How to Discipline Your Pet Parrot

 While you may think of discipline as scolding or harsh retaliation, parakeets don't see it the same way. A parakeet can't make the logical connection between his misbehavior and your stern reaction. Instead, take a tempered, calm approach to discipline your bird and train him to behave.

Step 1

Ignore your bird when he misbehaves. When your parakeet shrieks, he is looking for attention, and even negative attention is a reward. Ignoring him until he stops teaches him that acting out is futile. This only works if you are consistent, though, so don't give in to your bird's demands for attention. Only ignore behaviors that are within reason, like yelling. If your bird bites, for example, take a more proactive approach.

Step 2

Teach your bird through repetition that certain behaviors net undesirable results. More simply, if your bird misbehaves, deliver a negative consequence by removing a privilege. A good example of this is if your bird bites you when you are holding him. When this happens, calmly set him down and wait a few seconds before allowing him to perch on you again. Do this every time he bites, and he will learn that he loses his perching privilege when he bites. Always be gentle and even-tempered while doing this, though, because if you act frustrated or handle your bird roughly, he will only learn to be afraid of you -- which can lead to more biting, not less.

Step 3

Praise your bird frequently for good behavior and show him plenty of attention. By doing this, a negative response like ignoring your bird goes a lot further. Parakeets learn more from the absence of positive reactions than from the presence of negative ones.

Step 4

Consider your parakeet's feelings. Not all birds are alike, and behavior we interpret as "bad" may actually be your bird's attempt to send a message. For example, if your bird continues to bite when you hold him, and the setting down method of discipline makes no difference over time, consider that maybe your bird doesn't want to be held, and that setting him down is a reward to him. Similarly, birds rarely misbehave when they have everything they need. If your bird shrieks and acts out in his cage on a regular basis, he may be bored, lonely or not getting enough to eat.

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Blue and Gold Macaw Common Problems

Chewing, Biting & Screaming Oh My!

While it is true that the Blue and Gold Macaw is one of the friendliest companion birds and also among one of the most intelligent, they are not without a few behavior problems.

They are intelligent birds and can learn 15-20 words and like to chatter. All this talking and chattering means, at least in the Macaw family, that they’re loud birds.

In addition to having a tendency to be loud, they can also scream when they’re unhappy. That being said even the happiest of birds will still be noisy. They are not the right bird for you if you live in an apartment or a condominium with shared walls.

The more common behavior problem that Blue and Gold’s exhibit is biting. They have large powerful beaks and they love to chew.

As a young bird this may start out as exploring. If you react to their beak on your hand with a shriek, they think “oh cool, I got a reaction.

Let’s see what happens if I do it again.” They bite you, you react and you are literally training them to bite you – probably not what you had in mind. Biting, to a certain degree, is normal behavior for a Macaw especially when they’re reaching maturity but they don’t have to bite you.

Through training, you can redirect their tendency to chew to toys. They’re incredibly intelligent and can be trained out of biting habits pretty easily. They’re very communicative birds and will express themselves physically. This tendency to communicate with their bodies makes it easier for you to tell when they’re getting upset.

Not all macaws show the same behaviors, however it is common to see them fluffing their feathers or raising their wings. If your Macaw normally shows this behavior right before he tries to take a bite out of your hand, you are one step ahead of him and can avoid a potential aggressive encounter.

They’re also incredible chewers and if you leave them alone in your home, you will come home to find things destroyed. Make sure you don’t leave your Blue and Gold Macaw alone. Make sure you also give them plenty of appropriate things to chew on and redirect them to the ‘appropriate’ chew toys when you find them chewing on furniture.

The last problem you might encounter with a Blue and Gold Macaw is feather plucking. They’re generally not prone to this behavior because they adapt well and are social animals. If your beloved macaw begins to pull their feathers out, take them to your avian veterinarian first to make sure they’re healthy.

Once any medical issue has been ruled out, take a look at their environment. Feather plucking is almost always caused by stress. Make certain they have an optimal cage environment, get plenty of sleep, have a balanced diet, and get to spend several hours a day out of their cage interacting with the family. A sturdy perch placed in your home is a perfect out of the cage solution.

Spending time with your Blue and Gold goes a long way toward a happy and healthy bird. When you’re hanging out with your bird, take a few minutes every day to train them. The Blue and Gold Macaw is an intelligent bird and can learn a few words as well as many tricks. Training isn’t just for tricks, training socializes your Macaw to be comfortable in any situation.

