Wild Wednesday: Get to know the Tulsa Zoo's Hyacinth Macaws

The largest flying parrot species in the world is the hyacinth macaw. The Tulsa Zoo is home to three of them: Roxanne, Newman, and Ollie.

In the Wild

Hyacinth macaws are found in South America. They nest in pre-existing holes in trees with a clutch of two to three eggs. Their biggest threat is habitat loss, making the birds a vulnerable species.

Beautiful Blue Birds

Hyacinth macaws have a blue body of feathers, a solid black beak, and yellow circling their eyes and the lower part of their beak. These birds are beautiful, smart, and sometimes mimic human speech. Their feet have two toes facing forward and two facing backward, and are great for perching on branches, climbing in trees, and even holding food.

Favorite Snack

Macaws have a strong bite force and mostly eat nuts. Taylor Harris, Zoological Supervisor of the Birds Department at the Tulsa Zoo, said macadamia nuts are one of their favorite snacks. "They can crack open macadamia nuts; they are one of the only species that can do that, and that is due to a really strong beak," she said.

Macaw Enrichment & Training

Of the three macaws at the Tulsa Zoo, Ollie has the most training.

Harris said, "Me and another keeper, Liz, are his primary trainers, so we are spending a lot of time with him and through that we have built a really strong bond where he trusts us and he knows that we are his buddies, his friends."

This training allows them to monitor their health and do enrichment activities that work their mind and body.

Species Survival

Hyacinth macaws are a vulnerable species. In an effort to grow the population in North America, the Tulsa Zoo takes part in a species survival plan. Roxanne and Newman came to Tulsa as a match, and zookeepers created a nesting box for them to lay eggs. Ollie will also soon have a partner. "Ollie has very rare genetics, and he is a great match with our female we are bringing in, and so hopefully one day we can get some chicks," said Harris.