How To Buy A Macaw ((LINK))
Macaws are colorful, intelligent, social birds and they make amazing pets, but they are not for everybody. To help you decide if a macaw is the right companion for you, I have compiled a list of ten things to consider before getting a macaw.
how to buy a macaw
Macaws are large birds and they need a lot of space. They range in height from 28 to 36-plus inches, with wingspans up to 48 inches. The minimum cage size for a larger macaw is 30 inches deep by 48 inches wide by 60- to 72-inches high. Larger is always better.
If size is your only negative, there are several mini-macaw species. They range in height from 12 to 20 inches. They are not as colorful as the larger birds, but they have the same personalities and intelligence.
As with other pets, there are many opinions about the best diet for macaws. That is a longer discussion than this article can encompass, but I have always fed my macaws a varied diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Every day I chop up fresh fruits and vegetables to feed them, which is more time-consuming than throwing some kibble in a bowl like I do for the dogs. In addition, because birds tend to be even more sensitive to pesticides than humans are, I always buy organic for them.
The initial cost of macaw ownership is high. They are expensive to purchase, plus the cost of the large cage. Also, seed and nut mixes are more than most bags of kibble, and we all know the higher cost of organic food. The other consideration is toys. Macaws need toys to keep them stimulated. This is often just another way to say they need things they can destroy. With those big beaks, they go through toys very quickly. It all adds up.
Another serious consideration is life span. The average macaw will live between 50 and 70 years. There is a big difference between committing to a dog or cat for 15 years and committing to a macaw for a lifetime. Responsible macaw owners will have a plan for their bird when they pass. A new caretaker should be agreed upon and documented in the will. A few owners I know have set up trust funds or bought life insurance policies with the bird as the beneficiary, to help the new caretakers with costs.
On the simplest level, macaws are lungs with feathers. Air quality is a big consideration when bringing them into the home. Many common things cannot be used in a house with macaws: candles; most cleaning and disinfecting products due to their odors; anything treated with PTFE (e.g. Teflon coated pans); stain resistant carpet; cigarettes; and air fresheners. This is actually a short list. Talk to your vet or do research online for a more comprehensive list of items in your house that can be dangerous to pet birds.
Macaws are very social animals. In the wild, they live in flocks and mate for life. In your house, they will want to be with the family, all the time. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, they want to be involved. For some people, this is one of the wonderful things about them. For others, it is a burden; they do not like always having to interact and include their macaws. Carefully consider your own personality in this respect, because a lonely macaw will become unruly, noisy, and destructive.
Along with social factors, consider how intelligent macaws are. They are smart and will learn to mimic. They are very trainable. On the downside, if they do not get enough mental stimulation, they will become troublemakers. Just like the intelligent child who is bored in school, they will find something to do. Usually, it will be something noisy or destructive. Even worse, it might become self-destructive. Feather plucking is a serious danger to birds, often caused by boredom or neglect.
If any one of these items have given you second thoughts, do more research or talk to other macaw parents. Bringing a macaw into your life is a long-term commitment and you should be positive when you do it. I love having macaws in my life, but it is not for everyone.
Hi there! Thanks for checking out the post about the macaws. Two macaws in a UK pub would certainly be interesting. I imagine they learned a few choice words too. Oh dear! ? We had one in a department store here years ago and he used to whistle at all the women. He was comical. Take care, and come back soon.
Macaws are just awesome from their big voices to their attitudes. Macaw for sale are colourful and often raucous, thereby calling attention to themselves even when there are quiet. People who share their lives with this wonderful friends know that macaws for sale have soft and loving hearts and very sensitive natures.
Adult Size: Larger macaw species range from about 20 inches (military macaws) up to 42 inches (hyacinth macaws) including their long tails; mini macaws are more manageable at 10 to 20 inches in length.
If provided with the best nutrition and care a Blue and Gold Macaw can live up to 50 years. One of the most important points is that if your macaw is kept inside the house, you will need to give a Vitamin D3 calcium supplement in the water.
