Novice Macaw Enthusiast needs a Mentor

[kapilmodi]

I am interested in buying a pair of scarlet/blue yellow macaws. I have never owned a bird before. I co-own Americas top Great Dane kennel and also am an International Grand Prix Dressage rider (owning several top european warmblood horses).

Would love to have a bird chat/call with experienced Macaw owners as I would like to know everything about Macaws before turning myself into a Macaw Addict. I do have a large mansion and the facilities necessary for the wellbeing of Macaws.

Looking forward to hearing from ya all macaw addicts :)

[The Outlaw]

I'm glad you're so well off and can afford to provide the proper environment for your birds. I suggest you get some good reference books and start there. The Complete Book of Macaws, The Large Macaws, Psittaculture, The Complete Bird Owners's Handbook and Why Does My Bird Do That are good ones to start with.

You have me confused, however. Are you buying 2 pairs? Please tell me you are, for otherwise you will be breeding hybrids and frankly that's a real bad idea.

And, if you don't know about big birds, I wouldn't suggest pairs of anything anyway. To have same sexed birds would be fine if you planned on them sharing cages or other spaces, but if they will co-habit, then please don't set up pairs. Birds will bond and stay bonded for life. If you want pets, then you don't want to create bonded pairs, for they won't desire to interact with humans.

The internet is an interesting resource, but certainly not the best to start an education about parrot ownership. I've said this a hundred times: this isn't pet ownership, this is zoology. Good luck.

THE OUTLAW

[kapilmodi]

thanks for your response. I was contemplating on buying a pair of either blues or scarlets. I have ordered the books you mentioned but what I really need is a chat/talk with experienced macaw owners (who also have dogs n cats) so that I can have my questions and doubts about macaws answered.

[The Outlaw]

That's fine. We all do that to stay current on new products and trends. However, you really need to read first about the probable traits among the big birds.

I'll start you with a few things. The scarlets are among the most beautiful and intelligent of the macaws. When properly hand fed and handled, they can be loving, loyal and devoted pets. However, they cannot be rushed. That happens very often and it tends to produce nippy and aggressive adult birds. For that reason, and also because scarlets are just more mouthy by nature (they use their mouths to test everything) they sometimes get a bad reputation about being mean. It really has everything to do with proper handling and good genes, just like dogs.

The blue and golds (my personal favorites-I have 4) are beautiful, intelligent, fun and very athletic birds. They are also referred to as Blue and Yellow macaws. There are often very noticable coloration difference with BGs, some being very blue and gold and others seeming more yellow and turquouse. That has more to do with diet and genes than any imperfection. They tend to like people and will often interact well with all of the family members. They are generally smaller than the scarlets and probably not quite as quick to learn, but they are by no means "slow" at anything. They really are the clowns of the big macaws.

The Greenwings are wonderful, beautiful birds, much larger than either the scarlets or the Blue and golds. They have huge heads, like the Buffons and Hyacinths, but have sweet gentle dispositions. Though similar in coloring to scarlets and often confused with them, they have no yellow in their wings and have red feather lines on their facial patches. The Greenwings as a rule are much more mellow than the BGs but similar in personality. A well raised GW is a joy to behold. If however, they are not properly handled, they can be a force to be reckoned with. They can be unbelievably loud and destructive. However, that is rare. They will require the largest cage with the heaviest bars you can acquire. Here's where I highly recommend spending the money on a stainless King's cage. There is a sub-species of GW that are LARGER than Hys.

The Buffon's macaw is the second largest of the big macaws. It is a lovely green with rust and teal in the tail and wing feathers. Though similar in coloring to the military, it is MUCH larger. The military is smaller than the BG. The Buffon is endangered in the wild and difficult to obtain. They are being actively bred now to increase their numbers. These are huge birds, some even larger than the HYs. Again, as with the greenwings, these birds are very gentle by nature. In fact, the GW, Buffons and Hys are all referred to as the gentle giants. Their personalities are quite similar. These birds will blush when excited and their facial patches will turn a pinkish color.

