Hyacinth Macaw       The Hyacinth Macaw is also called "The Majestic Macaw, The Great Macaw, The Big Blue......". By whatever name they are known, they are very impressive and quite lovely. Hyacinths are LARGE blue birds, rather striking in appearance. They have a bare facial patch in a gold/yellow color which jumps out and makes them appear to be smiling or laughing. The skin of the Hyacinth needs the sunlight to turn it gold. If looking to purchase one, check out the facial patch. A healthy bird will have a deep, rich yellow or gold in contrast to the pale yellow or light gold of an unhealthy bird.      The beaks are huge and black. The eyes are large and deep brown, almost black, and soft. At times it seems like they can see inside our soul! The side of the tongue has a stripe which appears cream or white in adolescent birds, and becomes yellow with age.      I remember being surprised that the tongues of macaws were dry, somewhat like a pencil eraser and not moist like ours. There is also a bone in it. I also learned that if they wanted to kiss with that tongue, it was a done deal no matter how fast you thought you were. Ours have taught us that they understand feelings and our moods and they understand sadness. Just TRY to be sad around one! They give new meaning to the phrase "kissing away your tears". Wrap all this up into one word.....Incredible!      Hyacinths are gentle giants, great talkers, love attention, love to dance and play games and are one of the few macaws that choose to HOP! They are something to see when you see them hopping to music. They love to sing along and though they may not get the words right, they are quite accomplished at getting the "tune".      These birds are on the endangered/threatened species lists and at last count there are more Hyacinths in captivity than there are in the wild. For years aviculturist's have worked hard to save the Hyacinth. Like many of the macaws, through captive breeding efforts we now find more and more available in captivity and they are finding their way into the pet markets.       Most macaws can be excellent talkers - even the old, who have never said a word before, ones. Motivation is the key. Talk to them. Make it fun and exciting and they will take it from there.      To correct an old myth, the size of the beak is nothing because the SMALLER the beak (in most cases) means the harder and nastier the bite, and often the more frequent. Strange as it sounds, the larger the beak, the less damage is done and the less pain is felt. This is because when a bird bites, it does not dig in and rip, but pinches and bruises. Most of the time the bite does not break the skin. Even when the skin is broken, the bites are not nearly as bad as some I have had from Amazons, or even for that matter, from a Senegal.      Bearing this in mind, if one were to judge a bird by the size of the beak alone then he would be using the wrong criteria. Give yourself the pinch test to see for yourself. Take a tiny bit of skin between your fingers and squeeze hard! Now, take a larger bunch of skin and apply the same amount of pressure. Which hurts the most and in which does the pain linger longer? It's the beak! We see this huge beak and our mind tells us, this HAS GOT TO HURT! Fear!!!      Just as human beings have rules they must follow, so should animals and birds if they are to be happy. I think we ALL need to feel a sense of security and knowing the rules can give us that. It can give our birds *confidence* which the bird may need to call on in difficult situations and which may save its life.      In the wild these rules are taught by the parents. When we bring them into our homes, they need to feel secure and accept us as head of the flock. We become the teachers just as their own parents would be if they were here. When there are rules which are understood by all, you have a happy, well adjusted pet. Just like little kids, birds will challenge authority figures if given the chance. But if there are rules and they feel secure, they have something that they can fall back on when they fail, so that they are able to grow. Example..... your first day at a new school, how did you feel? At midterm how did you feel? Did you feel confident on where to sit, what was expected, that you had friends, knew what was expected of you?      I have been heard to repeat often that a macaw is a cross between a naughty child, a dog and a cat. They can be good talkers, love to play, interact well with other animals (not known to freak out when they enter a room) and make good burglar alarms.      Macaws are devoted pets, patient most of the time if you do not push it. If you are smart, you set rules and stick by them just as you do for your dog. They not only understand, they will react in much the same ways.      Each one of these birds will test you repeatedly to see just where the line is drawn and who is to win this game, and this is what it is....a game. Enchanting, thrilling, lovely to behold...yes, all these fit our birds and when we win the heart of one, we really have won the grandest prize of all. While anyone can buy a bird, their love must be earned and given freely. That is not something you can buy, but is certainly something worth WORKING for. If you get a macaw, it will make you wonder why you ever waited so long to get one Hyacinth Macaw-      Description- This is a large macaw with mainly cobalt blue plumage with yellow facial highlights. This is one of my favorites. The hyacinth Macaw is very intelligent and they make great pets. My Hyacinth talks very well and will do tricks that impress the chicks :) The only problem with this species is the price tag $8,000 to $9500 Average Length- 81-94 cm Average Weight- 1100-1600 grams      Approx. Breeding Age- 7 to 8 years of age. At this point your Hyacinth Macaw may show signs of aggression during the mating season sometime in early spring. (Usually last 6 weeks)      Origin- The Hyacinth Macaw can be found all throughout the heart of South America.