Some questions about scarlet macaws.

beveragelady

Since I was very young I have wanted a scarlet macaw, and now I'm really thinking about getting one in the next couple of years. I have some experience of birds (fantail doves, peacocks, and some more mundane poultry) but no experience with parrots of any sort. All our birds were loose most of the time and stuck around because they knew which side their bread was buttered on.

So here are my question:

1. I don't like the idea of clipped wings. Reading up on it has given me the impression that it's just another kind of permanent cage. I hate to see a bird that can't fly. Am I wrong? Is it possible to keep a macaw with unclipped wings?

2. I live in the country. Is it reasonable to imagine that the macaw would some day be able to come outside with me (with unclipped wings), once a bond has been formed?

3. I would like the bird to be loose in the house most of the time, even when I'm out of the house, and I have a room in particular that I think would be ideally suited to this. I know I'd still need a cage occasionally, but is my idea realistic?

4. I have cats and dogs. In general we have domestic harmony. Would a macaw fit in? Would the dogs be sufficient company for the macaw while I'm at work? (I'm a second level teacher, so I'm at work for relatively short hours as a good deal of my work gets done at home.)

5. How realistic is it to hope to adopt a macaw in need of a home? Do I absolutely need to get a young bird if I'm going to form a rewarding bond?

6. In general I have a fantasy of going about my business outdoors, walking the dogs even, with a feathered companion. Am I completely mental?

7. Is there anything else I need to consider?

I have an elderly dog who would find a new arrival very upsetting so this isn't going to happen in the immediate future. I'm hoping to get an idea from experienced people here about whether, some day, I might be in a position to accommodate a macaw. Thanks!

Knine

beveragelady wrote: »

Since I was very young I have wanted a scarlet macaw, and now I'm really thinking about getting one in the next couple of years. I have some experience of birds (fantail doves, peacocks, and some more mundane poultry) but no experience with parrots of any sort. All our birds were loose most of the time and stuck around because they knew which side their bread was buttered on.

So here are my question:

1. I don't like the idea of clipped wings. Reading up on it has given me the impression that it's just another kind of permanent cage. I hate to see a bird that can't fly. Am I wrong? Is it possible to keep a macaw with unclipped wings?

A. Yes it is possible to keep an unclipped Macaw. Clipping is associated with behaviour problems but imagine a Macaw flying around your house. They are pretty big.

2. I live in the country. Is it reasonable to imagine that the macaw would some day be able to come outside with me (with unclipped wings), once a bond has been formed?

A. No not a hope. If spooked could fly off. May be mobbed by other birds. Some people use a harness

3. I would like the bird to be loose in the house most of the time, even when I'm out of the house, and I have a room in particular that I think would be ideally suited to this. I know I'd still need a cage occasionally, but is my idea realistic?

A. Possibly but Macaws can be extremely distructive & have very powerful beaks. Would need a really birdproof room.

4. I have cats and dogs. In general we have domestic harmony. Would a macaw fit in? Would the dogs be sufficient company for the macaw while I'm at work? (I'm a second level teacher, so I'm at work for relatively short hours as a good deal of my work gets done at home.)

A. No. Dogs or cats should always be supervised around birds. Some breeds of dogs can never be trusted around birds & likewise cats. A macaw could do a lot of damage with its beak but a determined dog could kill one.

5. How realistic is it to hope to adopt a macaw in need of a home? Do I absolutely need to get a young bird if I'm going to form a rewarding bond?

A. Lots come up for rehoming as they are too much for their new family. Behaviour issues such as plucking, screeching or biting are very common. I strongly suggest you start off with much smaller members of the parrot family as they are very different to pigeons, doves, pheasants etc. They need a huge amount of interaction, are harder work then a dog. Hence the novelty wears off very fast for new owners.

6. In general I have a fantasy of going about my business outdoors, walking the dogs even, with a feathered companion. Am I completely mental?

A. Yes

7. Is there anything else I need to consider?

A. As above start off with an easier bird first such as a budgie, Cockatiel & multiple their screeching noise by about 100 & that will give you an idea of what to expect with a Macaw. Vet fees are expensive for exotics & depending on your age it could outlive you.

I have an elderly dog who would find a new arrival very upsetting so this isn't going to happen in the immediate future. I'm hoping to get an idea from experienced people here about whether, some day, I might be in a position to accommodate a macaw. Thanks!

Answered as best as I could

Cherry Blossom

The only thing I know about parrots is that I see an awful lot lost and found on Facebook. Given the relatively small numbers owned locally this would tell me all I need to know about bringing one outside.

beveragelady

Well that's overwhelmingly negative. Looks like it's not for me so. There's just no way I'd be able to live with myself if I was keeping a bird indoors for its lifetime with no hope of ever getting a taste of freedom. The noise, the destruction, the extra work and the vet's bills were all challenges I was prepared to meet, but I can't imagine deliberately being so cruel to a bird.

I know some people do let them fly free, and I'm going to continue looking into it, but I may have to transfer my obsession onto something else.

Thanks for your help.

Knine

beveragelady wrote: »

Well that's overwhelmingly negative. Looks like it's not for me so. There's just no way I'd be able to live with myself if I was keeping a bird indoors for its lifetime with no hope of ever getting a taste of freedom. The noise, the destruction, the extra work and the vet's bills were all challenges I was prepared to meet, but I can't imagine deliberately being so cruel to a bird.

