Lear's Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) — Endangered

Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari), a deep-blue macaw. — Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari).
Image: Penkinvaltaaja, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category: EN · Endangered
Animal group: Birds
Population trend: Increasing
FaunaHub record reviewed: 2026-06-16
Checked against IUCN: Matches source — IUCN's 2020 global assessment of Anodorhynchus leari says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment

Conservation overview

Lear's macaw is a deep-blue parrot of Brazil's caatinga, once on the edge of extinction. It is assessed as Endangered, having recovered with protection.

It depends heavily on the nuts of licuri palms for food.

Range & habitat

A small area of dry scrubland (caatinga) in north-eastern Brazil.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

Past trapping for the pet trade
Habitat loss
A very small range

Why it matters

A blue macaw brought back from the brink, Lear's macaw is both a conservation success in progress and a flagship for Brazil's distinctive dry caatinga habitat.

Gallery

A Lear's macaw perched. — Lear's macaw (Anodorhynchus leari).
Image: Miguelrangeljr, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Lear's Macaw

IUCN Red List — look up Lear's Macaw (authoritative status)
BirdLife International

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lear's macaw eat?

It relies heavily on the nuts of the licuri palm, so protecting these palms is central to the species' survival, alongside curbing trapping.

Why is Lear's macaw Endangered?

Published assessments cite past trapping for the pet trade, habitat loss, and its very small range, though protection has helped numbers recover. See the IUCN Red List.