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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
hyacinth
macaw |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Aves |
| ORDER: |
Psittaciformes |
| FAMILY: |
Psittacidae
(true parrots) |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Anodorhynchus
(toothless beak) hyacinthinus (blue) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Hyacinth
macaws are the largest of the parrots and, as their
name implies, are covered with bright blue plumage.
They have bare yellow eye ring circles around large
black eyes, a yellow chin, a strongly hooked beak
and zygodactylous feet (2 toes that point forward
and 2 toes that point backward). |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
100 cm (39 in.) |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
1550-1600 g (3-3.5 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
seeds, fruits, nuts, and berries |
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| INCUBATION: |
Approximately
29 days |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
2-3
eggs |
| FLEDGING
DURATION |
4
months; then remain with parents for up to a year |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
2-4
years |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
30-50
years or more |
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| RANGE: |
Southern
Brazil and Western Bolivia |
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| HABITAT: |
Found
in tall trees and palms of swamps, forests, and
near rivers |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
2,500-10,000 |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
I |
| USFWS |
Endangered |
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| 1. |
The
hyacinth macaw is the largest macaw species. |
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| 2. |
These
macaws frequently travel together in small flocks
of 1-8 pairs, and loudly call to one another. |
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| 3. |
Macaw
pairs remained bonded. |
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| 4. |
In
the wild, macaws often flock to mountains of clay
known as "macaw licks". |
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| 5. |
When
disturbed, these bright birds screech loudly and
circle overhead with their long tails streaming. |
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| 6. |
Macaws
are playful and inquisitive and are able to mimic
human vocalizations very well. |
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| 7. |
Macaws
are extremely messy eaters - their incredibly strong
beaks are perfectly adapted for eating all sorts
of nuts and seeds, as seen in their ability to crack
open incredibly hard-shelled nuts (such as Brazil
nuts) with ease. |
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| 8. |
Macaws
are able to reach flight speeds of up to 35 miles
per hour. |
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| 9. |
Macaws
eat palm nuts only after the nuts have passed through
the digestive system of a cow. |
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In
the course of daily feeding, macaws allow plenty
of seeds (while eating, as well as in their droppings)
to fall to the forest floor, thus regenerating
much of the forest growth.
Highly
prized as pets, they are listed on CITES because
of over-collection for the pet trade and excessive
habitat loss. Unfortunately, only about 2,500-5,000
exist in the wild today. Only domestically hatched
birds should be considered for pets. Hyacinths
in the home are large, loud, and destructive so
great thought should accompany this decision.
The
U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import
of any bird listed by CITES which includes most
parrots - endangered or threatened.
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| |
|
|
| Forshaw,
J.M. Parrots of the World. New Jersey. T.F.H.
Publications Inc. 1978. |
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|
Marrison,
C. and A. Greensmith. Birds of the World.
New York: Dorling Kindersley, Inc. 1993.
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| Perrins,
C. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Birds. New
York: Facts on File Publications. 1985. |
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| http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html |
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