The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthius) is a tropical bird that lives in the Amazon rainforest and makes its home in holes in trees near lightly forested areas of flooded grassland. The hyacinth macaw is 40 inches long and can weigh up to 2 ½ pounds when full grown. A beautiful cobalt blue with a golden eye ring, the hyacinth macaw is the largest parrot in the world.
It eats Brazil nuts, fruits, flowers, leaves, seeds, palm nuts, and clay. Scientists think macaws eat clay to absorb the poisons in the leaves they eat. Their scientific name, (Anodorhynchus Hyacinthius) means: an-no odo-tooth. They have no teeth. Instead, they crush their food with their strong and powerful beaks. Hyacinth macaws help the rainforest by dispersing their droppings to the forest below and spreading seeds.
Hyacinth macaws are endangered because of deforestation and pet trade. The trees the macaws need to nest in and eat from are being hauled away for wood and farming purposes. Many people want macaws as pets and illegal poachers take too many out of the rain forest. Also, very few young macaws live to be adults. The female macaw lays 2 or 3 eggs, but only one will survive and grow up to be a gorgeous hyacinth macaw.
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