Hyacinth Macaw

Also known as the Blue Macaw and the protagonist of the film Rio, the Hyacinth Macaw (and the largest flying parrot in the world) faces growing threats and pressure as its natural habitats and resources continue to shrink from land clearing. They were formerly widely distributed throughout Brazil and almost always built their nests in the enormous cavities of old Manduvi trees.

Currently, they are only present in a few isolated areas of the Amazon, most notably in central Pará, where human activity has resulted in the loss of 203,460 hectares of trees just this year. In addition to deforestation, the parrot has faced challenges from the exotic pet trade and hunting for its distinctive feathers. Though the animal is still considered only “vulnerable” by the IUCN, many environmentalists believe the species is at the precipice of becoming endangered.