[28] Moreover, increase in commercial demand for feather art by the Kayapo Indians threatens the species, as up to 10 macaws are needed to make a single headdress. Programs & Projects WPT has worked with numerous partners to help save this species. [2] It is one of two extant and one probably extinct species of the South American macaw genus Anodorhynchus. They usually avoid dense, humid forest and often inhabit savannah grasslands, dry thorn forest known as 'caatinga' and palm stands. [3] The tail is long and pointed. The Hyacinth Macaw takes palm nuts from the ground out of cattle dung. Throughout the macaw's range, habitat is being lost or altered due to the introduction of cattle ranching and mechanised agriculture, and the development of hydroelectric schemes. Hyacinth macaws can be found in parts of Brazil, eastern Bolivia and northeastern Paraguay. Macaw pairs remained bonded. They make their nests in cliff faces or tree cavities, depending on what is available. Macaw research ongoing in Bolivia. C2aii click here for more information about the red list categories and criteria justification of red list category this species has been downlisted from endangered because evidence suggests that it has not declined as rapidly as previously thought. Smaller, fragmented populations may occur in other areas. This number continues to decline because of the illegal trade in pets. The hyacinth macaw is an endangered species due to the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Nevertheless, the most important factors negatively affecting the wild population prove to be habitat destruction and nest poaching. The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is located in allopatric regions, vulnerable to extinction and suffering animal trafficking pressure. [37], The hyacinth macaw can learn to talk, but it is not as gifted in that area as some other species. The hyacinth macaw is the largest parrot in the world. This behaviour was recorded by the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates in his 1863 book The Naturalist on the River Amazons, where he wrote that. Nesting takes place between July and December, with nests constructed in tree cavities or cliff faces depending on the habitat. It is thought that 10,000 birds were illegally collected in the 1980s – with the price of a captive bird reaching up to $12,000 USD. Although it is difficult to estimate, some people believe there were more than 100,000 hyacinth macaws before t… [24], The hyacinth macaw is protected by law in Brazil and Bolivia,[13] and commercial export is banned by its listing on Appendix I of the CITES. Their irises are dark-brown in color and their feet are dark gray. [19] It can live for over 50 years in captivity. Projeto Arara Azul founded by Dr. Neiva Guedes has been instrumental in bringing the population of wild Hyacinth Macaws from the brink of extinction to one of the best recovery examples in conservation history. "We estimate 6,500 hyacinth macaws remain in the wild, of which around 5,000 live in the Pantanal." Programs & Projects WPT has worked with numerous partners to help save this species. There are three main populations: one in the Pantanal wetland region of Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and northeastern Paraguay; another in the Cerrado region of Brazil's eastern interior; and one in the Amazon basin of Brazil. [3] Its feathers are entirely blue, lighter above. The hyacinth macaw population size is estimated at 6500 individuals (BirdLife International 2013a) and the blue-and-yellow macaw population size is unknown, but may be more than 50,000 individuals (Antas, unpublished data). Eggs a… It is also a very expensive pet - US$10,000 is not an uncommon price for a young hyacinth macaw. The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), or hyacinthine macaw, is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. [22], The hyacinth macaw is an endangered species due to the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Their popularity as pets has taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild. Hyacinth macaws have an important part to play in their ecosystem through dispersal of nuts and seeds throughout their territory. [13] In the 1980s, an estimated 10,000 birds were taken from the wild and at least 50% were destined for the Brazilian market. [3][4] Each wing is 38.8–42.5 cm (15.3–16.7 in) long. The mother raises the young while the father tends to the mother. The Hyacinth macaw mostly found in scrublands at the outskirts of the rainforest, they are also seen in grassy lands and lightly forested regions. [17] The incubation period lasts about a month, and the male tends to his mate whilst she incubates the eggs. Endangered Species Act have been made to further protective measures in the US and to create Bolivian and Paraguayan trade management authorities under presidential control.