I just wanted to share some of my thoughts and observations on macaws and their adaptability to a captive life. I really wish I had more experience with older rehomed birds, as mine were all bought as babies before we knew better. Hopefully my wonderful experiences with these guys will prepare me for an older bird in need one day!
There are so many considerations for their sheer size alone, then you get their rather aggressive body language and imposing demeanor with more than enough beak and attitude to back it all up. One of the most common causes for a youngster to lose his home is people simply not understanding all this bluffing and play-lunges! They become intimidated, thinking the bird is trying to bite them, but if you are gentle and patient, you will see that this is just how they communicate and interact. Most lunges by a youngster are play bluffs! These are rowdy hands-on birds. They LOVE to beak wrestle and I have found that they are usually quite gentle and will not bite hard. They remind me of puppies how they play and roll around on their backs. They for the most part really enjoy being handled and love to make up games with their people.
In some ways, I feel that they are actually one of the gentlest of parrots. My three are always very gentle, sometimes getting carried away in play or testing, but I have had no real bites. They are allowed on our shoulders, but must always step up when asked, and may only go there when we place them. This seems to work for everyone. Of course they are still young so we may have to change these rules one day.
Physical needs aside, I feel that macaws adapt very well to life with humans. They are rather independant when their needs are met. They are very interactive but don't seem too clingy or needy. Then again, I have three so I'm sure that having their own flock helps their security.
They seem to not be as sensitive and emotional as cockatoos so I think this helps them greatly. I beleive it takes alot more to push a macaw to the extreemes of plucking and mutilation than a cockatoo. Their needs are very similar, but I feel that the cockatoos just really don't have the ability to adapt as well.
Unfortunately as mentioned in the top three lists of parrots that shouldn't be in captivity, most folks simply arent' willing to invest the time and space needed to bring out this wonderful bird's best side. Nearly all cages are too small for a bird of such magnificent proportions. Then there is the need for exercise. I "fly" my guys around our house every day so they can burn some energy. They flap HARD and I am almost like a horse, I just support them and run with them while they steer, glide and land where they want (within reason!!). I'ts difficult to describe, but they get very excited when it's time, and all line up for their turn! Once they do this, everyone is calm and peacefully grooming for a good hour! Everytime they get anxious and overly rambunctious, we fly around and then all is calm. I also hung some swings from the ceiling and they spend hours when out climbing, hanging and swinging. Their noise, which wasn't a problems is much less now that they have these outlets. So many macaw I see in shops, homes etc, seem so high strung and anxious. This leads to "acting out" aggressively or ouldly simply becuase they need to move freely.
I think that the biggest problems with captive macaws are:
1) Not enough outlets for expending energy. Hang some swiings, get an aviary, encourage flapping, games....
2) Forced weaning to early (nippy nervous, repetitive honking, screaming)These guys are nowhere near weaned at 4 months!!
3) Missunderstanding body language and becoming intimidated, which becomes less interaction and eventually neglect or rehoming.
4) People, often men buying them with the same mindset that they buy rotweillers. Looking for a macho bird to impress people, never even learning about the gentle sensitive baby they are missing out on!

I like to encourage people to continually offer their macaw, particularly those under 3 years, warm mushy foods regularly. I use Scenic Handweening pellets often. This really help these slow maturing birds feel secure and comfortable.
I am not trying to promote macaws as pets, I just feel strongly that they can adapt well given the right circumstances and caring owners. I just know that they could have a quite good success rate with their owners if people were made aware of the many aspects involved in nurturing their baby to become that great companion they envisioned when they brought him home. Sadly most people don't want to bother with the space, mess expense time etc. and most poor macaws sold end up in too small cages with too little attention, and not enough toys and fresh foods. It just really bothers me because I KNOW that these macaws can be such great companions and it is purely the peoples fault for being to lazy or uneducated to bring out the best. Then those of you who rescue them have such a hard time trying to bring that wonderful gentle bird back out of the depths that someone else neglected and it's almost like the bird missed his shot.
I have found my guys to be very gentle, affectionate, expressive, lively, sensitve, goofy, fun, interacctive. They are amazingly empathetic and quite the comics. They each have very different personalities and preferences. They each like to be hadled differently. I work very hard to provide a good environment for them. Not just for them, but also because the happier and more content they are, the better they will be for me to live with! The happier I am, the easier it is for me to provide them a good home throughout their lives.
Have any of you had success turning an aggressive loud unmanageable bird around? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts here!!

