Historical documents and naturalists' travel accounts
The historical documents and naturalist travel accounts are listed by type of blue macaw by date for ease of reference. Just click on the heading below to jump down to the list of articles for the species/sub-species chosen. If your browser does not allow this, just simply scroll down
1. Hyacinthine Macaw
2. Glaucous Macaw
3. Lear's Macaw
4. Spix's Macaw
5. A. purpurascens
Much of the biographical information has been gleaned from the excellent series of articles by Dr. Hans Stründen on naturalists, which appeared in " Papageien " between 1994 and 1996. Otherwise this information has been obtained from standard reference works such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chamber's Biographical Dictionary and Webster's Biographical Dictionary.
Please note that all documents, which were published in a language other than English, have been translated by the website editor, who has copyright on the
translated texts.
The Hyacinthine Macaw
Generally accepted original description of Hyacinthine Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) in Latin by John LATHAM in Index ornithologicus (1790) together with the entry on page 80 of his Supplement II to the General Synopsis of Birds published in 1802 and the entry in Latham's General History of Birds published in September1821.
Entry on the Hyacinthine Macaw on Pages 57-60 of the Museum Leverianum, a work containing select specimens from the museum of the late Sir Ashton Lever written by George SHAW and published in 1792 followed by the entry in Shaw's General Zoology(Vol. VIII, P.393) published in 1812
Depiction of Hyacinthine Macaw in a painting by Alexandre Isidore LEROY DE BARDE (1777-1828) entitled Collection of Foreign Birds dated 1810.
Illustration of Hyacinthine Macaw by Sydenham Edwards in 1812 acquired by the 13th Earl of Derby for his famous library at Knowsley
Excerpts from " An account of travels in Brazil at the command of his Majesty, Maximilian Joseph I, King of Bavaria, in the years 1817 to 1820 by Dr. J.B von SPIX and Dr. C.F.P. von MARTIUS. (German title:Reise in Brasilien auf Befehl Sr. Majestät Maximilian Joseph I Königs von Baiern in den Jahren 1817 bis 1820 gemacht von weiland Dr. John. Bapt. Von Spix und Dr. Carl Friedr. Phil. Von Martius). Published in three parts - 1823, 1828 and 1831 - in Munich
Entry on the Hyacinthine Macaw or Macrocercus hyacinthinus in " The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society Delineated Vol. II (Birds) published in London in 1831 with the sanction of the Council under the superintendence of the Secretary and Vice-Secretary of the Society" followed by an exchange of correspondence - in part acrimonious - between William Swainson and E.T.Bennett in The Magazine of Natural History on this entry in the same year
Use of species name Anodorhynchus, albeit slightly differently spelt, by K. LICHTENSTEIN in his Nomenclator Avium Musei Zoologici Berolinensis published in Berlin in 1854.
Extract from presentation by Dr. P. CHALMERS MITCHELL on Longevity and Relative Viability in Mammals and Birds reported in The Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London for the year 1911(Page 495).
The Glaucous Macaw
Entry on the Glaucous Macaw or guaa obi in Father José SÁNCHEZ LABRADOR's Peces y Aves del Paraguay Natural originally written in manuscript form in 1767 and published in paperback in 1968.
Description of Glaucous Macaw in Monographia Psittacorum by Johann Georg WAGLER published in Munich in 1832 (Page 676).
Entry on Glaucous Macaw in Dr. Ockens Allgemeine Naturgeschichte für alle Stände. 5th Volume, Page 370 by Dr. Lorenz OCKENFUSS. Published in 1835.
Various reports on the Glaucous Macaw in the Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London.
Entry on Corrientes Province in "Geography or first division of " The English Cyclopaedia" conducted by Charles Knight. Published in 1866.
Extract relating to the Paraná-Paraguay river system from the entry on the Argentine Confederation in "Geography or first division of " The English Cyclopaedia" conducted by Charles Knight. Published in 1866.
The Lear's Macaw
