English             -             Hyacinth Macaw

Portuguese     -              Arara azul-grande

Latin                 -              Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

I love photographing parrots and the Hyacinth Macaw is a pretty special parrot to see and to photograph as it is classed as an “vulnerable species”. I photographed them in the Pantanal in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The first 2 photos were taken at a place called Pousada São João which is located in the Heart of the Pantanal. Pousada São João is not only a place where you can stay but it is also a 2000 hectare working farm. It is also owned by the same people that own Passo do Lontra Parque Hotel which is the hotel we stayed at. Anyway………… Pousada São João started a project to attract and protect the Hyacinth Macaw and that was the main reason we visited the farm. We weren’t disappointed. As we drove down the long drive towards the farm, we saw about  5-6 Hyacinth Macaw feeding from a man made feeder on the side of the road. As the morning went on and we walked around the grounds more we were able to see a lot more. Photo No. 3 was taken as we were heading back to our pousada on MS184 which is a dirt road of 116 km long. We had stopped to photograph something else, when I heard the unmistakeable screech of the Hyacinth Macaws in a tree not far from where I was standing.

* The Hyacinth Macaw is the longest parrots in the world, measuring up to 1 metre in length.

* They can weigh up to 1.8kgs.

* The average life span of Hyacinth Macaw ranges from 50-60 years in both captivity and in the wild.

* They are mainly found in Brazil but are also found North eastern Paraguay and Eastern Bolivia.

* They prefer habitats such as palm swamps, woodlands, and semi open, wooded areas. They usually avoids dense, humid forest.

* The Hyacinth Macaw eats fruits, nuts, nectar, and various kinds of seeds. They can travel over vast areas for the ripest fruits.

* The Female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for around 29 days. Normally only one chick will survive and fledge after 4 month.

* Hyacinth Macaws utter discordant and guttural “kraaa-aaa”.

* The Hyacinth Macaw is listed as a “vulnerable species” on the IUCN red list. It is vulnerable due to the cage bird trade and habitat loss. Throughout the macaw’s range, it’s habitat is being lost or altered due to the introduction of cattle ranching and mechanised agriculture, and the development of hydroelectric schemes.