hello onyxena,

I enjoyed reading your article. Macaws are delightful birds and are certainly different from other parrots. I agree with you that when these birds are homed properly they do very well in captivity. They are very social in the wild (huge flocks), i hope to go on a great ecotour this summer and see some Hyacinths :o and some clay licks. Many ppl. do not fully understand their birds "play" behavior. It's sad that many are given up to rescues or rehomed due to loud behaior (screaming), and biting. I personally don't have a macaw but did consider adopting one last summer, however did not. I have worked around them and discovered their many personalities their great especially the mini's! You seem like you have done really well with your flock. Keep up the good work. Great article!

Harrison

I got JaJaBinks when she was 2 years old. She had been kept in a very tiny junky home made cage (plastic coated garden wire!), no toys, a 1 inch dowel rod for a perch, only ever feed cheap seed mix & peanuts & was kept in the dark 24 x 7 so she'd be quiet! The day I went to see her the lady told me she hadn't been out of her cage for a few months!

Today at 5 years & 10 months old she is beyond words. She is not cuddly, but she will let me do just about anything to her. She LOVES to be included. She helps with the dishes, baking banana bread, cleaning, weeding, pruning my roses (she likes to ride on the handles of the wheel-barrow), we go to the Harley Club, on picnics, etc. Halloween is her fav holiday. I take her to the door each time & she yells hello & then tells the kids bye-bye. She is very well behaved. She is a tad nippy at times, but I feel this is due to the abuse & neglect from her previous owners. I am not intimidated by her beak & we often play beak wrestle. She also likes to feed my fingers. She lieks to be swung by one foot, then tossed intothe air so she can land on my arm. I do nOT recommend anyone just do this. I copied her physical antics & am super careful how I hold her foot.

She was very cage territorial when I first got her, but she soon learned I wouldn't force her to live in a cage 24 x 7. I often go to bed & let the cage door open. She puts herself to bed at night & many times thru out the day she will go in her cage & just swing or relax. She has a certain time of day she refuses to come out. It's her time she sets aside to swing & swing & swing. She's a silly bird

Many nights she sits at the table & eats with us. Tonight I fork fed all 3 mashed sweet potatoes/unsweetened applesauce. JaJaBinks loves oatmeal & her all time fav is peas. If we're a little late on night feeding time she helps herself by climbing off her cage & opening up all the dry food containers & having a feast, LOL.

She is not much of a screamer. Usually she only lets out a few good ones each day. Mostly she talks & talks & talks some more. She's quite the jabber box.

When I first got her she ACK, ACK, ACKed like crazy. Lunged allot & was very scared. So I sat & watched her allot. I soon learned that each sound & movement meant something different. Once I learned them I was then able to understand her & she was then very easy to teach new things. She quickly picked up new words & knows how to use them too.

Owning, or should I say being owned by a Macaw, is a very rewarding experience. They just have this great love of life & they show it if they are happy. They have more curiosity than a cat & are not afraid to go exploring. They do require a special diet, big cages, big play gyms, big tough toys, lots of wood to chew up & allot of out of cage time.

We had Swelland's (cage builder in CA) make & ship us a 12' x 6' x 7.5 ' powder coated aviary. It cost us 2 arms & a leg, but it was well worth it. All 3 of my birds love to spend all day outside in the aviary in summer. This year we aquired a small hickory tree & sunk it upright in the ground. They love to climb & chew on it. I also have swing, boings, orbs, perches, etc, in the aviary. The neighbors often laugh at JaJaBinks yelling WEEEEE as she swings away. She'll talk to anyone who approaches her & always tells them bye-bye when they walk away.

JaJaBinks came to me fully flighted. She is permitted to be fully flighted each winter. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a macw in flight. It's amazing how well they can maneuver thru the house. We fly her down the stairs & thru the rooms. She only flies on command, never taking off on her own. In summer we clip her so we can take her places, as she refuses to wear a harness. Everyone who has met her is in awe by her beauty & I get hit with 50K questions.

On one of the PBS specials they stated that Macaws are the only species of parrots that take time each day to play. Lunging is mostly a scare tatic. They can & do play rough at times, especially if they get over excited. You can teach them to back off with just a few cue words or movements. I can get JaJaBinks to clam down by placing my fist to my cheek. Then she is permitted to beak my hand. I make a fist to protect my fingers from an over excited bite. If I tilt my head backwards she will too & then she says awwwww. This puts her in a major calm-down mode.