It teaches them to problem solve. It helps to establish a strong bond of trust, a lack of trust is often a common cause of behavior problems. Training your Blue and Gold macaw will help eliminate behavior problems, establish you as the boss, and teach your macaw the rules.

In general, the Blue and Gold Macaw is an extremely social, adaptable, and intelligent bird that is well suited for family life. They can be prone to aggressive behaviors or a quick change in mood. Early and continued training and proper care will help to eliminate any behavior issues.
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Tips To Cool Down Your Parrot

Your bird can easily become heat-stressed. Be prepared to deal with hot temperature emergencies in your home.

Sometimes, though, despite best planning the worst happens, like your air conditioner gives up the ghost on a 100-degree Fahrenheit day. Your parrot can quickly become heat-stressed or suffer a full-fledged heat stroke. What should you do?

If your bird is simply panting and is a little heat stressed, cool — not cold — water from a misting bottle helps bring your bird’s temperature down. If the bird is in the sun, get it into a shaded area or bring it inside your house in an air conditioned room or hold it in front of a fan. Offer it a small amount of water or electrolyte solution, or let it step in a shallow dish of cool water.

“If your bird stops panting, seems more relaxed, and responds normally to your voice, it is doing fine,” said North Carolina avian veterinarian, Gregory Burkett, DVM. Once your bird seems improved, he advises you have it examined by a veterinarian to make sure there was no permanent brain or organ damage.

If your bird is having a heat stroke and is actually convulsing, avian veterinarian Gregory Harrison, DVM, recommends you shower the bird with cool soapy water. Use either mild dish detergent or liquid hand soap in the water. Either way, the soap functions as a wetting agent and helps get water under the feathers and to the body. Be sure the water is not excessively cold or icy. If you use water that is too cold, “your bird would go right through normal and into a hypothermia situation,” Dr. Harrison cautioned.

Hopefully, your bird will come around in a few minutes, but if 15 to 20 minutes goes by and it isn’t, Dr. Harrison suggests you pack your bird in cool towels with some ice packs around its feet and beak and take it to the emergency clinic. The staff there may be able to give your bird some phenobarbital or acepromezine to control the convulsions.

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Macaws: 8 Things You Should Know

Their large beaks and almost fairy-tale appearance may elicit trepidation or varying degrees of curiosity, but, rarely, indifference. Noisy and vivid, the larger macaw species seem to scream, "Look at me!” Because of their flashiness, it is hard to believe that macaws are prey (food) animals in the wild. Unless you’ve lived with a macaw, there are things about macaws you just wouldn’t guess. 

Here are 8:

1) What Macaw Behavioral Problems?In casual conversations with other behavior consultants throughout the years, the consensus is that macaws present problems less frequently than most other pet birds. In general, macaws have stable temperaments and are less inclined to exhibit neurotic behaviors seen in some other species.

The hyacinth macaw is the largest macaw.

Even the smallest macaws have a wonderful sense of "bigness” that seems to negate the tendency, seen in some smaller hookbill species, to overreact to unfamiliar objects or perceived threats. This increases their ability to focus on what they are being taught, enabling them to alter their behavior within a relatively short period.

2) Big Beak, Big Chew
Although macaws possess large beaks and need to chew, most engage in destructive chewing considerably less than might be expected. This surprises those who keep smaller-beaked birds, such as cockatoos. However, I have seen unruly hyacinths practically take houses apart if given no other chewing outlet. On the bright side, if provided wood to chew and taught some simple behavioral rules and guidelines, most macaws confine chewing to acceptable objects or toys, leaving large pieces of expensive furniture alone.

3) Hear All About It
Indeed, macaws can be noisy. Many years ago, two clients of mine were filling the gas tank of their automobile at a local station when they recognized the happy squawks of their own hyacinth macaw playing in its outdoor flight cage at home — a half mile away.

Although all macaws have the ability to be extremely loud, they can also learn to tone down their vocalizations and to be quiet most of the time. Macaw noise is often a result of a very noisy household. Since it is common for macaws to meet the decibel level of their environment, it is unrealistic to expect a macaw to be quieter than its surroundings. On the other hand, macaws that live in quiet households are usually quiet birds — especially, if they understand that this pleases their people.

4) Got To Cuddle?Most macaws do not need to constantly, physically touch their people or stare lovingly into their eyes. (Although they do invite that kind of interaction with their favorites.) If raised properly, most macaws easily entertain themselves while their people are away from home or are occupied in some other activity — a characteristic loved by those drawn to them as companions. Like all birds, however, they can become demanding, but their behavior can be easily corrected if properly worked with.

