Genetics of the Hyacinth Macaw

The group in Ornis currently constitutes the world's largest population of hyacinth macaws in human care (known as an ex situ population).

The research project is a collaboration between the zoo, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Nottingham Trent University.

Declining Numbers

The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is endangered in its native range in South America (VU status on the IUCN Red List). Poachers removed at least 10,000 hyacinth macaws from the wild in the 1980s. Today, the wild population (known as the in situ population) numbers about 6,500 birds.

The population of wild hyacinth macaws has declined sharply over the last three generations. Most of the remaining birds live in the Brazilian Pantanal. Recurring, large-scale wildfires are putting additional pressure on the species there.

All for one

The study of the genetic relationships among the hyacinth macaws at the zoo is one aspect of a broader conservation strategy for this species based on the “One Plan Approach”. The One Plan Approach is a collaborative strategy that brings together all stakeholders working toward the conservation of a species—essentially “all for one.”

In this case, that bird is the hyacinth macaw. And its conservation as a species can only be achieved if all measures are combined: the protection of the birds’ natural habitat, the protection of wild parrots, and the targeted breeding and care of the animals in human custody.

Breeding at the Zoo, Conservation (in) the Wild

Part of this holistic approach involves keeping and breeding birds outside their natural habitat, as the Ornis Zoo does. However, protecting and supporting wild birds in South America is also an integral part of this effort. The zoo supports this through its Pantanal conservation project.