Hyacinth Macaw

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.