The scarlet macaw can be found from southern Mexico to Peru, as well as Bolivia, eastern Brazil and the island of Trinidad. They prefer to spend their time in tall, deciduous trees in forests and near rivers, usually in large, noisy groups. Macaws also mate for life, nesting from January through April in the holes of dead canopy trees. Mated adults lay up to two eggs per year, and preen each other and their offspring for hours, cleaning bugs from their feathers.
Fun facts: Among the rarest of macaws, less than 200 of these parrots remain in the wild. Blue-throated are often mistaken for the blue-and-gold macaw. But they can be distinguished by the colors on their throat and on top of their heads.
Despite the capture of blue-throated macaws ceasing in the early 1990s, this species is critically endangered. The World Parrot Trust has worked to protect the birds, understand their ecology and create successful reproductive recovery programs since 2001.
The birds brought to Bahia (26 males and 26 females) are the result of a successful captive-breeding program by the Germany-based Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots e. V. (ACTP), which has partnered with the Brazilian government. The event was considered so important that the minister of the environment, Ricardo Salles, was in Petrolina, Pernambuco state, to receive the macaws alongside ACTP head Martin Guth and other Brazilian authorities.
Nutrition is commonly neglected with pet birds. You should discuss your macaw's nutrition with your veterinarian. Too often owners assume they are feeding a proper diet to their macaw when in fact they are not! This is a common reason for many health problems. It is important to continually strive to improve your bird's diet. This involves constantly educating yourself as well as a certain degree of common sense. It is insufficient to feed a macaw just to maintain life; instead, your goal should be to help it thrive and flourish. Your bird's health depends on how well it is fed.
Macaws eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, berries and vegetation such as leaf buds in the wild. A higher level of fat seems to be specifically important for certain macaws such as the Hyacinth Macaw. Discussed these special needs with you veterinarian.
Seeds Wild macaws would eat a great variety of seed types in the wild as different plants come into season. Commercial all seed diets tend to be high in fat and provide a deficient or imbalanced source of many nutrients if fed as the only source of food, which could lead to ill health and potentially shorten the life of your macaw. Often, your bird will pick through a large bowl of commercial seed mix and selectively eat 1 or 2 "favorite" types of seeds. Peanuts and sunflower seeds are often chosen preferentially, and these are particularly high in fats as well as being deficient in calcium, vitamin A and other nutrients. This leads to malnutrition.
Converting seed eating birds (seed-aholics) onto a formulated diet is not always easy. Initially, pellets are not likely even identified as food. Slowly wean the bird off seeds over a period of 4-8 weeks while having pellets constantly available in a separate dish. Some people mix the pellets in a reduced amount of seed to aid its acceptance in the cage, but you should be aware that the bird will not accidentally eat a pellet. It may take days, weeks or months to modify a bird's diet. NEVER withdraw seeds entirely without first being certain the bird is eating the pellets plus some fruits and vegetables. Birds are stubborn, but can be trained. This can be a stressful time for you and your macaw.
Your veterinarian can help you assess your bird's diet and its particular needs. One opinion suggests that a bird eating 75 - 80% of its diet in the form of pelleted food may not need supplements. Specific vitamins or minerals may be more important at various times during a bird's life (e.g., egg laying requires calcium supplementation). Calcium supplements are available if your macaw is determined to be deficient.
Many macaws have vibrant plumage. The coloring is suited to life in Central and South American rain forests, with their green canopies and colorful fruits and flowers. The birds boast large, powerful beaks that easily crack nuts and seeds, while their dry, scaly tongues have a bone inside them that makes them an effective tool for tapping into fruits.
There are at least 17 species of macaws, and several are endangered. These playful birds are popular pets, and many are illegally trapped for that trade. The rain forest homes of many species are also disappearing at an alarming rate.
Still, as majestic as Manú is, Tambopata may be more tourist-friendly. As the Macaw Project writes, there are several options for visitors to the Tambopata area, including the Tambopata Research Center lodge, which is just 500 yards from the largest-known macaw clay lick in the Amazon. 041b061a72