5) Sexual Behavior
In a domestic environment, sexually mature macaws exhibit less sexually differentiated behavior than many other species. During breeding season, both mature males and females may be a bit less patient and somewhat noisier. Females may become hormonal and begin nesting in their cages regardless of whether a male is available. The greatest behavior changes are usually seen most strongly in scarlet macaws; however, all species can manifest some hormonally influenced behaviors. In general, the manifestation of sexual behavior in macaws is less pronounced than that seen in Amazon parrots and cockatoos.

6) One Of The Gang
Macaws enjoy being an integral part of their human and animal family, eagerly fitting in with their activities and lifestyle.  Flexible and extremely easy to live with, they are not exempt from becoming spoiled, which may lead to squawking or biting for attention or anger. However, their behavior quickly calibrates if the situation is worked with appropriately.

7) Adolescent Macaw Behavior
Young macaws are disarming — their large size is at odds with their babyish behavior. They signal their vulnerability and trust by staring at their people with dark eyes, bobbing their heads slowly, crown feathers standing erect. Combined with the act of flipping one wing and vocalizing in a little, helpless cross between a squeal and a honk, they are utterly enchanting.

During their adolescence, most macaws go through a rough-and-tumble phase, wrestling like dogs or kittens. Young blue & golds and hyacinths are especially prone to this behavior and may look a bit disheveled as a result. Scarlet macaws usually exhibit a more dignified countenance, fitting to their sensitive nature. 

In adolescence, it is common for macaws to test their limits and abilities, with behaviors ranging from squawking to some biting. Once they understand, however, that those behaviors are not allowed, they tend to calm down and enjoy being part of the family. Hyacinth macaws, especially, can become rowdy and strong willed during this time, and they may go through a stage of bullying the people and animals around them. If their behavior is worked with appropriately, the macaw nature takes over, and they become enjoyable, affectionate and beloved family members.

8) Floor Time
Most large macaws enjoy padding around on the floor at all stages of life. They need a place to do this that is safe from injury by other inhabitants, as well as from bacterial contamination tracked in from outside sources.

Ideal Macaw Owner
Macaws are versatile and easy to get along with. They do well in a home with human adults, children and well-behaved pets. They usually entertain themselves well; however, they eagerly join in human activities when invited.

Best Bird Toys For Macaws
Many like large toys with wooden chew blocks and strong cord. A large, wire spring toy covered with cloth is also popular. Macaws are intelligent and active, so a variety of things they can play with or tear up contribute to a healthy attitude and decrease the chance of behavior problems.

With Other Macaws
When properly introduced, macaws often get along well with each other. Great care must be taken during introductions and subsequent interactions. Be cautious in situations where one bird is significantly smaller than the other. In those cases, it is best if the smaller bird is older and the macaw is a baby when first introduced. Never leave the birds unsupervised, and separate them forever if any kind of bullying takes place.

Biggest Macaw Challenge
A macaw should be a true member of the family — not a secondary pet. They need plenty of room for a large cage and playgym. Macaws are long-lived, so a will should be made out bequeathing the bird to someone you trust implicitly.
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Breeding Macaw Basics

