These birds grow to a total length of 100 cm and weigh 1.4-1.7 kg. The wingspan is 130-150 cm. Having the strongest beaks of all birds they can easily disassemble the bars of a welded wrought iron cage in a short time. This powerful beak is ideal for its favorite foods, which include hard nuts and seeds that would otherwise be inaccessible. Their strong beaks are even able to crack coconuts and macadamia nuts. In addition, they eat fruits and other vegetable matter. Pine nuts are also one of the most popular foods. There are eight species of palm that are central to their diet. They are generally messy eaters.

The Hyacinth Macaw has a solid blue body of feathers, similar to the color of indigo. It has a solid black beak with bright yellow along the sides of the lower part of the beak and circling its solid dark eyes. Unlike other species of macaw, it does not have a white patch of featherless skin around the eye. The female and male are nearly indistinguishable, although the female is typically a bit more slender.