The Hyacinth macaw is the Cadillac of macaws. Long admired for its gorgeous coloring and sweet disposition, it has been hunted to near extinction in its own habitat.The primary color is an amazing irridescent cobalt blue with some yellow around the mouth area. You can expect to pay anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 for a Hy. Those that have them would consider that cheap. Hys only produce clutches every other year and rarely raise more than 2 chicks per clutch. That further complicates increasing their numbers. And, they have an extremely limited and very expensive diet. It consists mainly of macadamia nuts and some rare palm nuts. These birds are HUGE!!! You will need the biggest cage and heaviest cage you can fit in your home. Many exceed 40" in length. Hys also seem to like to walk on the ground and follow their owners around. They are charming, delightful creatures and the envy of the macaw world.

The military macaw is the smaller macaw, all green, with the bright red feathers across its upper mandible. These guys are quick to learn and can be quite ornery. Their personalities are similar to the scarlets but can be a bit more nippy. Consequently, they are often passed over when looking for companion pets. That's a shame, for they can be wonderful additions to the family. It really is about knowing how to handle them and putting their natural curiosity and intelligence to work in more proper an acceptable ways. They are among the favorite choices for performing parrots since they like to learn tricks and are quick to learn them.

The smallest of the "large" macaws is the Redfront. The most visible difference from it and the smaller Severe is the red on the front and front of its wings and the yellow facial patch. These guys can blush a pinkish color when excited. They are the most amazing fliers in the group and can hover like a helicopter. Again, these guys are difficult to find for sale. They are adored by their owners and there is usually a waiting list with good breeders. Their color is more olive than bright green.

Hope this gets you started. I think the macaws are the most fascinating birds of all.

THE OUTLAW

[The Outlaw]

I did. I apologize. I just don't see them that often. They are, after all, special

THE OUTLAW

[pbyeerts]

My first and I believe the most essential question is have you handled macaws before? Even if you get a breeder pair, you will still need to handle and manage them. Also, why have you chosen the macaws to breed? These are just some basic questions to enable me to help you.

I grew up on a horse farm, am an accomplished equestrian, and also have other pets. We just added a new cat to our family - I've named him Barnabas.

I learned the hard way how to manage my Nimo - and by that I mean by lots of bites and frustration. I strongly recommend the highly esteemed parrot expert, Liz Wilson, about your plans. She may be best able to point you in the right path regarding breeding.

Thanks,
Pamela

[Ingrid]

And Nancy, dont forget the Yellow Collar Macaw, they can be very sweet and playful, however, I have also heard that they can be very loud.
They are green with a yellow collar aroung the neck, they are a little bit smaller than Military Macaw...............they are called the mini Macaws.

[The Outlaw]

In fact, the YCs are smaller than the Severes too. However, they are very LIKE the severes. Ingrid doesn't get to see a whole lot of different birds where she lives. That's why I think she should move to Maryland

THE OUTLAW

[msmoon]

Hiya fellow Macaw buddies. I really enjoyed reading your description of the types of these magnificent birds.
I have a Hy who does just what you mentioned (Outlaw), he loves to follow me around and I don't mind him doing so most of the time. I love my buddy.
His diet consists mainly of macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, coconut, cooked yams, or sweet potato, banana, grapes, apple mango, papaya and he loves a good pasta and cheese. :D I have yet to find a supplier for palm nuts. A Hy needs a diet high in fats and carbs and pellets should not (I think) be a part of their diet at all as they are high in protein which can bring on kidney problems for them. I have a bird room in my house off the kitchen that is all glass on the two walls facing the kitchen and the door is glass plus there is three large window in the room. His house, (not a cage ) stands about 7 feet tall and is round and will hold about 4 large adults comfortable. He only sleeps in there but like a child with a blankey that is is comforter and he will go there when he feels unsure of someone new in the house or if unsure about something.
I think all macaws are beautiful but mine is the best!!!

[msmoon]

Hi and thanks for the welcome Tritak.
My friend Rocky who has a Hy is here too. Although he may have got swallowed up when the site crashed the other day. I did and lost my few postings and couldn't re-enter until tonight thanks to some help from a fellow member and the admin. Anyhow, thanks for the welcome and I most definitely will be talking about my big blue buddy in this forum.
It is getting late here, it's actually later where you are but I am a wimp and I am just about ready to call it a day. But I will be back. Don't forget to tell me about your birds too ok. See ya later.