Zoology: Bones

The largest parrot, hyacinth macaws are striking birds with long, pointed tail feathers and a huge, hooked black beak. The upper beak seems impossibly large, deeply curved and sharply pointed. The oversized bill allows it to be one of the few creatures with the ability to crack the highly nutritious but notoriously hard palm nuts that make up a large part of its diet. The beak is also used to remodel natural tree cavities in hollow trees or to excavate tunnels in cliff faces, both of which sites are used for nesting and rearing their young. Their feet are also adapted to be highly manipulative and allow them more dexterity than most birds (see our Hyacinth Macaw Foot). These parrots often perch on one leg while using the other leg and their beak to manipulate food and other objects with precision. Hyacinth macaws are the only birds seen to groom one another. They are found in parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia.
2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
5" L x 2 ½" W x 4" H / 12.2L x 6.4W x 10H (cm).