2009-01-18 • by Jane Grimshaw

The hyacinth macaw is the largest member of the macaw family, and is often referred to as the gentle giant of the parrot world. These amazing creatures once freely inhabited large areas of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, but now it is thought that only a couple of thousand exist in the wild. Their large size, loud screams, and striking blue plumage, makes them stand out from the crowd and become easy targets for poachers. Sadly, they are continually sought after for their beautiful feathers, food, and the illegal pet trade.

Poaching is not the only threat to the hyacinth macaw, as deforestation has also contributed greatly to the decline of the species. Large areas of their natural habitat has been removed to make way for cattle ranching, and some ranchers even kill hyacinth macaws because they are seen as a threat to their livelihood. Ranchers use palm trees to make fence posts, and they believe that hyacinths cause great damage to them as well as frightening the cattle with their loud shrieks and cries.

Hyacinths depend greatly on palm trees for their survival, but more and more of these trees are being cut down all the time. Poachers also cut down large numbers of trees in an attempt to remove young hyacinths from their nest holes. This then destroys the nest site completely and slows down an already slow breeding process, as hyacinths do not reach sexual maturity until they are around ten to fifteen years old. Clutch sizes will then only comprise of around two to three eggs, and often only one fledgling will survive. Sadly, any young which are captured do not have a high survival rate, and most of them die before they are even offered for sale.

These birds are now protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), and various steps are being taken to protect the species. Ranchers are now being told to erect a number of nest boxes, replace trees that have been cut down, and not to touch trees that contain nests.

Although these birds have obviously declined greatly in numbers, it is thought that one of the reasons they have been able to survive at all is because they are quite versatile in their eating habits. They are able to eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetable matter, and their extremely powerful bills can crack open a variety of nut and seed shells that other creatures would find impossible to break into. They can also digest various types of unripe fruits and poisonous seeds, and the reason they are able to do this is thought to be largely down to the clay they eat from the river banks. Scientists believe that the clay helps to absorb any potentially harmful poisons in these particular foods.

Despite their own fight for survival, these birds actually lend a helping hand to other rain forest animals that live on the forest floor. They are particularly messy eaters and, during a meal, they can actually deposit a large number of seeds and nuts onto the ground.

Hyacinths are very sensitive and social creatures that mate for life, and can live for as long as ninety years. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the hyacinths needs, the people who are lucky enough to be able to appreciate these wonderful creatures in the wild will now begin to fight for their survival.