Most people are so afraid of the large beak, but it's not the size of it that matters. I find the smaller beaks do more damage to the skin than the larger beaks do. The smaller beaked birds tend to have super sharp beaks, where the larger beaked birds use strength.

There are lots of macaws in need of homes. If given the chance they can make wonderful companions. You just need to learn to understand them & their needs. They adapt very well & aren't velcro birds like many 'Toos are, but they need to be included in your daily lives.


Toy

Toy I loved reading your message! That is such a wonderful story about your macaw. She sounds so similar to my Midori, a female BG who is almost 4. The swinging by the feet and little games are here too. My husband and I both swing her upside down daily! We have to carefully hold her feet because she will just flip off your hand when she wants to be swung. She is amazingly trusting and will sllow me to toss her high in the air on her back and then catch her about 6-8 inches off the ground! She presses her face against my cheek and whispers, then I grab her beak and kiss her or blow raspberries on her cheeks and her eyes light up and she will do this several times in a row, sqealing and giggling the whole time. Sillly Bird!
I totally understand about the smaller beaks, so much sharper. So many smaller birds just seem to move so much faster and are more likely to bite hard. Our pionus I don't even handle without a stick as he bites unpredictably and severly, not often but enough that I won't hold him! I think it's funny that I am so nervous handling this little pink and grey parrrot, yet I am letting our huge GW macaw groom my eyelashes and swing off my pinkie with her beak!

Wow. I loved reading all these posts. I really admire macaws. I had a friend in MI who had a macaw that was kept fully flighted. When he called this bird, he'd say, "Hey, Bomber, come see Daddy" and this bird would come flying from wherever he was, and it was so neat to see because he would turn and fly sideways down the hall from the bedroom into the living room. It was absolutely amazing.
Though I have never been bitten by a macaw and recognize that my fear is irrational (I know they bluff, etc) I'm still terrified of them. I think it takes a very strong and confident personality to properly interact with a macaw. I feel like I can identify a "macaw personality" in people!

OK, I am no expert and have ZERO large macaw experience when it comes to anything other than very brief handling. (I value each and every little piggie on my hands and feet too much) BUT I would like to point out that the macaws being written about are very young. At 4 and 5 these birds are still very much babies. I have read repeatedly about large macaws becoming hormonal and attacking their owners. I don't know if this was due to personality, up bringing, sexual maturity or other factors. So, for anyone who is NOT experienced and reading this (like me) please watch your fingers, toes and eyes around any large parrot.
I feel that macaws are like many other very active, very outgoing species of animals. Most people are simply not prepared to deal with their personality. I know a bluff causes me to nearly crap my pants. I have watched "pollyvision" and gotten a good eyefull of how wild macaws play and they're really physical. Definetly NOT for the feint of heart.

I often wonder if JaJaBinks would have been cuddly & more gentle if she'd had a different up bringing in her first 2 years. She wasn't free. I had to pay for her, but I feel she was worth ever nickle. I was just glad I could get her out of that home. If the previous owners could see her now they'd want her back in a heart beat!! Sorry, but she's staying right her no matter what.

B&G's are noted as the "clowns' of the macaw world. They sure can be silly. Today JaJaBinks helped me unload the dishwasher. Of course her idea of helping is to toss plastic bowls across the floor the whole time saying HUH?, HUH?, HUH? & then laughing.

Toy

>OK, I am no expert and have ZERO large macaw experience when it comes to anything other than very brief handling. (I value each and every little piggie on my hands and feet too much<
LOL coward, hehehe.

>BUT I would like to point out that the macaws being written about are very young. At 4 and 5 these birds are still very much babies. I have read repeatedly about large macaws becoming hormonal and attacking their owners. I don't know if this was due to personality, up bringing, sexual maturity or other factors. So, for anyone who is NOT experienced and reading this (like me) please watch your fingers, toes and eyes around any large parrot. <
Yes some do become aggressive during hormone phases, However macaws are not as emotional as 'Toos during this time. Also you MUST learn to "read" their body language if yuo plan on being owned by one. Otherwise you put yourself at risk for a bite. They can get rough, very rough, during play or when over excited. If you see it coming you can off set it very quickly but a word or movement. This is a learned skill & not something you just do the day you get a macaw. As with most parrot species the males tend to become the most aggressive during hormone phases. I'm so glad all of my parrots turned out to be female. Our CAG was thought to be male by the breeder & pet store. JaJaBinks breeder & previosu owner both thought she was male too. I felt different & the DNA tests proved it on all 3. Poor Huz is out numbered. Wife, 3 female parrots, 4 female poodles. That let's him & 2 male dogs .

