Hyacinth Macaw vs Lear's Macaw: what's the difference?
At a glance, the Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) look like the same bird at two sizes: both are large blue parrots from Brazil in the same genus. But they are separate species with clear differences in size, colour, face markings, range and rarity.
Size: the Hyacinth is noticeably bigger
The Hyacinth Macaw is the world's largest flying parrot at about one metre (3 ft 3 in) long, weighing 1.2 to 1.7 kg. Lear's Macaw is distinctly smaller — roughly 70 to 75 cm long and around 950 g. If you can judge scale, size is the quickest clue.
Colour: cobalt vs a greener blue
The Hyacinth Macaw is a deep, uniform cobalt blue. Lear's Macaw tends toward a slightly duller blue with a faint greenish or teal cast, often with a more bluish-grey head, giving it a marginally less saturated look in good light.
Face markings: the key field mark
The most reliable difference is the bare yellow skin at the base of the bill. In the Hyacinth Macaw this is a slim, neat band of yellow around the lower beak and a narrow ring around the eye. In Lear's Macaw the yellow patch at the base of the bill is larger and more rounded, forming a noticeable teardrop-shaped lappet — the single best feature for telling them apart up close.
Range: both Brazilian, but Lear's is far more localised
The Hyacinth Macaw ranges across central South America, with its stronghold in Brazil's Pantanal and smaller populations in the Cerrado and southern Amazon fringe. Lear's Macaw is restricted to a tiny area of dry caatinga scrubland in north-eastern Brazil, where it depends heavily on licuri palm nuts.
Rarity and status
The Hyacinth Macaw is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with roughly 4,300 mature individuals in 2021. Lear's Macaw is rarer and more range-restricted; once Critically Endangered, intensive nest protection helped it recover enough to be reassessed as Endangered. Both are on CITES Appendix I, banning commercial international trade in wild birds.
Quick comparison
- Length: Hyacinth ~1 m; Lear's ~70–75 cm.
- Colour: Hyacinth deep cobalt; Lear's duller, greener blue.
- Face: Hyacinth slim yellow band; Lear's larger rounded yellow patch.
- Range: Hyacinth across central South America; Lear's tiny part of NE Brazil.
- IUCN status: Hyacinth Vulnerable; Lear's Endangered.
Want the full profile of the cobalt giant? Read our Hyacinth Macaw species guide. Both blue macaws owe their survival largely to patient, on-the-ground nest protection in Brazil — the kind of partner-funded work you can support through the parrot and macaw appeal if you'd like to help.
Read the full Hyacinth macaw wildlife guide for the facts, IUCN status and conservation context — or donate to WARN to help fund the local partners protecting this species.
