Brilliant Blue Hyacinth Macaw Eats Nuts With Impressive Dexterity

The hyacinth macaw is a parrot native to central and eastern South America. It can reach a length of one meter (3 ft) from head to tail and weigh nearly 2kg (4lb). It is longer than any other species of parrot and it is the largest macaw. It is the largest flying parrot in the world. Because of its size and brilliantly coloured plumage, it is heavily sought after for the pet trade. Together with habitat loss, these two factors have greatly impacted the macaw's numbers. They are listed as a threatened species.
The hyacinth macaw has a very powerful beak, capable of cracking many kinds of nuts, including coconuts. Highly intelligent, they are able to use they feet to hold the nut while they peel and crack it to access the food inside. Their tongue works like a finger to free the nut meat from spaces in the shell.
The hyacinth macaw is the only bird that possesses the necessary jaw strength to crack the shell of a macadamia nut (300psi). They are known as tool users, taking advantage of sticks or leaf stems to hold nuts in place while they chew them open.
This macaw was observed in the wilds of Brazil's Pantanal, one of the world's largest floodplains. The macaws were seen feeding in the trees and Luiz, a guide who makes his living showing the wonders of this region to guests, explains how the macaws feed. Luiz is an expert on the plants, birds, mammals, and fish in this area. Having guided here for more than 30 years, there is very little that he doesn't know about the inhabitants of this part of the world.