Word of the day: Zygodactyl.

Originating from the Greek for ‘finger’, Dactyly is a word used to refer to the arrangement of the digits on the hands or feet of animals. For example, humans are pentadactyl, meaning that they have five fingers.

Birds have four digits on their feet, and are thus referred to as tetradactyl. But the fun doesn’t stop there! We’re not just interested in the number of digits that animals have, but their arrangement as well. Some birds, such as parrots, woodpeckers and cuckoos, have two toes facing forward, and two toes facing backwards – allowing them to grasp onto tree branches with ease. When hands or feet are arranged in such a way, we refer to the owner as zygodactyl. (‘Zygo’ is a prefix that indicates arrangement in a pair.)

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, I thought it was an interesting etymological story to accompany the pair of Macaws in this photo – both of whom are zygodactyl.

On the left we have a Blue and Yellow Macaw, with a Scarlet Macaw peeking over its shoulder. While these two species would rarely be found together in the wild, this pair have become unlikely friends during their rehabilitation at Centro de Rescate Amazónico – a wildlife rescue centre in Iquitos.

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PS. While I don’t typically share images of animals in captivity, I make occasional exceptions for organisations that are dedicated to conservation and rehabilitation, such as Centro de Rescate Amazónico, where this photo was taken. All animals featured on this page are photographed in the wild unless otherwise specified.

PPS. If the whole time you were reading this you were wondering where the word pterodactyl comes from, it means ‘finger wing’ – which is an apt name for the dinosaur. Three of its digits were tiny, but one finger was absurdly long and formed the basis of the animal’s enormous wing!

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Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) with Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao), Centro de Rescate Amazónico, Iquitos, Peru