Info
The Hyacinth Macaw is the most beautiful parrot on the planet. The first person to describe this species of bird was John Latham in 1790. As in those days, the bird is admired by many, but with one difference: now it is almost impossible to meet blue beauties in the wild. Because of the Hyacinth Macaws, they began to disappear from the face of the earth.
| Name and classification | Species: Parrot Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus Subspecies: • Blue-gray (Anodorhynchus glaucus) • Hyacinth (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) • Lesser hyacinth (Anodorhynchus leari) • Guadalupe (Ara guadeloupensis) Genus Anodorhynchus Family Psittacidae Order Psittaciform es |
| Body length | 80-100 cm |
| Adult weight | 1.5 – 1.7 kg (males are heavier) |
| Tail | Blue-gray, reaches a length of 45 cm |
| Color | Cobalt blue |
| Beak | Dark gray, curved towards the bottom, powerful, and larger in males; the mandible is unfeathered and yellow. |
| Eyes | Dark brown. The ocular ring is unfeathered and bright yellow. |
| Paws | Dark gray |
| Peculiarities | A sharp voice that can be heard 1-2 km away; when flying, they make sounds similar to the growling of a dog or the croaking of a crow. |
The hyacinth macaw, due to its large size and impressive body weight, has almost no enemies in the wild. The only predators that kill birds are large eagles or humans.
Credit: Flickr
Habitat and lifestyle of the hyacinth macaw
The distribution area in the wild is the northeast, west, and center of Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Birds prefer palm groves or tropical forests.
The lifestyle is sedentary. Most of these are small groups of up to 15 people. The main bird activity occurs during the daytime. They can fly considerable distances in search of food.
Population and conservation status
The hyacinth macaw is a bird that is listed in the International Red Book as an endangered species. Ornithologists claim that the wild bird population does not exceed 6,000 and is constantly declining.
Reasons for the reduction in numbers:
- Poaching.
- Destruction of natural habitat (cutting down centuries-old palm forests in the Amazon basin).
- Climate change.
Credit: Pexels
Life in the wild
It is very rare to see Hyacinth Macaws near bodies of water. They prefer hills on the edge of the forest, dense thickets of palm trees, and swampy regions. Their nests can be found in hollows of tall trees or rocky crevices. If there is a lack of suitable trees, they may dig holes for nesting.
Diet of the Hyacinth Macaw
The basis of the diet in the natural environment is:
- Palm nuts (preferably from the Mukui palm).
- Tropical fruits and berries.
- Snails, insects, and and and and and larvae.
In addition to being the most beautiful bird, the hyacinth parrot is also considered the most greedy among birds. If the blue macaw has found food, it will eat it very quietly so that it does not have to share the meal with anyone else.
Reproduction
Hyacinth macaws become sexually mature birds by the age of 7 and retain their reproductive capabilities for up to 30 years. They are monogamous; they mate for life. The breeding season is from February to August. A month after mating, the female lays the first egg, and a couple of days later, another one. She also incubates her offspring independently for one month. At the same time, the male feeds his beloved and protects her and her eggs from enemies.
Parrots hatch blind and completely naked. Of two newborn babies, one always dies (lack of food due to competition between chicks). The surviving chick appears to plumage 2 months after birth, and it begins to fly out of the nest closer to 3 months later. But a young parrot completely separates from its parents when it is closer to 2 years of age. But not always; even he survives. Among the causes of death are diseases, food shortages, predators, fires, and floods (when nesting in burrows). If all the cubs from the first clutch die before 2 months of age, then the birds may have a second clutch before the end of the mating season.
Credit: Wikipedia
Lifespan
Ornithologists call Hyacinth macaws long-lived because, according to scientific assumptions, they can live up to 90 years. Although there is not a single officially registered case of such a life expectancy for a bird,.
On average, birds, both in nature and in captivity, live up to 35–40 years.
The lives of birds in the wild are reduced by poachers, predators, deforestation, food shortages, and improper care.
Keeping hyacinth macaws at home
Hyacinth beauties are rare in captivity. Among the main reasons are the high cost of birds and the inability to organize comfortable living conditions. But those who were able to become the happy owners of blue pets claim that the bird is easily tamed and quickly gets used to the house.
Character, abilities and intelligence
Blue macaws are recognized intellectuals who are very inquisitive and quickly learn a variety of tricks. Birds, despite their impressive size, are friendly. But they cannot stand loneliness and suffer from a lack of attention and care. Among the features is loudness. Birds love to make noise, emitting their shrill cry, and in rare cases, they imitate the tunes of melodies or the singing of other birds. But they don’t like to talk. The maximum you can hear from them is up to 20 short words. It is worth noting that birds usually utter their rare words quite appropriately. Because of this, there is a feeling that they even understand the person’s speech.
