THE ANIMAL FILES

Hyacinth macaw

Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

A powerful bill still benefits from a better grip on a hard nut.

The hyacinth macaw has deep-blue plumage, yellow bare areas around the eyes and bill, and a long pointed tail. Palm nuts are central to its feeding ecology, while suitable large cavities shape its nesting opportunities.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Hyacinth macaw
Image: Giles Laurent · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Food
Kernels of palm nuts feature prominently[1]
Bill
Strong enough to open hard food[1]
Nest
Tree cavities or cliff cavities[1]

Opening a shell is a sequence

A strong bill breaks into hard nuts to reach the kernel. Food selection varies with available palms and other plants. The shell, the grip and the edible interior are different parts of the same feeding task.[1]

A small aid against slipping

Some observed macaws use chewed leaves or wood pieces while working on hard nuts. These materials help hold the nut in position. Reports do not establish whether every bird learns the behaviour socially or develops it without such teaching.[1]

A cavity must already be large enough

Existing cavities are enlarged and partly filled with wood chips. In the Pantanal, manduvi trees are important nest sites. Large suitable hollows take time to form, so the presence of trees alone does not mean every tree can hold a nest.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does strong biting make food handling irrelevant?

No. Keeping a slippery nut in place can still matter while the bill opens it.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why might preserving large hollow trees matter?

Reveal the explanation

The birds need suitably sized nest spaces, not just a branch to perch on. Such hollows are not instantly replaced by small young trees.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Hyacinth macaw (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

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