There is this one thing few people consider. If, when you buy your bird you are in your later teens there is, assuming good care every chance your macaw will accompany you into the golden years. The birds can live between 30 and 50 years.
What this means is there is a reasonable chance your bird could bury you. The older a person is when the relationship begins the more likely that becomes.
There is nothing sadder than to see a bird thrust into situations with those who are unknown to the bird especially a well socialized bird that has bonded to one individual totally and completely.
So please as life goes along make sure for your macaw that should anything happen to you that the bird has a loving home to go to. A home with someone very familiar with the bird. Hopefully with someone the bird has a loving bond with.
Macaws can form relationships with more than one person so. If the proper time and socialization is done having someone special to the bird and to whom the bird is very special shouldn't be difficult. The bird will thankyou and I will too.
Some basic in general characteristics for two of the more popular Macaw parrots.
The Blue and gold Macaw:
1. A large bird the Blue and Gold is from the tip of tail to head normally around 33 inches.
2. The blue and gold can be trained to talk but are not good mimickers.
3. Is it a boy or girl. Hard to determine without DNA testing although some say that in the female the head is slimmer.
4. Because they can be very loud the birds do not make good pets for those living in apartment settings.
5. As can any large bird they can deliver a serious bite. As with all birds they are messy.
6. All parrots need training and the larger the bird the more critical proper training is. For best results a young hand fed bird will deliver the best results. They will adapt to your family much easier as a chick.
7. They talk and are extremely affectionate. They are playfull, curious, and mischievous if properly trained and socialized. The colorfull beauty is obvious.
The scarlet macaw:
1.The scarlet is thought to be the most colorfully striking of all the Macaws.
2.Psychologically the scarlet macaw has very different make up than the blue and gold.
3.They can be a bit nippier than the others mcaws.
4.Scarlets seem to react more to faster movements around them.
5.As opposed to other macaws they tend to be a little tighter strung.
6.Scarlets are loving affectionate and very intelligent as is the case of all exotic large parrots. Once again it is often the training and socialization that are the determining factors.
For the bird lover you just cannot go wrong with macaw parrots. They in all cases are intelligent, curious, funloving, playfull, loud, messy and and all are very capable of demonstrating deep affection and love.
The birds are blessed with long lifespans. Their overall intelligence is estimated to be somewhere between that of a 2 and 3 year old human.
Please consider the following before investing!
If you are not ready willing and longing to spend the majority of your life training, playing and caring for and about a totally dependent loud, messy and sometimes destructive 2-3 year old child. It's possible that owning a large macaw or any large parrot may not be the best choice for you.
On the other hand if you are ready to accept the responsibility of such an endeavor. The rewards of doing so can not be measured. Doing so can be a very rich life for both the bird and its owner. I wouldn't change a thing.
Ryleigh Cantrell has owned his blue and gold Macaw (Shadow) since 1978. There are two guesses as to why the birds name.The two are inseperable. To learn more about blue and gold macaws.
