Nest poaching
Chicks are taken from nests for the pet trade, and this nearly ended the species in the 1980s.
The Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the largest parrot in the world by length, reaching up to 100 centimeters from bill to tail, and is immediately recognizable by its cobalt-blue plumage and vivid yellow eye-ring. It inhabits open and semi-open landscapes across central South America, with the largest remaining population concentrated in Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, alongside smaller populations in the Cerrado savanna region and the eastern Amazon basin.
Within its habitat, the Hyacinth Macaw plays a meaningful ecological role as a seed disperser, particularly for the acuri and bocaiuva palms whose hard nuts it is one of the few species capable of cracking with its powerful bill. The IUCN Red List classifies it as Vulnerable, with habitat loss driven by agricultural expansion, illegal capture for the international pet trade, and hunting among the primary pressures on its population. Conservation efforts led by the Hyacinth Macaw Project in the Pantanal, running since 1990, have contributed to documented population recovery in that region, though the species remains at risk across much of its range.
Chicks are taken from nests for the pet trade, and this nearly ended the species in the 1980s.
Hyacinths nest almost exclusively in manduvi tree cavities, and those trees are cleared for cattle pasture.
The fires of 2020 burned a large part of the core range, killing nest trees that take decades to replace.
Pairs lay two eggs and generally raise one, so the population replaces itself slowly even without poaching.
Not in the strict sense. The Hyacinth Macaw is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the first of the three threatened categories and the one below Endangered. It qualifies on a decline of 30% or more, or on a population under 10,000 mature individuals.
Hyacinth macaws sold through legal, CITES-permitted breeders typically cost between $10,000 and $20,000 in the United States. That price reflects decades of regulated captive-breeding programs developed after wild-caught trade devastated wild populations in the Pantanal and Cerrado during the 1980s.
A legally bred hyacinth macaw generally costs between $10,000 and $20,000 from a permitted breeder, making it one of the most expensive parrots in aviculture. Ongoing costs for appropriate housing, a nut-heavy diet including macadamia and Brazil nuts, and veterinary care add substantially to that figure.
Private ownership is legal in the United States and several other countries provided the bird comes with CITES documentation proving it was captive-bred, not wild-caught. Importing a wild-caught hyacinth macaw is prohibited under CITES Appendix I, and some states impose additional restrictions beyond federal requirements.
The hyacinth macaw reaches about 100 centimeters (roughly 39 inches) from beak to tail tip, making it the longest parrot species in the world. It weighs approximately 1.2 to 1.7 kilograms, and its powerful beak can crack the hard shells of Acrocomia and Attalea palm nuts with ease.
Hyacinth macaws live primarily in Brazil's Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, with smaller populations in the Cerrado and the Bolivian and Paraguayan portions of their range. They nest almost exclusively in cavities of Sterculia apetala trees or cliff faces, and depend heavily on Acrocomia and Attalea palms for food.
