Greetings from a new Severe Macaw Owner ...

[Willa]

Greeting everyone from Monmouth County, NJ. I am the excited and proud new owner of a baby Severe Macaw whom I have named "Luna". She is very beautiful! Can someone explain to me how to embed a photo here? She was checked out by an avian veterinarian who gave her a clean bill of health, but it seemed like she coughed a tiny cough at me before. It was not a 'hiss', at least I don't think so. Does anyone else's Severe Macaw do this? She seems a lot more reserved now that she is here home, but she is talking a tiny bit, even mimicking the dogs (good grief!). She just won't move from that wooden swing though. She seems to be paranoid of the windows. There are a lot of trees being blown around, and the noise that accompanies the wind doesn't help; her paranoia, I suspect. I am hoping that she is just freaked out to her new surroundings. I'd appreciate any stories about how YOUR baby Severe Macaw, or any other kind of Macaw or parrot behaved when you first transported and brought them home. In the car, in her carrier for the first time, she was singing (!), so I don't understand why she is being so shy now.


Thanks!
Willa

[mmr]

hello and welcom. Very pretty baby you have there

[TooDusty]

Hello and congratulations on your new bird. Mini macaws are awesome! I have a Hahns Macaw and I am babysitting a 2 year old severe macaw right now. I know you're excited for your bird and want her to be friendly and playful, but she'll need a couple of days to settle down. If she was singing in the car, it was probably out of nervousness. My greys do that too. She doesn't recognize anything sometimes snapping pictures can make her even more nervous! I let my Hahns get aquainted with her cage for almost 2 days and then took it slow with her. Some birds need more time than others. Just be quiet around her and ease her into your home. Good luck!

[TooDusty]

p.s. Luna is a really cute name!

[expressmailtome]

Welcome to BB! You have a pretty severe. Enjoy it here!

Matt

[Willa]

Well, you know, the aviary owner/breeder told me that in two days she would be begging to come out, and lo and behold she was lifting her one leg and saying step up! I walked with her all over the house. I took her in the kitchen and she drank several times from the running faucet. She was fascinated with that. So far, of course because she's new, she's been held and walked around by everyone in the house, and that's how I want to keep it if I can.

I went to put a clean trash bag in the trash can and when I shook the bag out Luna was in her cage down the hallway and she started SHRIEKING! She NEVER made that loud noise when she was in the store, lol! I think the breeder trains them to be polite, haha.

I know why she screamed at the bags. The breeder told me that Luna was leary of the counter at the aviary because she associates it with getting her nails and wings clipped. What I also realized is that the plastic bags they keep for supply sales are right under the same counter. The only time she screams (so far) is at the trash bags. I just ignored her. When she got quiet I praised her. I guess we'll figure each other out together.

She's eating and drinking very well and was quite amazed at her own reflection in the mirror! I LOVE her ... so far, haha! She's a GOOD BIRD! ;)

[kellywess]

Severes tend to be very weary of new things. They spook very easily, they dont miss a beat. They are very easily excited and expect to get their way ... all of the time. HEAD STRONG

Suggestions... handle everyday... socialize as much as possible.

Severes are alot of fun.

[Willa]

Well, I can tell you she does NOT seem shy. She is used to being around people, I suppose. The aviary I got her from was not a completely closed one, and people were in and out at various times. I just can't get over her very intelligent gaze. She is definitely paying attention. Also, it seems to me that she is more comfortable when the house is really noisy! She doesn't really seem that scared of my dogs either, although she was watching my black lab/husky mix like he was the devil (he is ridiculously gentle, btw).

I think I'm going to learn a lot from these boards. She seems like she could very easily turn into an escape artist as well. She seems to enjoy dis-assembling things, specifically the lock on the top of her cage! She's so CUTE!

[Willa]

What does anyone know personally about beak care? The woman at the aviary told me that it's not really a normal thing to file down a parrot's beak. I was so distracted that I didn't let her elaborate. Luna's beak is pretty big and very pointy. She has been trained NOT to bite, but she did test me a few times, and she sure as heck responded in a positive way (for me) to the word "NO".

I've spent a fortune on natural wooden toys for her, so hopefully, he beak will stay healthy. I ask this because I met a parrot the other day and his beak was so over grown, that he had a type of malocculsion, and couldn't really close his mouth. He was owned by a breeder who told me that the bird was 54 years old.

[kellywess]

I cant wait to hear what you have to say about your sweet little baby in six months... LOL. I am afraid that everything Irish said about them in the other post is in fact true. As they mature, they tend to bond to one person. In my family that would be me. She (Marvin) tolerates my husband some days, but will bite him and run to me as soon as I enter the room. If he (my husband) is the only one around thats fine and Marvin and my husband get along. When I am home, its a different story. Marvin bites to do damage. Yes, they are extremely smart and toys that are mechanical are more interesting to them than the ones they can chew. I suggest "the Bullet" its green and you fill it with treats. Its a hit in my house. Marv has two. She never leaves her cage without it.

Marvin too was cuddly as a baby and can be now... at times. They are a handful though. Make sure that you train him/her what is "too hard" when he/she bites. These guys bite when they dont get their way... pretty much everytime so its best to teach them how to bite and hope for the best. Might not make sense now, but it will.

I have never had to file or trim Marvins beak. make sure he/she has alot of wood to chew on and that you feed your bird a proper diet.