>>I feel that macaws are like many other very active, very outgoing species of animals. Most people are simply not prepared to deal with their personality. I know a bluff causes me to nearly crap my pants. I have watched "pollyvision" and gotten a good eyefull of how wild macaws play and they're really physical. Definetly NOT for the feint of heart.<<
LOL you're funny . They aren't rough like that all the time tho. JaJaBinks likes to nip me allot tho just to let me know she is there & wants attention, a foot rub, under wing rub, preened, etc. I'm a SLAVE, LOL. Anyday now I expect her to say "Watch that beak!" & my CAG to say "Put a cork in it". I tell her that when she does the high pithced sounds that drive me up the wall.

Toy

I love reading these responses! I know exactly what Toy means with the high pitched screeches. I am absolutely terrified of most cockatoos, amazons, caiques, conures, and most parrots,actually..... Those fast movements and hard nips just don't work for me! My friends mature male U2 I won't go near, ever:) I've found the large macaws easier to read for the most part. They're usually not too hyper and are really nice most of the time.
We're starting to see some "mature" behavior such as lots of head gestures with the girls who are three and almost four. They aren't getting difficult yet and I am pretty confident that we'll handle this well. We have very well established rules that they very rarely refuse, so I am confident we have a good babsis to build a long term bond with them all. I find them more fascinating as they reach maturity and look forward to what it may bring.
My three all play together daily, total physical contact, feeding, lunging, trying to knock each other off the swings, etc. All supervised, of course! It's amazing to see them behave and interact with their species. I have stopped worrying over each squabble after I saw how they do this naturally in the wild. All good fun I suppose!

I have a 20 1/2 yr old B&G named Charlie I adopted him 5 weeks ago thru Foster Parrots. I am his second home and this is one sweet bird. We have got over most of the new home hurdles. He is now starting to show his clown side and loves to hang upside down by one foot and swing and laugh in a real deep voice. He has been putting our E2 in his place when he screeches, Charlie will tell him to shut up and the E2 will.LOL He loves to be with people and will always say hello when we come into the room. He loves attention and when you ask him if he wants something he will either shake his head no or yes and he appears to understand the difference. If you ask him if he wants a treat if he shakes his head no he won't take it if he shakes it yes he will take it. If you ask him if he is a good boy he shakes his yes and no to bad boy. The lady who owned him spent a lot of time with him and it shows. He will not let you hold him and that is ok i am sure it will come in time. He is a real quiet bird and hardly ever screeches or loud noises. He barks like a dog when someone knocks on the front door and our dog starts barking. When we give him a food that he likes he will go MMMMMM in a deep voice this is good for us,it let's us know what food he likes and dislikes. Joe

Loved reading the articles and I learned a great deal of these big beauties. Some years ago I was sitting on the sofa in my friends home and she had a blue and gold. She perched the macaw on the arm of the sofa farthest from me. The macaw's name was Major and he was a good natured macaw. Major did this figure eight with his head while looking me real good and then when he was done he put his foot up and his head down and said "step up" as he always said step up from hearing his owner say it to him. So, I gave him a little head scratch as his owner told me to do as he would not bite me. After a little head scratching he then very gently decided to feel my finger with that big rubbery warm tongue! Ok, that lasted about one second and I was off that sofa and across the room in another second! I WAS HOLLERED at by his owner for hurting his feelings as he was only feeling my finger and was not going to bite me but I wasn't told that! LOL If you have a big macaw you really need to tell people what to expect! LOL I'm with you littlecharlietoo! LOL not only did I nearly crap my pants but I had a few heart palpitations too! You just have to love them those big, bold and beautiful macaws.

blson you're so funny .

Right now JaJaBinks is on the back of my computer chair yanking on my hair/pulling my shirt/etc. When I put my hand back to stop her she grabs my fingers with that BIG BEAK & tries to feed my hand, LOL. Her misson is life it to torement the crap out of me, LOL.

