What Is The Largest Parrot? (Largest Ever vs. Alive Now)

There are 398 parrot species, all utterly completely different dimensions and shapes. They fall into 3 superfamilies: true parrots (Psittacoidea), cockatoos (Cacatuoidea), and New Zealand parrots (Strigopoidea).

The Heracles inexpectatus is the biggest parrot that has ever lived (now extinct), whereas the kākāpō is the heaviest parrot. It’s now critically endangered. The hyacinth macaw is a very powerful residing parrot.

Largest Parrot That Ever Lived

The Heracles inexpectatus made its residence alongside a river in southern New Zealand. Two fossilized chook legs have been found, which equipped sufficient DNA for scientists to research its genetics. 

They belonged to the Psittaciformes order and have been about 200 million years earlier.

It was 1 meter tall and estimated to weigh 7 kilograms. That’s double the burden of the kākāpō, the world’s heaviest parrot, and as tall as the everyday 4-year-old teen.

Largest Breed of Parrot

The world’s largest parrot, hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), is characterised by vivid blue feathers. They’re 40 inches prolonged, have a wingspan of 4 ft, and weigh 2.6-3.7 lbs.

The hyacinth macaw is current in central and japanese South America. Inside the wild, it lives in palm swamps and woodland areas, preferring to stay away from dense forests.

Hyacinth macaws are unusual on account of indigenous tribes hunted them for his or her meat and feathers. They’re now protected by worldwide laws, which prohibits their commerce.

The hyacinth macaw has a median lifespan of fifty years.

Heaviest Parrots

The kākāpō (Strigos habroptilus), additionally known as the owl parrot, is a ground-dwelling chook of the superfamily Strigopoidea.

They measure about 23 to 25 inches prolonged, which is shorter than most macaws. What items them aside from completely different large birds is that they’re the heaviest parrots on this planet.

Kākāpōs weigh 2-9 kilos, which is why they’re flightless birds. They use their yellow-green feathers and nocturnal lifestyle to cowl from predators (ferrets, weasels, stoats, and plenty of others.) in forest vegetation.

Kākāpōs are critically endangered, with fewer than 250 alive presently.

Largest Cockatoo Species

The black palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is called the goliath cockatoo or good cockatoo. They’re recognizable ensuing from their black plumage, purple patches spherical their eyes, and large hookbills.

The palm cockatoo is a very powerful cockatoo species on the subject of weight, not dimension. They measure 22 to 24 inches prolonged and weigh 2 to 2.65 kilos.

They feed on fruit and nuts from the Andanus and Kanari timber. A species listed as of “least concern,” goliath cockatoos reside in northeastern Australia, Indonesia, Sorong, New Guinea, and West Papua.

Totally different Large Parrot Species

Listed below are one other big parrots worthy of debate:

Scarlet Macaws

Scarlet macaws (Ara macao) attain about 33 inches prolonged and weigh 2.2 kilos.

Scarlet macaws are putting parrots. Their feathers are vivid purple with blue and yellow flashes on the wings and tail. They’re the nationwide chook of Honduras.

They reside in Southeastern Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela, the place they feed on different fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, and nectar.

Scarlet macaws reside for a median of 40-50 years, nevertheless some attain 70.

Blue-and-Yellow Macaws

The blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), moreover often called the blue-and-gold macaw, is among the many many largest parrot species, reaching 30 to 36 inches.

They weigh as a lot as 3 kilos and measure 34 to 36 inches prolonged. The whole thing about blue-and-yellow macaws is larger than life, from their measurement to their angle and voice.

They reside and thrive throughout the woodlands, forests, and tropical savannahs of Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. Their life expectancy is usually between 30 and 50 years.

They’re loud parrots with ear-piercing contact calls used to alert their flock members. Although their inhabitants has declined, the IUCN lists them as “least concern.”

Purple And Inexperienced Macaws

Purple-and-green macaws (Ara chloropterus), moreover often called green-winged macaws, are 35 to 37 inches prolonged and weigh 2.3 to 3.75 kilos.

Inexperienced-winged macaws have principally purple feathers interspersed with some inexperienced and blue plumage. Their life expectancy normally ranges from 50 to 70 years.

Like many alternative macaw species, they reside throughout the forests and woodlands of Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Paraguay.

The IUCN lists green-winged macaws as “of least concern,” nevertheless the illegal pet commerce, trying, and habitat loss are decreasing their numbers.

Good Inexperienced Macaws

Good inexperienced macaws (Ara ambiguous), additionally known as the Buffon’s macaws or the nice navy macaws, are about 24 inches prolonged and weigh as a lot as 3 kilos.

They’re normally mistaken for navy macaws, nevertheless their feathers are lighter inexperienced, and their beaks are white.

Buffon’s macaws feed on different nuts, seeds, fruits, bulbs, flowers, roots, and tree bark in Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador.

With a fast-reducing inhabitants, the IUCN lists good navy macaws as a critically endangered species.

Military Macaws

Military macaws (Ara militaris), moreover often called Bolivian navy macaws and Mexican navy macaws, measure 27.5 to 33.5 inches prolonged and weigh 2 to 2.4 kilos.

They bodily resemble good inexperienced macaws nevertheless aren’t pretty as large.

They primarily have sensible inexperienced feathers, a purple patch on the doorway of their heads, purple and blue on their tails/flight feathers, and black beaks. Their look resembles a navy uniform, subsequently their title.

They’re current in Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, southern Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina, the place they feed on seeds, fruits, and leaves.

The IUCN lists navy macaws as a prone parrot species on account of their numbers are throughout the low 1000’s. They reside in flocks with a median lifespan of fifty to 60 years.

Blue-Throated Macaws

Blue-throated macaws (Ara glaucogularis), moreover often called Wagler’s macaws, can attain 33 inches prolonged and weigh 2 to 2.5 kilos. Many blue-throated macaws reside for 50+ years.

Their feathers are turquoise-blue with sensible yellow undersides. As well as they’ve a “blue beard” (patch of blue) alongside their throats, surrounded by featherless pores and pores and skin.

Wagler’s macaws reside solely in Llano de Moxos (Bolivia), nesting in islands of palm timber. Unsurprisingly, their meals routine contains palm tree fruit, seeds, and nuts.

Blue-throated macaws are a critically endangered species, with just a few hundred remaining.

The Heracles inexpectatus is a very powerful chook that ever lived, however it has prolonged been extinct. The largest residing parrot is the hyacinth macaw (dimension), intently adopted by the kākāpō (weight).

Most of the largest parrot species are macaws, nevertheless many cockatoo species (like black palm cockatoos and yellow-tailed black cockatoos ) are moreover big parrots.

Their measurement and restricted numbers indicate that the majority large parrot species are unsuitable pets. They’re best observed at zoos and chook sanctuaries, which might be greater positioned to meet their needs.