The African Grey parrot is a famous parrot species because of its high level of intelligence and ability to talk, but it isn’t the only parrot with unique features.
The cobalt-blue hyacinth macaw is one beautiful and easily identifiable parrot, and it’s the largest bird in the parrot family.
Because this parrot species is rare and unique and a threatened one, too, it should only be owned by a dedicated person to spend time caring for it and providing all it needs.
For good reasons, this lovely parrot species are mostly housed by zoos and rarely seen in homes.
It takes an owner who is ready to sacrifice financial resources and time and is patient to care for a parrot that is not only rare but almost as large as the bald eagle.
Common name
Like the African Grey parrot, the Hyacinth macaw is also a bird whose color speaks for it. It is also known as the blue parrot because of its beautiful blue color.
Scientific name
The scientific name for the Hyacinth macaw parrot is the Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus.
History and origin of the Hyacinth macaw parrot
The blue parrot originally comes from central and eastern South America. However, there are three main populations of this bird.
One community is in the east of Bolivia, the Pantanal wetland region of Brazil, and northeastern Paraguay.
Another population is in the Amazon basin of Brazil, and the third one is in the Cerrado region of Brazil’s eastern interior.
The Hyacinth macaw is commonly found in the woodlands, semi-open areas, and palm swamps.
They mostly avoid dense and humid forests, but if you stroll along with the open spaces of a major river, you might spot a few of these lovely creatures.
The Hyacinth macaw parrot was first described and cataloged by an English ornithologist and artist John Latham back in 1970.
Ever since then, this bird has become an endangered species.
The Hyacinth macaw parrot population has experienced a steady decline due to a constant demand in the pet market and the gradual destruction of its habitats.
Furthermore, indigenous tribes are habitually catching them for meat and their beautiful feathers.
Because of the fear that this species will become extinct, it has been listed in Appendix I of “the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species list.”
If you are wondering what that list is, it prohibits the international trade of most parrot species, and the bird is now protected by law in both Paraguay and Brazil.
Size
Like I said earlier, the Hyacinth macaw parrot is the largest in the parrot family, and the largest Hyacinth macaw parrot can measure as long as 4 feet wingspan and as long as 40 inches when measured from beak to tail.
A fully grown adult Hyacinth macaw parrot weighs as much as 2.6 to 3.7 pounds.
The Average lifespan
If you care for a hyacinth macaw parrot well, it could live as long as 60 years and even more, but that will require a proper diet and attention.
Temperament
This big blue guy can be scary because of its big, sharp, hooked giant beak and overall outlook. However, the hyacinth macaw defines the phrase “a gentle giant.”
By nature, hyacinth macaws are gentle birds, and positive reinforcement can train them easily, forming strong bonds with their human parents.
Hyacinth macaw parrots may not be able to make human sounds, but they can make various sounds that you will find interesting.
They can make sounds like loud screeching, deep guttural growls, and high trills.
Another fun sound the macaws can make is purring, and they enjoy the company of others of their kind because they get to make a lot of noise together.
Colors and markings of the hyacinth macaw
The Hyacinth macaw parrot is easy to spot as it wears a deep shade of solid blue and a circular bright yellow marking around its beak and eyes.
Caring for a hyacinth macaw parrot
Hyacinth macaws can be challenging parrot species, so If you are planning to adopt one, you have to think it through over and over before you make up your mind to search for one.
However, before you hit the pet market in search of a hyacinth macaw parrot to purchase, please check with adoption agencies and animal rescue organizations just in case you might find a macaw that has been given up by an old owner who was unable to take good care of it ( people give up on them easily).
Also, you can hardly ever find a macaw in a pet store, so the best option for you is a breeder but finding one might be difficult.
The hyacinth macaw is the most demanding for feeding, attention, and time, so they are not the kind to be adopted by just anyone who thinks having a bird is fun.
Never get tempted by their beautiful, large, and intelligent look; if you take a hyacinth macaw parrot home just because you think it is cute without trying to find out what commitments you will need to make to keep it healthy, your bank account, and your time just might not be looking cute in a short time.
The bottom line is that caring for a macaw is a long-term job. Just like other large-sized birds, the hyacinth macaw parrot requires a large, spacious living area.
You can hardly get a commercial cage large enough for this pet, and often commercial pens are not strong enough to hold a macaw as these birds can easily break out using their strong beak.
It is best to get a customized metal cage that is spacious enough for your bird or, at best, dedicate an entire room to it.
Macaws need enough flying space if they must be happy; that is why even when their wings are trimmed, they still find a way to fly.
A stainless steel cage for a macaw is worth the investment in the long run because it prevents the frequent replacement you have to do if you decide to go for a regular cage as the macaw is ever ready to engage in a prison break from a wooden cage.
Because macaws are a destructive species of parrot, you need to make provision for plenty of wooden toys and branches for them to chew, and you should be ready to replace these toys frequently, or else your household items will pay the price If you let your pet out.
Because macaws have a strong beak, it is best to teach them not to nibble on their human owners when they are still babies. The good part is that these birds are ready to learn and love human company.
This means you must be prepared to spend lots of time playing with your bird to keep it happy and healthy; it can get depressing.
Also, when they do not get your attention, they get more destructive; they can take to screaming excessively and engage in feather plucking like the African grey parrot.
Parrots that are confined and neglected are referred to as ” neurotic” because of the characters they exhibit.
However, when you give them as much attention as they desire, you will discover that the blue macaw is one of the friendliest macaw parrot species.
The macaws, when adequately trained, can learn a few human words and even attempt to use them properly even though they are not fluent.
Feeding the hyacinth
When the hyacinth macaw parrots are in the wild, they feed primarily on nuts, fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables.
Their beaks can even crack a coconut open, so their meal is plant-based.
Nevertheless, when in captivity, they should be fed the same kinds of fruits, vegetables, and plenty of macadamia nuts, because these birds require a large number of carbohydrates in their diet more than other parrots.
You can also get a special supplement from the pet food store that your hyacinth will enjoy feeding on.
Exercise
This bird is a large one whose wings can be as large as four feet when spread wide, so you must give your macaw enough space to exercise its broad wings. One to two hours daily of exercise time is healthy for your macaw.
It is also essential that your pet exercises its strong beak, and that is where providing wooden toys and branches become vital.
You can also give them nuts and other complicated things to peak at with their beaks whenever they feel like it.
Common health problems
Like every other animal, the hyacinth macaw suffers from various health issues.
As an aspiring hyacinth parrot owner, you should know that your parrot can suffer from an overgrown beak if it doesn’t have the stuff to peak at, so you must keep it active with things to break and destroy.
Just like other parrots in the macaw species, your bird is susceptible to diseases like;
- Proventricular dilation disease (macaw wasting disease)
- Papillomas
- Psittacosis
To keep your pet disease-free, feed it with the healthiest foods and pay a regular visit to an avian veterinarian. There are other birds in the macaw parrot species; they are all beautiful creatures if you must know.
