MACAWS

There are 17 macaw species and two general sizes of macaws. Ten are considered to be the large macaws while the other seven are the mini or dwarf macaws. Most macaws in the wild are endangered due to the destruction of the rainforest and capture for the pet trade. The Spix's macaw is already extinct in the wild. There is only a small population in conservation programs.

Macaws are social birds and need plenty of interaction. They can be very loud. A macaw can scream at over 105 dB. They also need plenty of wood they could chew. They could be very destructive if not given toys they could destroy.

Macaws are highly intelligent. Some may talk, others may never talk.

Being rainforest birds, macaws love to bathe. Make sure that you let them do so because it will keep their feathers looking beautiful.

Macaws should never be allowed on your shoulder.

Macaws are not sexually dimorphic.

Macaws can live 30+ years. For some of the larger macaws 80-100 isn't unheard of.

ANODORHYCHUS

Lear's Macaws are also endangered. There are less than 100 birds left in the wild today. It wasn't until 1978 that they were recognized as a separate species. At one time they were thought to be a different color mutation of the Hyacinth. They should not be kept as pets but instead they should be put into a conservation breeding program.

Hyacinth macaws are the largest of all the macaws, breathtakingly blue and with an impressive looking beak. But for all their size, they are very gentle. In fact they are called "the gentle giants" of the macaw world. They are very slow to wean, with the longest weaning period of all Psittacines. Some hyacinths appear small. This can be due to weaning too soon, causing them to be underfed and to appear stunted. They are not as noisy overall as other macaws, but they can be much louder. These birds are highly endangered and should be put into a breeding program. They need a higher fat diet than other macaws. In the wild they mainly eat two different types of palm nuts. There are less than 3000 left in the wild today. They have a specialized diet which consists of only 2 different types of palm nuts. Their beaks are the strongest on all parrots, exerting over 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch. The nuts that they eat needs at least 1400 p.s.i. to open. Their tongues are two toned, black with a yellow stripe down it. In younger birds this stripe may be white. At over 40 inches in length they weigh 1200-1600 grams. It could take 5 years for them to reach their full length.

CYANOPSITTA

Spix's Macaws are now extinct in the wild. There are only around 60 known birds left in breeding programs and private collections around the world today. Even in 1819 they were considered to be rare. They are 22 inches in length and weigh around 450 grams. Because of conservation groups such as Loro Parque, World Parrot Trust and Macaw Landing Foundation our children's children may one day see these birds in the wild flying free once again.

ARA

Blue and gold macaws are the most popular. These are the clowns of the macaw world. They are very outgoing, intelligent, playful, and wonderful companions. However, they are most likely to test their owners and their boundaries. They are most often seen in bird shows due to their intelligence, their trainability and their outgoing antics. If acquired as handfed babies and handled by all members of the family, along with properly established rules, they are most likely to remain gentle to everyone. They love to play and are a high energy bird. They can be very loud. Their devotion is one of their outstanding traits. Sadly many are now gone from certain areas. In the 1960's they disappeared from parts of SE Brazil and in the 1980's they disappeared from areas in Trinidad. Thousands were exported yearly. From 1982-1984 over 18,000 were exported from Bolivia alone. Today they are almost gone from French Guiana and Surinam. They are probably the most popular and well known of the macaws. They are around 32-35 inches in length and they weigh around 900-1200 grams. Talking ability will vary between individuals.

	Blue-throated Macaws or Caninde Macaws are also endangered in the wild. There are less than 200 of them left. Up until the 1970's they were thought to be a subspecies of the blue and gold, or maybe even an immature version of them. They are around 24-29 inches in length and weigh around 600-850 grams. They are similar in  personality to the blue and golds.
Scarlet macaws are bright colorful birds who also have a reputation of being nippy. However, this nippiness can be due to the fact that they are weaned way too early and are not properly socialized. They need guidelines and boundaries set early. If handfed longer, properly socialized, and rules established early, they can be loving and gentle, and remain so for the rest of their lives. They are extremely sensitive to any bad treatment and have long memories. Highly intelligent, they need to be kept busy with toys that will challenge their intellect. Toys that can be taken apart, or puzzle type of toys are best. They also have a reputation for being stubborn and strong-willed, so they are not meant for the novice or timid individual. They are very strong fliers and can fly around 35 miles per hour. They usually do not tolerate young children well. They are not as good of a family pet as the blue and gold or the greenwing. They are around 33-35 inches in length and weigh around 900-1100 grams.
	Green-winged macaws are the second largest of the macaws. (There is a subspecies that is as large or larger than the hyacinth macaw.) Because of their size, they need lots of room to play. They have the reputation for being the gentlest and most easy-going of all the macaws. This is true if they receive the proper nurturing, with guidelines and boundaries clearly established. They tend to develop slowly, remaining babies much longer than other macaws, but once they mature watch out! In the wild when this happens they tend to rule. In captivity, they will remain loving companions. Extremely intelligent they are also very inquisitive, and are prone to mischief. Sensitive macaws that love affection and attention, they have one of the longest attention spans of all the Psittacines. They love to entertain and they love to play. Slow to wean, they should continue to be offered food even after it appears that they are weaning. They are considered to be the most intelligent of the macaws. They are around 34-39 inches in length and weigh around 1200-1600 grams.
Buffon's Macaws are also highly endangered. There are only around 300 left in Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama. They are often mistaken for the Military. However they are bigger and heavier than the Militaries and also they are a lighter shade of green. Even their tail feathers are longer. Buffon's also have a black pupil that is surrounded by a wide grayish ring, followed by a very thin black line and a yellow band around that. They have a reputation of being nippy, but if raised properly they make wonderful pets. They have a fair talking ability. They are around 30-34 inches in length and weigh around 1200-1500 grams.
	Military macaws are docile by nature. They have received a reputation for being nippy and aggressive. But properly socialized, they can make wonderful pets. Owners with such socialized militaries claim that they are the best of all macaws. They can be good talkers with outstanding personalities. They are not as colorful as other macaws, and so are often overlooked. Like the green-winged macaws, they are extremely intelligent. The military is the smallest of the large macaws. They have a fair talking ability. Though they are not endangered in the wild, because they are so often confused with the Buffon's they are also protected. They are around 24-27 inches in length.
Red-fronted macaw are endangered in the wild. In 1993 there were less than 2,000 in the wild and these numbers have decreased since then. Besides the destruction of their habitat and capture for the pet trade they are now being shot by local farmers because they eat the crops. You need to be aware that they sometimes like to sleep on their backs. They are very outgoing and friendly with mischievous personalities. They are around 21-22 inches in length and weight around 450-650 grams. They are they fastest flying of the macaws and can fly at over 40 mph. They are such strong flyers that they could even fly directly into a sandstorm. They are very empathic and seem to sense your moods. They love an active household and one that has more than one bird.
	Severe macaws are highly intelligent, playful, and probably the most sensitive of the mini-macaws. They are extremely quick learners. If everyone in the family works with them consistently, they can form bonds with all members of the family. They love to wrestle with their owners, sometimes giving painful but playful nips. This behavior is not meant to be aggressive, but rather it is in play. They can be noisy. They also can learn to talk, but are not famous for this trait. Though they are small, they have huge personalities. They are very affectionate and form strong bonds with their owners. They are around 18-19 inches in length and weigh around 300-450 grams.