As I said before I'd rather a macaw give me a good pinch that a small bite bite me. Those little beaks hurt worse!

Did you know that macaws are the only parrots in the wild that actually spend time each day playing? They are big clowns who just love FUN

Toy

I think the majority of the macaw species in captivity do much better than cockatoos. Macaws just make the transition much easier. It's not horribly difficult to tame and train a wild caught macaw and it's VERY difficult to work with wild cockatoos. The macaws inquisitive personality really helps it make the transition to pet life.

I don't think that macaws should be the 'normal' pet. I think that there needs to be a better standard of care for all parrots. We should discourage the thoughts that birds are caged pets and stress that birds are constant companions and cages are for safety and nothing more.

I agree that the majority of the cages available for macaws are way too small but there are a few companies making cages large enough and there are always those that make custom cages.

>Scientists have found that it removes toxins and also gives them trace minerals (which I knew). I had NO idea that clay was such a HUGE part of their diet and can't help but think that captive macaws are REALLY missing out on a part of their diet. Just because one plant does not create toxic alkaloids for US does not mean our food does not have that effect on the macaws. <
Well they assume this is why they eat the clay. Also they are eating allot different seeds/fruits/etc in the wild than we feed them. So they may not need the clay in captivity.

Thre was also metal & glass found in those clay toys & perches that are available in pet stores & catalogs. They tout them as being "Natural Manu Clay". There's NO way the clay used in any of those perches or toys comes from the Manu Clay licks. It's impossible to remove that much clay & transport it to be made into toys/perches. If anyone has see the clay licks on TV they'll understand this.

It would be interesting to see if the "Natural Manu Clay" would make a difference in those who do pluck tho.

My B&G is not a plucker. Thank Goodness . However when I got her she lacked the "glow" macaws should have. By adding in shell nuts to her diet daily her glow soon developed. Many are afraid to feed too many for fear their birds will get fat. JaJaBinks get 2 handfuls of in shell nuts every day. Macaws require a higher fat diet. In the wild they eat mostly nuts. If you are to feed them more nuts then they also require more exercise daily. JaJaBinks is out of her cage allot each day & she also is very active in her cage. She has swings/boings/playgym/etc to keep her active. She loves to swing. She also goes for walks & in winter when she is fully flighted we fly her each day. In summer she is out in the aviary, again swinging & climbing allot. She walks back to the house, which is a good 50-80 feet.

Another thought is in the wild they eat almost everything in the "green" stage. Brazil nuts are only eatten while green & developing. Once the outer hull, which is the size of a baseball bat, hardens they can not get it open. Here's an article on it:

http://www.bertholletia.org/bertholleti ... llery.html

There's so much we don't know & allot we need to learn.

Toy

Just food for thought: some online bird stores sell just the clay. It does come in relatively small amounts and it's pretty darn expensive but I wonder if it's more pure than the "natural manu clay" that covers alot of perches and pieces of cholla wood that I see in many stores.

It's pretty neat that a big topic today seems to be macaws, and I think I have a good reply to Oxyxena's question about success... Hubby's been putting in extra hours try to save up for moving expenses (and perhaps a Christmas gift). Sammy, our Greenwing, is best buds with him and has missed having him around as much as usual. Today was a MAJOR breakthrough of a day for Sammy and me! As I sit here on the loveseat, typing on my laptop, I'm being constantly interrupted by my "Red Romeo" who is hanging out with me and saying all of his most charming words & phrases. He also likes to find spots to drag his beak across lightly and tickle me. Then he'll giggle like crazy!

First, for those who haven't heard much about Sammy's history, here's a little background... We brought Sammy home on October 1, 1999 so it's been a little over 5 years now. Because Sammy was such a mess when we got him (formerly abused) I didn't attempt handling him on my own for about a year. He was a really REALLY bad biter. He bit out of fear and lacked trust of humans. Over time we learned that some ordinary household objects must hold really bad associations for him (such as the broom for instance). It occured to us that those objects must have been used to terrorize him with earlier in his life. Nowadays he realizes that we won't hurt him with those objects.

The first year with Sammy was very trying and since then we've had our share of challenges with him. My husband has taken hours and hours weekly working with Sammy and after the first 2 years or so Sammy began to trust him enough to sit on Ed's knee and allow Ed to touch him and give him skritches - only on occasions at first. Since then things gradually proceeded and now Sammy is very comfortable with it. But it's only been with Ed. Every time I tried, Sammy would dart that big beak at me. Not to bite, but to let me know it wasn't okay for me to give him 'lovins'.