I know some people do let them fly free, and I'm going to continue looking into it, but I may have to transfer my obsession onto something else.

Thanks for your help.

How about building a large outdoor aviary? Would that work? It would need company though & 2 tend to bond with each other instead of their human pals.

beveragelady

Knine wrote: »

How about building a large outdoor aviary? Would that work? It would need company though & 2 tend to bond with each other instead of their human pals.

It's still a bird in a cage though, isn't it? Nope, I'm with William Blake on this.

Knine

beveragelady wrote: »

It's still a bird in a cage though, isn't it? Nope, I'm with William Blake on this.

I have a bird in a cage. A large cage. She is one of the smallest parrots in the world. She is a very happy bird & loves interacting with the family. She also loves her cage. It is her territory. Captive Bred Birds can if looked after properly make great pets. Letting captive bred birds fly around outside is asking for trouble or an accident waiting to happen.

Ashbx

We had cockatiels growing up. Now I know there aren't quite the same as Macaws but they are parrots.

We kept him indoors in a standard cage. He got out twice a day and would have access to the entire bottom of the house to fly around. And then maybe 3 times a week, we had an outdoor aviary which we let him in in the back garden. We had our cockatiel till he was about 12. He was very tame and tended to sit along beside you on the couch but we never trusted him to leave him free outside. Its a risk that you must be willing to take and we just didn't want to risk it.

Springwell

Out of interest is there a reason parrots cannot be trained to free fly in the way birds of prey are?

B0jangles

beveragelady wrote: »

Well that's overwhelmingly negative. Looks like it's not for me so. There's just no way I'd be able to live with myself if I was keeping a bird indoors for its lifetime with no hope of ever getting a taste of freedom. The noise, the destruction, the extra work and the vet's bills were all challenges I was prepared to meet, but I can't imagine deliberately being so cruel to a bird.

I know some people do let them fly free, and I'm going to continue looking into it, but I may have to transfer my obsession onto something else.

Thanks for your help.

I have a african grey, had her for just over 17 years and I would agree with the feedback you've already received - jumping straight into owning a macaw after some experience with outdoor poultry is like taking up F-1 driving because you're quite good on a bicycle - they are just not comparable at all.

The bigger parrots are highly intelligent individuals with complex needs and a big bird like a macaw is a lifelong commitment. Also free-flying is a very bad idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKlxjZQUueQ

The man in the above video had an adored african grey called Tui who he lost after getting very bad advice on free-flight training her, it's heartbreaking to watch

edit: a macaw left loose most of the time without supervision? Yeah, that was a nice house you had before it mysteriously turned into a pile of matchwood :P

Bunnyslippers

I have two rescue parrots - a Goffins cockatoo and an orange wing amazon, not pets I would have ever considered getting as I know how much work is involved, but these two landed on my plate and nobody wanted them at all!! - sigh!!
Its like having two toddlers with extra volume!:D My goffins is well in her twenties and has had at least 6 owners before me, all got rid of her as she can be very noisy at the drop of a hat, bonds only to one person and will attack all others, she is also very sneaky so will pretend to be nice to my sister for ages them when she drops her guard for a second - bang - extra ear piercing!!:D I've had her about 8yrs now and she is pretty expensive to keep entertained - she goes through toys at a rate of knots! She does have a cage but as I work from home she is out a lot of the time with either me or my sister (she has to keep a watchful eye on her though!), if left alone there would be nothing left in the room - wires, walls, wood, furniture you name it she'll chew it - imagine a macaw with is ten times her size and your house would be matchsticks before you could blink!!
As for flying free outside - not a good idea - I used to fly my goffins free, but I lived on the top of a hill with very few trees, she was fine for a few months and loved it, but once she got fit she buggered off to chase crows, took me an hour to coax her back, another day the wind got up suddenly and blew her into the side of the house on one of her laps round it - she was unhurt, we also had some sparrow hawks move into a nearby wood so that was the end of that! She just flies around the house now! She also hates the cats and dogs and will stalk them and attack when they're not watching - so birds and other pets not a great idea!

My amazon was kept in a budgie cage and was being got rid of by this huge fat slob - god knows what his past was but he was terrified of everything - it took me two years of getting chunks taken out of my hand to get him to finally trust me, he's only now coming out of his little shell 6yrs after we got him, he hates my goffins and the feeling is mutual so they can't be near each other!! He has his dawn and evening chorus which is ear splitting to say the least, so not birds to get if you have neighbours! Mine are outside in their cages when we don't have time to play with them so they do get some outside time and much needed sunlight, and I'm hoping to get an aviary built for each one so they can be out in the summer as they love watching all the chooks and other animals doing their thing - anything to keep them busy!!

They are a pain of a pet - that's why so many end up on for sale sites, especially once they hit puberty, as folk can't cope with them. The ones which are hand reared are great to start with and makes them attractive to pet owners, but are totally mentally screwed up in the longterm and end up with problems, so they are not for the faint hearted and not for time strapped people!!
They are fun don't get me wrong but are very high maintenance, I wouldn't even think of a macaw - the bites from my amazon are bad enough and macaws can take a finger off if they're not in a good mood! So think very very very carefully before getting a parrot, maybe as others have said start with a small shorter lived rescue bird, I'm putting mine in my will as they will outlive me, I'm sure my son will be thrilled at his inheritance!!!;)