If you enjoy the relationship that you have with your bird the concept of whether to breed it might one day be a consideration. Macaws are such socially interactive birds that many people delight in having more than one as a pet. Breeding often becomes a natural evolution in that relationship. Before you decide to breed your pet bird, talk it over with other people that have done the same so that you understand what breeding really means.Unlike breeding mammals, for instance a dog or a cat, the breeding of parrots takes on a more substantial commitment. Unlike breeding dogs, macaws form long term commitments to their mates. So once a good pair bond is formed, it is generally not desirable to break up the birds. In addition, male birds cannot be used for stud services, fertilizing the eggs and then being removed back to his role as a pet. Nor in turn can the female be used for hatching out a clutch, then returned to her former pet status. So once the commitment is made to use your pet bird as a breeder and find it a mate, you have made a commitment to bred that bird, normally for the rest of its life.Besides committing the bird to breeding, you are also committing yourself to that experience as well. Breeding birds is not for everyone. Macaw nestlings are what ornithologists term "altricial", that is , unlike a chicken which is born with plenty of down and able to eat on it's own, macaws are virtually helpless when first hatch and require vast amounts of care from their parents or surrogate humans.Species TypeIf you already have a particular species of macaw, in all likelihood that is what you will want to start breeding. After all, you already went through the decision process at an earlier date, and obviously enjoyed your choice otherwise you would probably not want to breed. Which ever species you choose, choose one that really excites you and that you would want to own even if you were never successful breeding.Here are a few of the more commonly bred species.Blue and Gold MacawsCaptive bred birds have proven to be relatively easy to breed and are a good way to start. Their beautiful coloring and their easy going nature has given them a well deserved reputation as a good pet. They are perhaps the most commonly bred macaw in the United States. We have bred these as early as two and a half years old.Scarlet MacawsThe vivid red, yellow and blue coloration never ceases to grab attention. These birds are also easy for beginner breeders and once they start breeding are fairly reliable. Two handfed birds that I raised had fertile eggs and subsequent nestlings at two and a half years old. Once they begin courtship and breeding they can become quite aggressive towards humans as well as their own mate. This is normal and usually passes once breeding season is over. There are three different types OF Scarlet Macaws; a scarlet red with a wide band of yellow on the wing that typically comes from Central America, a second, deeper red coloration which has a narrow yellow band tipped in green on the wing, and a third large variety that has a yellow wing band tipped in royal blue with royal blue flight feathers replacing the more common navy blue.Military MacawsThese primarily green macaws continue to grow in popularity and with good reason. They are extremely amicable and enjoy interacting with human. They are not as large as the Blue and Gold, Scarlet or Green-winged and many people prefer a slightly smaller bird such as this. Fewer Military's are being bred compared to the Blue and Gold and Scarlet creating a demand for babies. There are at least two varieties of Military Macaws. The more commonly seen in the United States has the overall green coloration and a narrow brown bib on the throat patch. And a second, very rare Military Macaw from Bolivia that has a brown bib that extends down onto the chest area. Few of this last type are bred in the United States.Green-winged MacawsThese birds are also primarily red, but a deeper more crimson red with a green band on the wing. These have grown enormously in popularity in the last few years for two reasons. First, they are being bred more consistently then in the past. Second, they have been found to be extremely intelligent birds to interact with. There are two varieties of Green-winged Macaws. The first is larger than a Scarlet or a Blue and Gold in the 1200-1400 gram range in weight. The second is a huge, Hyacinth sized bird that routinely gets to be in the 1400 to 1600 gram range when mature. This latter group have large bodies and heads equal to a Hyacinth Macaw in size. Despite their size, they are gentle giants.Basic Breeding RequirementsBreeding StockIt is imperative that the would be breeder find the best possible birds for his breeding facility. The selections does not include the unsuccessful discards of other breeding facilities salvaged, poor quality birds or drastically reduced birds (which usually means problems). What it does mean is finding the best quality, healthy birds of the species you are interested in breeding.Searching for these birds will take some time and diligent effort as all birds are not created equal. If at all possible, go and see the birds you are interested in buying. Especially if the person selling them is someone unfamiliar to you. Unfortunately this is not always possible. If you are unable to go to the birds, ask for references and contact those people to determine if these are the type of people that might be good to do business with.Common TerminologyDon't be in a rush. More mistakes are made by people that are anxious that they found the male or female they have been looking for. This is especially true with the "proven pair" syndrome. For newcomers that might not be familiar with all the terms here are some you might encounter. "Proven Pair" means that the pair of birds produced eggs or young at sometime in their life. "Producing pair" implies that the birds have recently produced either eggs or young. "Bonded pair" just means that the birds appear to be compatible with each other (this does not assure that they will necessarily breed or are of the opposite sex). Proven or producing pairs normally cost far more than two separate birds of the opposite sex as it is assumed that these birds will breed faster than, lets say, a bonded pair.Choosing a SellerAsk questions of the seller to determine as much information as to what housing conditions the birds are in, the environment (indoors or outdoors), their diet, and overall feather and health condition. If the seller seems uncomfortable answering your questions before the sale, it is unlikely that they will get any better after you have the bird. For some experienced buyers this might not be so important, however, newcomers might need more information or at least be guided to where they can find answers to their questions. We have answered so many questions from our own clients and others over the years that five years ago I put together "The Macaw Care Guide" for our clients which answers the more common questions. Most owners will write out the diet fed to the bird if asked along with some helpful hints.Determining Health StatusWhether you are interested