Parrots As Pets

Macaw Parrots - What You Need To Know

The majority of macaw parrots are now endangered in the wild with six species that are already extinct. The greatest problems threatening the macaw population has been the rapid rate of deforestation and the illegal capture of these exotic birds to be sold as pets.

A parakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized parrot species that generally have long-tail feathers.

The ones most commonly seen in the pet trade are the large colorful macaws such as scarlet macaws, blue and gold macaws, military macaws, and hyacinth macaws. Mini macaws are harder to find but include species such as Hahn's, noble, and yellow collared macaws.

The macaw parrots are know to have a life span that ranges from 30-50 years but it has been said that some have reached 100 years. The mini macaws have a life span at the lower end of this range, while a healthy large macaw can be expected to live 50 years or more with good nutrition and care.

Some of the macaw species are popularly known for their impressive size. The largest parrot in length and wingspan is the Hyacinth Macaw. Generally the larger species range from about 20 inches (military macaws) up to 42 inches (hyacinth macaws), including the long tail. Mini macaws are more manageable at 10-20 inches in length.

They tend to be loud since in the wild their voices need to carry over long distances. This makes macaws very demanding birds to keep as a household pet. They do have a fairly good capability to mimic speech,(ie your talking parrot), although probably not as clearly as Amazons and African Grey.

Macaws eat nuts, seeds, fruit, and sometimes insects. As pets they should be started on pellet food as the basis for the diet and supplemented with a wide range of healthy fresh foods such as grains, vegetables, fruits, etc. Pellets can make up 25-50 percent of the diet but seeds should be no more than 10 percent of the diet as they are too high in fat. Nuts are a good treat, in moderation. If your local pet store is unable to provide you with all your bird supplies then the internet will be a good source.

Macaws need a large, strong cage so be prepared to make a significant investment. Mini macaws can be kept in bird cages sized for Amazons (24"x36"x48"). However, the larger macaws need a bird cage at least 36"x48"x60" and the cage must be strong enough to withstand their significant beak strength of macaws.

All species of macaws have very powerful, large beaks and large macaws are capable of destroying household furnishings and can potentially cause considerable harm to both children and adults. A stainless steel cage is therefore a good investment.

Pet macaws thrive on frequent interaction and attention from their owners, and a lack of this can lead to their mental and physical suffering. A wide variety of wooden toys or plain untreated chunks of wood to chew on should be provided. Toys meant to be taken apart to get at a treat are also a good choice, as are hanging toys and toys to climb on as long as they are safe.

About the Author

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admin | Parrot Items | 01 14th, 2006 |

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