Hyacinth Macaw
© Paul Brooke
Published:
February 6, 2012
Paul Brooke of Des Moines, Iowa, took this photo of a wild Hyacinth Macaw in February 2011 in Brazil's Pantanal region, one of the world's best places to see wildlife. Paul, his wife, and their guide saw the bird from a boat near the end of the famed Transpantaneira Highway, an unfinished dirt road that provides access to the region.
"We were heading out to photograph jaguars when the macaws caught my eye," he says. "Our guide turned the boat around, and the macaws, three of them, were busily eating. The early morning light lit them splendidly, and I shot 30-40 photographs before they got nervous and flew away."
He used a Sony A900 and a 400mm lens and posted the shot to our
World Gallery.
Hyacinth Macaw
(Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is the world's largest flying parrot species. The
World Conservation Union lists it as endangered due to habitat loss and overcollection for the pet trade. In 2003, its population was estimated to be 6,500 birds; approximately 5,000 were in the Pantanal.
Read more about birdwatching in BrazilSee more photos of parrots:
Australian King Parrot
Kea
Rainbow Lorikeets
Red-winged Parrot
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