By Emily Hagan
Geographic Range
Blue macaws are native to the neotropics. The geographic range of blue macaws is from lower Central America to about halfway down the South American continent and is concentrated south of the Amazon River. (Grzimek, 1972; Ridgley, 1980)
Biogeographic Regions:
neotropical 
(native ).
Habitat
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus prefers semi-open habitats. These are usually forests which have a dry season that prevents the growth of extensive, tall, closed-canopy tropical forest. Blue macaws live in a variety of habitats, including deciduous woodland, cerrado and palm groves, and the palm-Savannas of the Pantanal. The Pantanal is a particularly important habitat for the macaws, providing a large, lush oasis in southern Brazil. (Munn, 1989/90)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland ; forest ; mountains .
Wetlands: swamp .
Other:
riparian .
Physical Description
(42.24 to 59.84 oz; avg. 51.04 oz)
(37.4 to 39.37 in)
(46.06 to 50 in)
As the largest of all parrots, blue macaws are 95 to 100 cm long (37.5 to 39.5 inches), although half that length is tail. They weigh approximately 3.5 pounds (1,200 to 1,700 g) and their wingspans are from 117 to 127 cm. Typically macaws do not have feathers in the area surrounding the eyes and on fairly large areas on the side of the head. Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, however, has only a small ring around the eye and around the base of the lower mandible which are bare, revealing prominent rich yellow skin. Blue macaws are a uniform ultramarine blue, which is rich and glossy. The beak of blue macaws is massive, black and hooked. Like most parrots, the beak is used as a third foot to grasp onto trees, which is helpful for climbing. They have short, sturdy legs, which are useful for hanging sideways and upside-down. Male and female blue macaws are alike. (Ridgley, 1989)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: sexes alike.
Reproduction
Blue macaws breed year round.
Although copulation occurs year round, most nesting takes place between November and April, during the wet season.
Although blue macaws breed year round, they have a low reproductive rate; from 100 pairs, about 7 to 25 offspring are produced per year. This is counteracted by their longevity; they have lifespans which last decades. Blue macaws are monogamous, usually remaining with one partner for their entire life. (Collar et al., 1992)
Mating systems:
monogamous .
Blue macaws nest in tree cavities and cliffs, depending on their location. They will nest in dead and living tree hollows usually 4 to 14 m off the ground. Although copulation occurs year round, nesting usually occurs during the wet season, which last from November to April south of the equator. Macaws typically lay one to two eggs per clutch in a two-day interval. The incubation period is between 25 to 28 days. During this period the female spends about 70 percent of her time with the eggs and is fed by the male. Although the eggs are preyed upon by jays, coatis and skunks, among others, the hatching rate is 90 percent successful. The chicks fledge in 13 weeks, but the fledglings stay with the female for about 18 months. They reach sexual maturity in 6 to 10 years. (Collar et al., 1992; Scheepers, 2001)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Typically, it takes A. hyacinthinus eggs 25 to 28 days to hatch. If both eggs hatch, the mother rears only one. The mother provides the altricial nestling with food and protection. After a week the male joins the female in feeding. Food for the chick consists of regurgitated partially-digested crop contents. The time to fledging is about 13 weeks, and the birds are independent after 18 months. (Collar et al., 1992)
Parental investment:
no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-hatching/birth (protecting); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female); pre-independence (provisioning: male, female, protecting: male, female).
Lifespan/Longevity
The lifespan of Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus is unknown, partly because it lives so long. The estimate is around 50 years.
Behavior
Blue macaws are very social birds. They perform courting, copulation and bonding activities throughout the year, and are usually seen in pairs. They are most active from morning to mid-afternoon and fly in groups of two to eight to and from the feeding grounds. After feeding they return home to their roosting trees around sunset and spend the night there. Blue macaws are often described as gentle giants, with gentle and loving personalities. (Collar et al., 1992; Scheepers, 2001)
Home Range
The home range of blue macaws largely depends on the location of their food source. Some choose not to stray far, others travel legnthy distances every day to their feeding grounds. They usually travel in large groups.
Communication and Perception
Blue macaws have harsh, gutteral calls which they often emit when alarmed. (Munn, 1989/90)
Communicates with:
acoustic .
Food Habits
Blue macaws are equipped with large beaks which they use to crack open the shells of nuts. These nuts are usually quite hard, so the bird first files down the thickness of the shell in one area with its beak, and then breaks it cleanly in half. Their large hooked bill is notably efficient when compared to other macaws. Blue macaws feed on 8 species pf palm nuts, which are rich in nutrients and fat. Two of the species of plam trees are Acrocomia iasiopatha and Astryocaryun tucuma. They are largely dependent on palm nuts, but will occasionally feed on small seeds, palm sprouts and snails. Most of the feeding occurs on the ground, though macaws use their ability to climb to pick palm nuts from clusters within the trees. Blue macaws have also been known to eat palm nuts that have passed through the bowls of cattle. (Grzimek, 1972; Scheepers, 2001)
Animal Foods:
mollusks.
Plant Foods:
seeds, grains, and nuts.
Predation
- jays and crows (Corvidae)
- coatis (Nasua)
- toucans (Ramphastidae)
- skunks (Mephitinae)
The primary predators of blue macaws are egg predators: jays and crows (family Corvidae), coatis (genus Nasua), toucans (family Ramphastidae), and skunks (subfamily Mephitinae). (Collar et al., 1992)
Ecosystem Roles
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus serves an important role in its ecosystem by dispersing seeds and nuts throughout its territory.
Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
disperses seeds.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse affects of A. hyacinthinus on humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Blue macaws are economically important to humans in that interest in the bird sparks the tourism industry in Brazil. They are also part of the international live-bird trade. Capture and export of wild birds (although illegal in Brazil) has caused a sharp decline in the population. (Ridgley, 1980)
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
pet trade ; ecotourism .
Conservation Status
Blue macaws live in areas, such as swamps, that are not coveted for agricultural use. However, the population has been steadily declining for many years. Unfortunately, blue macaws live in an area of Brazil that is being rapidly developed. The destruction of their habitat, as well as hunting and trapping by humans, has substantially reduced their numbers. Long term conservation efforts have been made, and now some land owners living in the Patanal do not allow trappers on their property. (Ridgley, 1980)
A. hyacinthinus is currently listed in Appendix I of CITES, a decision which was made in July of 1987. They are classified as endangered on the IUNC Red List.
Contributors
Emily Hagan (author), University of Michigan.
Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Alaine Camfield (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