In the past six months or so, I've been working with Sammy a lot more. He's really made some progress. He has a favorite toy (xlarge neon goofy links) and we keep single links around for Sammy to carry around with him. It's almost as if it's a security blanket of sorts for him. Sammy began bringing the goofy link to me and dropping it in my lap or in my hand. When I would pick it up, he would bow his head down and I got to understand that this meant he wanted me to lightly drag it along the back of his neck. If I tried to pet him with my fingers he would back away and take a dart at me.

Gradually I worked on being able to distract him enough to get my fingers where I could stroke his neck. Today was different though, as he I could tell he knew it was my fingers he felt, but he still allowed it. He still insists on the goofy link being present, but he allowed me to crunch a bunch of pinfeathers on his head and neck and at one point he ***rolled over onto his back***. It just melted my heart, because he's only taken that position a handful of times EVER! (I was just now interrupted by him again for skritches, and it makes me SO happy!) He'll even take my thumb in his beak and beak it while I rub his head. It's really incredible and a MAJOR step between he and me.

We've kept in touch with the people who we got him from (NOT the abusers but they couldn't keep him) and they never thought they would see the day when Sammy would be cuddly and friendly. The bird they knew from 5 years ago was a very scary boy! If it weren't for the closed band on his leg, anyone would have assumed he'd been ripped from the jungle. He's a big boy and can look very intimidating. True to macaw personality, he's a rough player. Baby (our M2) loves playing with him - but from a distance. Since they're flighted they play a sort of 'tag' (no touch) by flying around a room after one another and hollering at each other.

Sammy adores Baby and we think it's mostly due to the fact that she made him realize that he could fly. He really loves flying to us! They've really become great friends and he'll be at her side to defend her in a heartbeat if he feels she's being threatened by anything. (We've seen this for ourselves but those are stories for a different day.) He truly is a gift to have in our lives. He's big, messy, loud... and don't forget messy, lol! But every time I'm cleaning up after him he's usually chattering away at me and blowing me kisses. It seems to make the clean-up seem like a breeze. He really does have a sense of humor (antics I'll post on another day as well), understands the words he says and finds the appropriate occasions to use them.

We LOVE having a macaw in the house but I do have to say that they aren't to be taken lightly when considering a bird for a household. I think it's correct to say that it takes a confident person to deal with the macaw personality. I think their sheer size is pretty intimidating to a lot of people. Blson has a good point. All guests should be warned about the aggressive gestures of macaws. They ARE rough & tumble and their actions really are often misunderstood. What we've found is that people naturally feel intimidated by Sammy. He's mostly bright red, and when he fluffs up his feathers, extends his wings and pinpoints those grey eyes, people instinctively back away.

This is understandable, but of the two birds we have, the cuddly-wuddly looking one with the pinkish hue is truly the force to be reckoned with! Baby is the most likely one to inflict a bad bite - and quick! People will gravitate almost like a bug to a light when they see baby. While it's easy for me to detect small body language with Baby, other people can't read her 'poker face' that looks so sweet. (I just took Sammy back into the birdroom and he & Baby are playing together. It's GREAT to hear their happy sounds!) Sammy's body language is a bluff. He still has the capability to be a dangerous boy, but he doesn't lash out like he did when we first got him. He's still a bit leery of humans he doesn't know well, but he is willing to TRY to make friends and test them out.

Although he's still easily spooked, he has really come out of his shell! He's a big show-off who loves attention, and he's a blast to watch and hang out with. Often, we'll look up to see him hanging by only one toe from a toy or hanging perch. He'll do a bit of flapping and make some raucous noises. Oh, and he loves having nuts every day. His favorite lately is Walnuts, but he loves Almonds as well. He'll chomp up Brazil nuts if neither of the others are readily available. I think nuts are a very important staple for Macaws, but since they're high in fat it IS important that they get plenty of exercise daily. We have "fly time" with ours and everyone enjoys that! Even I get exercise running around with them.

