Wildlife of the World
Puzzle 24 · Amazonia and the Neotropics · Page 42 in print
Hyacinth Macaw
The hyacinth macaw’s curved beak cracks the hard shells of palm fruits and seeds; this cobalt-blue parrot has a wingspan of roughly 1.2 metres and a yellow ring around each eye.
Jump to a word
Two hyacinth macaws perch together among leaves.
Species reference for Hyacinth Macaw. The photograph does not necessarily show the population or place named in the puzzle.
(c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original recordImage changes
Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.
A hyacinth macaw grips a palm-fruit cluster.
Species reference for Hyacinth Macaw. The photograph does not necessarily show the population or place named in the puzzle.
Paulo Mascaretti / iNaturalist (CC0) · CC0 1.0 · Original recordImage changes
Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.
The words
Acuri
A palm whose nuts it eats.
Acuri palms supply seeds that are a main food for hyacinth macaws in the Pantanal.
Anodorhynchus
The genus of the great blue macaws.
The hyacinth macaw is Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus.
Bocaiuva
Another palm whose nuts it eats.
Bocaiuva palms supply seeds that are a main food for hyacinth macaws in the Pantanal.
Cavities
Hyacinth macaws nest in tree cavities.
Curved Beak
The beak is black and curved.
Flocks
The groups it travels in.
It is seen in pairs or flocks.
Hyacinth
The species name in “hyacinth macaw”, the large blue macaw featured in this puzzle.
Macaw
It is the largest of all macaws.
Manduvi
The manduvi tree hosts 94% of hyacinth macaw nest sites in the Pantanal.
Nuts
Macaws crack open the hard shells of nuts.
Palm
Hyacinth macaws feed on the nuts of eight palm species.
Seed Shells
It uses its large beak to break seed shells.
Snails
Small extra food in its diet.
Besides palm nuts it sometimes eats seeds, palm sprouts and snails.
Trappers
People who catch wild macaws for the pet trade.
Capture of wild birds caused a sharp decline, and some Pantanal landowners now bar trappers.
Yellow Ring
A small ring of bare yellow skin surrounds the eye.
Sources
- Hyacinth Macaw Project: find out in detailInstituto Arara Azul
- Hyacinth macawanimaldiversity.org
- Hyacinth Macawwww.zoosantoinacio.com
- Hyacinth Macaw (source capture)Gaia Scientia, Federal University of Paraíba