in just a pet bird or a breeder, it is advisable to request some type of health check prior to your receiving the bird. We recommend a complete physical, blood work, cultures from the throat and vent and a chlamydia screen done by an avian veterinarian. In addition, you might wish some of the new viral screens to be done on your bird for PBFD and Papovavirus. This will add a couple of weeks on to your receiving the bird, but might be a worthwhile investment. Each breeder or seller has their own policies regarding how they sell their birds. Some automatically include health testing in the price of the bird. For the buyer this has a great advantage in that an initial screening was done. Should you wish to still have a follow up exam by your own veterinarian when the bird arrives, then the bird has two chances to discover any potential problems.Not all bird owners are willing to have the bird veterinarian checked for you. In those cases it might be advisable for you to have some type of contract that allows you a specified amount of time for your own avian veterinarian to examine the new bird, with the stipulation that the bird can be returned if the bird has an incurable problem or a major anatomical defect. An example would be if you had purchased a bird for breeding only to discover it had a viral disease, was the wrong sex or perhaps was ancient and likely unbreedable. The time frame for return should be short to protect both the buyer and the seller, commonly 48-72 hours is suitable to most people.QuarantineIt is always wise to separate you new bird from any other birds you might have for a period of thirty to forty five days. You should discuss this with your veterinarian prior to getting your bird. Make sure a special area has been set aside for your new bird. Switching homes is stressful for even the most hardy, even tempered of birds. Careful attention should be paid to them during this quarantine period to insure that they are eating and adjusting to their new environment. It is helpful to know if there were any special food that the bird enjoyed at its old home and provide them for them now. Stress from the move might bring latent diseases that might not have shown themselves before. Despite your being anxious to introduce the new bird to a new mate, fight the urge to break this quarantine period.HousingDue to their large size and powerful mandibles, macaws require special housing. The larger the structure the better. For breeding purposes we house each pair of our macaws in an outdoor aviary eight foot wide by twelve foot long by eight feet high. This allows them room to fly and play. A shelter area four foot wide by eight foot high by four foot deep provides shelter from the heat or cold. The nest box and their feed bowls are inside this shelter. Larger flights of twenty or more feet have been used successfully by some breeders. Larger housing also minimizes their interest in destroying their aviary. Small cages where they are bored can lead to their destroying the wire and their possible escape. The concept that if too much space is provided the birds will not breed is false. More room encourages a healthy, well exercised pair and long term breeding success.In a home situation, macaws are best housed in the largest space available. Their powerful mandible can eventually break all but the most sturdy cage welds. Specially designed cages should ideally be large enough for them to open their wings and have ample room for their tail or head without hitting any cage surface. Their feeding and water trays need to be quite large in order to accommodate their large mandible and head. Bowls that are eight to ten inches in diameter are ideal as the birds can see the variety of food available and access it easily. Because of their immense size, proper housing is sometimes difficult to find.In addition to commercially available housing, some owners have built beautiful environments for their macaws. They may incorporate enclosing a porch, building a backyard aviary or remodeling a room in their home to properly house the bird. Some have even incorporated waterfalls, rope swings, and wooden jungle gyms as play items. This type of environment is not only more stimulating and healthy for the bird, but more enjoyable for their owners. Watching them swinging from a cotton rope, bathing in a small pool under a waterfall, or climbing all over a wooden structure is much more enjoyable then seeing them in a small cage.DietThroughout the birds growing process and prior to breeding the bird should have a well balanced diet. An ideal diet would include, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables and possibly some form of pellet diet as a supplement. They must be on a good diet long before you see the first egg to insure optimal fertility. Extra calcium is often needed in the hen's diet and a good natural source for calcium is almonds. Nuts are readily eaten by macaws.BreedingThe decision to breed any animal should be made with great care. Breeding requires a great deal of commitment, time and expense. Blue and Golds, Scarlets, Militarys and Greenwings would likely produce young faster and more reliably than Buffon's or Hyacinth Macaws. I would suggest that a beginner start with some of the easier species first to determine whether this is really what they want to do. Many macaws are produced that are not good breeding potential. You want to find healthy, full sized birds that have been raised by long time breeders that will stand behind their birds.Our most consistent breeding success from macaws has come from captive bred stock. Some of these birds we raise ourselves and some were raise by other aviculturists. When we were initially putting together our breeding stock in the mid 1970's there was only wild caught stock available. Thankfully, by the early eighties, some breeding success had been achieved in the United States and we were able to acquire some captive bred stock. Many of the older wild caught pairs took far longer (as much as four years longer) to breed as did the captive bred birds. The captive bred birds were also much calmer and more adaptable to new situations. In the long run it may be better for aviculturists to acquire young captive bred macaws and wait the three to four years necessary for them to breed. The initial cost is less and the long term breeding may be more advantageous.ConclusionBuyers should look for captive bred closed banded birds as these will undoubtedly be the cornerstone for future and long term captive breeding programs. As previously mentioned, these captive bred birds are the best way to acquire pet or breeding stock. Potential buyers should be warned that low prices are rarely a bargain and high prices do not necessarily insure a healthy bird. Ask for references and contact them. Require a successful health check as part of the purchase of the bird. If at all possible, see the bird before you purchase it. And lastly, buy from people that you can trust. If they are unwilling to help you before you get the bird, it is unlikely that they will help you after you have it. It is a big investment, take your time in finding the right bird.