I don't know anything about the clay, but there is some interesting reading to do about nuts if you search on the Internet. I found one about Brazil nuts that I thought was interesting and one that had a bit about each type of nut on a Vegan site.
http://www.rain-tree.com/brazilnu.htm
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/nutsseeds.html

So that's our success story with our macaw. We're SO proud of him and we love him SO much!! We just couldn't imagine life without him! We've rearranged our life to accomodate him and Baby. So for those who read this and are thinking about getting a (large is all we know about) Macaw make sure you have the space they need to accomodate their size, and the confidence to handle them. Sammy loves to tease people when he figures it out that they're afraid of him... As I sit and listen to him whistling to Baby, I feel so pleased that he & I had such a major breakthrough today! I can't wait for Hubby to get home so I can tell him about it!

Lynne

>We LOVE having a macaw in the house but I do have to say that they aren't to be taken lightly when considering a bird for a household. I think it's correct to say that it takes a confident person to deal with the macaw personality. I think their sheer size is pretty intimidating to a lot of people. Blson has a good point. All guests should be warned about the aggressive gestures of macaws. They ARE rough & tumble and their actions really are often misunderstood. What we've found is that people naturally feel intimidated by Sammy. He's mostly bright red, and when he fluffs up his feathers, extends his wings and pinpoints those grey eyes, people instinctively back away. <

Same here. I always tell people NOT to even attempt to touch JaJaBinks. Since she too was abused, she will only let me touch her. She's been with us almost 4 years now & she will only let my Huz carry her around. He can not touch her in anyway other than that. She will take treats from him & play none touch games with him.

When I got JaJaBinks she would not let her previous owners touch her. They were shocked she let me touch her all over the day I went to see her. It was like she knew she'd be finally in a home where she could be free from a cage 24 x 7, feed lots of good foods, not kept in the dark & most important loved. My Huz was shocked she let me scrub her clean & I do mean SCRUB, the day I brought her home. She screamed with joy afterwards she felt so good. I just told her we didn't allow dirty birds in our house the whole time I was scrubbing her filty body.

I also agree it takes a confident person to deal with a macaw. They can read you like the back of your hand. Lunging is the most misunderstood action of a macaw. Many assume they are attempting to bite or attack, when in reality they are just trying to say ..."hey you're scaring me or you're too close back up". It's more bluff than not. But if you persist they will eventually give you a warning bite. Those big beaks can land a nasty bite & even break bones, but they can also be super gentle. If my fingers were baby parrots they be so fat from being feed all the time, LOL.

What is it with people & brooms? JaJaBinks was also terrified of brooms. I got her over it by letting her bite the daylights out of a broom.

For anyone interested in being owned by a macaw expect losts of cleaning. Nut shells under foot all the time. They sure do hurt when you step on them in bare feet! It's amazing how far the nuts shell pieces fly with the easy bite from a macaw beak. They slice thru them like butter! Noise depends on the bird, your household activity, etc. The more activity the louder they get. Any & all activity excites them & being the curious creatures they are they want to join in the fun too. Being owned by a macaw means letting them join in your daily activites. They love to help with chores like dishes, pruning flowers, folding laundry, etc. Course it takes you allot longer to get it done, but they had a fun time helping. Macaws need to have FUN to be truly happy. They are super smart & learn very fast how to use words/phrases. They take up allot of room with big cages & playgyms. They are expensive to feed & care for since they require nuts daily & lots of toys to destroy.

My Huz & I remark how we never imagined how much enjoyment JaJaBinks has brought into our lives. She is so silly & we know she is happy by her antics.

Lynne ....I think it's great you finally had a break thru with Sammy. I truely believe if my Huz would let JaJaBinks take ahold of him with her beak she'd let him touch her, but he is afraid of her beak & she knows it. She will let me stick my fingers in her beak, grab her tongue, etc. I can rub her feet, wipe her feet, rub her tummy, under her wings, etc. She will let me do just about anything to her.


Toy

What little I know of macaws is old stuff, old book learning from those old hardcover TFH books on parrots. Is it true that they have to have in their diet macadamia nuts and fresh coconut meat on a daily or almost daily basis? And is it true that the Scarlet (the one I really think is the most pretty and I love to look at them) is the worst to have as they are mean, aggressive and unpredicatable by nature (not do to being abused) but are also very intelligent? Also, in those old books they say that macaws blush like we do if they are embarrased or everyone looks at them at once. Do they really blush? It's fun to learn of these big birds that are so beautiful.

