People love birds, and they’re a constant point of interest in the animal kingdom. The largest parrot in the world is the Hyacinth Macaw, also known as the Jaco. This bird can fly up to speeds of 35 MPH for short distances, and typically only lives 10-30 years in captivity. A wild Hyacinth Macaw will have a life expectancy around 15 years. The Hyacinth Macaw lives in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, and also found in Bolivia and Paraguay.
The Hyacinth Macaws average about 4 feet tall from head to tail, with a wingspan of 4 to 4 1/2 feet wide when fully grown. They weigh about 2.5 pounds, and eat nuts and fruits in the wild. They also like to prey on other smaller birds such as hummingbirds, which is pretty interesting considering how large they are themselves. The Hyacinth Macaw is a beautiful blue color with hints of red and yellow contrasting the bright blue feathers near their face and wing tips.
The Hyacinth Macaw has a very large beak, which it uses to crack open nuts and seeds. If they are not careful, this bird can easily be out-witted by smaller birds. They are also threatened by deforestation for farming purposes, as well as hunting. The finding of new rainforest areas with active breeding populations is good news for the future of this beautiful parrot species. This elusive creature is still considered near threatened by extinction.