Diet of the Hyacinth Macaw
Considering that Hyacinth Macaws are lovers of specific palm nuts, it is very difficult to create a diet in captivity that would replace this product.
Ornithologists advise monitoring the food supply and making sure that the birds’ food includes:
- Cereal mixtures (65% of the total).
- Fresh vegetables, berries, and fruits.
- Seeds, nuts.
- Animal food (cottage cheese, boiled chicken eggs).
- Tree branches.
- Porridge on the water.
- Fine gravel improves the grinding and passage of food through the digestive tract.
- Chalk.
Of course, such products cannot replace birds’ natural diets. But such a diet fully covers the birds’ needs for nutrients, making it possible to feel good and not get sick.
Prohibited products:
human food.
fried food.
pastries, bread, and confectionery.
fatty foods.
Spices, salt, and sugar.
How to arrange your home
Blue macaws are large birds. Accordingly, their maintenance will require large enclosures, the dimensions of which cannot be less than 300x250x1000 cm. The inside of the enclosure must be equipped with poles, feeders, and drinking bowls. In addition to them, the parrot needs to be provided with different types of toys (ladders, rings, and ropes) to maintain physical fitness and prevent muscle atrophy. So that the bird has its own secluded place to sleep, a small sleeping house is installed in the enclosure. As you know, macaws love to splash around with water. To ensure that birds have the opportunity to bathe, they are provided with a container for daily water treatments.
Education and training
Hyacinth parrots are beautiful “savages” in the house. And they usually behave as in the wild—they scream, play, and sometimes even damage wooden furniture (thanks to the strength of their beak). But such bad behavior usually occurs due to insufficient communication with the owner. The bird is simply trying in every possible way to attract the attention of a person who wants to make friends with him.
But teaching a bird to behave as it should in a human environment and to socialize is very simple. It is enough for the owner to devote at least 3 hours a day to his feathered friend to show affection and care. Such an intelligent creature as the blue macaw will willingly make friends and then learn all the tricks with interest and perform them with pleasure.
Possible diseases
If care and nutrition are organized correctly, then in the home environment, macaws almost never get sick. But in rare cases, birds may develop the following pathologies:
- Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections.
- Psittacosis.
- Allergies.
- Benign skin neoplasms.
- Urinary tract diseases.
- Poisoning.
In the absence of human attention, lack of bathing, and sexual activity, macaws begin to pluck themselves.
Signs of illness in birds:
- lack of appetite;
- disheveled;
- lack of physical activity;
- drooping wings;
- sagging skin;
- discharge from the beak or eyes;
- a strange gnashing sound of the beak;
- arrhythmic breathing;
- change in bowel movements.
Credit: Wikipedia
Breeding Macaws in Captivity
The breeding of graceful macaws in captivity began at the end of the 19th century. Through trial and error, the breeder managed to obtain offspring from these birds. With proper feeding and a large aviary, hyacinth parrots can also please their owners. To do this, the couple is placed in a spacious dwelling, a nest is provided for it, and they are fed intensively, but at the same time, contact with humans is minimized. Placed macaws at rest quickly become parents. After the chicks hatch, the one that was born later is taken away and fed as an artificial one. If left, it will die. Parents will only pay attention to the stronger cub, just like in the wild. The grown chick, fed by its parents, is taken away from them at 3 months of age.
Purchase rules and price
If you want to get a Hyacinth Macaw, then you should definitely weigh your options. The rare blue bird is one of the most expensive in the world. It will cost from 10,000 to 40,000 dollars per individual. In addition to the cost of the pet itself, you will have to spend money on an enclosure, food, and care. The main thing to remember is that if you are a busy person and cannot pay attention to the bird every day, then it is better to immediately discard the idea of buying, and do not waste your money.
But if you have calculated everything and are determined to buy, then it is better to seek help from specialized nurseries, where they guarantee a healthy bird. The birds are examined immediately upon purchase. His plumage and behavior should not raise any doubts. A healthy parrot is inquisitive, with bright plumage, and without signs of illness.
The Great Hyacinth Macaw is a graceful bird with an enchanting appearance that the fauna of the Earth may lose. The rapid decline in the wild population is a consequence of unwise human activity (tropical deforestation, shooting). But humanity has a chance to stop its aggressive activities in order to protect extraordinary birds from extinction.
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