Blson, I know that specifically the HY's REQUIRE Macadamian nuts in their diets (very pricy) because they require an extremely high fatty diet. The other macaws also require a bit more fat (not necesarily Mac. nuts), but nuts on a daily basis does help their plumage, skin, and overall well being. My Military Mac is a plucker and banned and Hellobaby suggested increasing the nuts in his diet (as well as other suggestions). Hellobaby said that with Sammy (her GW) if he doesn't get his "nut serving" on a regular basis, his feathers start to look very dull, but with the nuts his feathers are shinny and more healthy looking.

I've never lived with a Scarlet, but I was friends with one for a few months...and the owners said that she ("Sissy") was exactly the way you described, as being aggressive/moody, etc. Sissy was very intelligent, but IMHO, I think all of the macaws are highly intelligent. Sissy was a "one person" bird and nobody else dared to touch her!

They DO blush!! I haven't noticed blushing over embarrassment, but I've really noticed it when they're upset and angry (or being held down by the vet's assistant). Their velvet-leather-satin-like white face will turn beat red, and slowly subside when they calm down. The area right around their eyes will get reddish too, making them look EVIL. The face gets very hot also (obviously with the increased blood flow).

The first time my mom's BG Macaw blushed (angry) we freaked and called the pet store (didn't know about vets back then... ) because we thought he was choking or something. We thought something was horribly wrong, and of course the pet store employees laughed and said everything was okay.

I've been told that all birds blush, but you just can't see it like you can with a macaw.

My Diego gets a red face mostly when someone comes near US. When I'm playing/interacting with him, and someone (anyone) comes near, he gets extremely upset, and usually bites me out of such frustration. (that's the only time he bites me). Then turns the red face, and lifted back feathers towards the intruder. Lifted back feather with Diego means he is NOT happy and you better leave him alone. Baby Bop (mom's macaw) raises his head feathers (looks like bart simpson)...and that's his warning. Amazing how they're the same, but so different.

All macaws require nuts in their diet to maintain the vibrant colors & glow in their feathers. Lack of enough nuts & the feathers become very dull. Coconut is a feed when nuts are not available as it is also a high fat resource.

M2's have also been seen, in the wild, eating green coconuts.

Hyacinth macaws live entirely on 2 different kinds of palm nuts in the wild. One they eat only after it has passed thru the gut of cattle. Other wise they couldn't get the shell open. Since palm nuts aren't available like other nuts are, they only grow in the rainforest, mac nuts are used to feed them, as they carry a close fat content.

Diet wise they should have nuts, veggies, a good seed mix & some fruit daily.

Yes they blush. Our CAG also blushes. We named our CAG "Jengo" which is African meaning "one with reddish complection". When we first got her she blushed all the time & her face turned bright pink.

Macaws also get pimples, LOL. B&G Macaws are noted for getting them in the first 3 years of age. They get red bumps on the white skin & they go away after a few days.

The lines on their face are actually very tiny feathers they can raise. Scarlets do not have colored face feathers like the B&G's and GW's do. If you look at a Scarlet's face, very close, you will see white face feathers tho.

Scarlets are more on the aggressive side, but allot of it can be due to breeding & lack of understanding how to raise them. Some say theirs are like puppies, very gentle.

Macaws are very intelligent & learn very fast. They are also the only parrrot, in the wild, that takes time to play each day. They often swing by one toenail.

Macaws also tend to adjust to new situation allot better than other species of parrots. They don't seem to harbor the strong emotions like 'Toos do.

Many explain the large macaws like this:

B&G's...the clowns, very silly & monkey like
Greenwings...locomotive going full steam, full of energy
Scarlets....sassy
Hy's...the puppies of the large macaws, love cuddled like 'Toos.

I don't know much about the smaller species, but they say the mini macaws carry the same attitudes/intelligence/playfulness as the larger species do.

Most books are very outdated. There is some info that never changes, but what we must all remember is each & every one has it's own personallity, likes & dislikes. Learning to understand them makes it so much easier to live with them.

Cages & toys need to be heavy duty as they can destroy just about anything they want. JaJaBinks broke a metal toy that was supposed to be non-destructable for macaws. Yet she has other toys she's not broken or destroyed. She has not destroyed any part of her cage, but my U2 has broken several welds on her cage. My U2 can destroy the big SS quick links too. She's damaged several to the point we had to toss them out. It all depends on what those little minds decide to do on any given day, as to the destruction they will cause.

Macaws are know as the majectic parrots because of their size & coloring. They are a wonder to behold in flight.

Toy