacinth Macaw.” https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/hyacinth-macaw/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (Hyacinth Macaw).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685516/93077457 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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