PROPYRRHURA

Yellow-collared macaws are little birds with a big bird personality. They are sweet, outgoing, lovable, and playful. Though they are independent enough to play on their own, they prefer the social interaction with their owners. Some will even roll over on their backs to play and cuddle. Sometimes loud and noisy, their talking ability is limited. Up until the early 70's they were rare in aviculture. Today they are becoming more popular and are readily available. They can be aggressive toward other birds so either separate them or carefully supervise them.
	Blue-headed Macaw or Coulon's Macaw are extremely rare in the wild. There are only around 100-200 birds left. They were unknown in aviculture until around 1995. Only 16 birds were exported by Peru between 1983 and 1999. They need to be put in a conservation breeding program because of their rarity.
Illiger's macaws are sweet, outgoing, and playful, especially if properly socialized. They can be noisy. They can learn to talk, but are rather limited in this ability. While most macaws have a smooth even flight, Illiger's tend to be more like a daredevil pilot. They will drop like a stone and in the space of a breath they will change directions, even close to the ground. They are very sweet, outgoing and playful. They also tend to be sensitive. Their talking ability is limited. They are around 17 inches in length and weigh around 250-350 grams.

ORTHOPSITTACA

Red-bellied Macaw can sometimes be on the nervous side. They also sometimes tend to be obese. Though they are capable of talking, they usually do not develop large vocabularies. They have a very long breeding season, one of the longest of the New World birds. They are around 18 inches in length and weigh around 280-350 grams.

DIOPSITTACA

Noble macaws are full of energy and can develop a real attitude. Like the conures, this little guy can be quite noisy. However, they can be very cuddly and lovable. Though not famous for its talking ability, they do talk clearly. Hahn's macaws are similar to the noble macaws in both attitude and in personality. Some owners claim however that the Hahn's have a gentler nature and a more easy-going temperament. The Hahn's is the smallest of the mini macaws. They are around 12-14 inches in length and weigh around 120-160 grams.

 MORE ON MACAWS

Macaws are not the bird for the amateur! They require a lot of attention and room, and someone who knows how to handle a bird. The large macaws beaks are extremely powerful. They can exert a pressure of 350+ lbs. per square inch, which can snap a finger clean off. Their voices are so loud that they can be heard over a mile away. They require a knowledgeable trainer who will work with them daily and consistently.

Handfed babies are a handful, especially at feeding time. It is not unusual for them to come charging with beak open and jump towards the feeding syringe and start pumping away with a force that makes you feel that your arm will be dislocated. When done with one full syringe they can't wait for you to fill it up again. They attach their beaks to your wrist or other body parts and start pumping.

They are very destructive, needing to chew constantly. If given enough branches and toys they might leave walls, furniture, or whatever they can get their beaks on, alone.

Their diet consists of nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and healthy table food, including chicken and meat. Macaws also need a higher fat diet. Hyacinth macaws need a special diet consisting mainly of nuts.

They are prone to macaw wasting disease, chlamydiosis, behavioral problems, screaming, feather cysts, feather plucking, oral and cloacal papillomatosis, pancreatitis, and dietary problems. They can live for a very long time and it is not unheard of to find a macaw that is close to 100 years old. Popular species of macaws are the blue and gold, scarlet, military, the underrated green-winged, and the very rare hyacinth. The popular mini or dwarf macaws are the noble, Hahn's, severe, Illiger's, and the yellow- collared.

Macaws will continue to grow until they are around 18 months old. Baby macaws have dark eyes. Their eyes lighten up as they age. However Buffon's and the hyacinth are the exception--their eyes remain dark when they age.

Interesting facts: 1) Macaws can blush. The white patches on their faces can turn bright red when exposed to sunlight or when they get excited. This is especially true with the military macaws who have photosensitive white facial patches. 2) Greenwing macaws are considered to be the most intelligent of the macaws. 3) While not know for their talking ability, some macaws have developed very large vocabularies. 4) The Pueblo Indians kept Scarlet macaws as pets as long ago as 1100 A.D. 5) Certain macaws will blush when they get excited. The white cheek patch will turn red. 6) A macaws tongue is dry and slightly scaly and has a bone inside it.