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Traveling Tips with your Grey Parrot

CITES Permits

Whenever you own an exotic animal, you have to think beyond a cage and food pellets. There are many restrictions and regulations in place that are meant to protect the animal listed as endangered and the people who have them.

CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is an international agreement, drafted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), between the governments of different nations throughout the world that aims to ensure that the trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

CITES protects the wild African Grey by regulating its import, export, and re-export through an international convention authorized through a licensing system. These regulations restrict the number of birds that can be extracted from wild population without endangering their numbers.

The international agreement requires that each participant assign a Management Authority to implement the licensing system and a Scientific Authorities to keep track of the impact that trade has on the status of the species in the wild.

Different species are assigned appendix statuses (ie Appendix I, II or III) that indicates the level of threat to its current population with consideration to its likely ability to rebound in the wild with legal trade. Appendix I contains those species most at risk, some nearing extinction, as well as those which might be affected by legal trading. The african grey is listed on Appendix I and CITES imposes strict regulation on any species in this group.

WHAT IS A CITES PERMIT?

The CITES permit is a document that confirms that you have acquired your african grey through authorized channels and have not indulged the illegal pet trade that traps wild birds and exports them under horrific conditions in numbers that threaten their existence.

WHY DO I NEED A CITES PERMIT?

Most parrots are listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that a permit is required to travel both to and from another country. It is considered to be an import and export, even for a family vacation. You must have a permit to leave your country, to enter another country, to leave that country and to re-enter your country.

Failure to produce a CITES permit can lead to the confiscation of your bird.

IS THE CITES AGREEMENT EFFECTIVE?

The african grey is one of the world’s most sought after parrot species in the pet industry, making them the target of much illegal trapping. As long as they are a commodity, they will be hunted for profit.

Since CITES cannot enforce regulations in any nation, and does not replace their existing laws, it stands only as a recommendation which encourages support and commitment to a unified cause. The trapping and exportation of african greys is still quite legal in numbers expected by many to adversely affect wild population in the not so distant future.

However, countries that are not members of the CITES convention impose no regulations and continue to legally harvest african greys with no consideration to their dwindling numbers.

The effectiveness of CITES, with all its good intentions, is currently failing the african grey and they continue to decline in population. Some individual determined to protect them and other bird species from poachers have, as a result, set up vigilante groups.

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Blue & Gold Macaw Facts You Must Know Before Purchasing

Facts About Blue And Gold Macaws You
Must Know Before Purchasing

What do you know about birds? You may be a beginner or you may have quite a lot of experience with birds, however if you have any knowledge at all about birds (even in very general terms) you know that there is a big difference among the great variety of birds our world is fortunate enough to be blessed with.

It’s not the same to have a parakeet or a parrot, a finch or a macaw, and size isn’t the only difference I’m talking about.

If you are considering a Blue and Gold Macaw, here are some blue gold macaw facts and added tid bits you should be aware of.

Some Blue Gold Macaw Facts:

Physical Characteristics of the Blue and Gold Macaw

1. The Blue Gold Macaw is large (approximately 33 inches from head to tail), with a head, back, and wings in a blue-green color, and frontal body plumage in yellow. The Blue and Gold has a whitish skin face mask.

• Blue Gold Macaws can be trained to talk, but are not good at mimicking.
• They need lots of space given their large size to move around and exercise. Their wing span is approximately three and a half feet.

2. More blue gold macaw facts: TheSexing of a Blue and Gold Macaw As with most birds, sexing is difficult and usually requires some DNA testing, however without being a sure thing, the hen may have a slimmer head

• They have the average lifespan of most macaws, which is anywhere between 30 to 50 years.
• They can be aggressive and tend to pluck, although they are said to be excellent pets for macaw fans around the world.

A few more blue gold macaw facts:

The Origin of the Blue and Gold Macaw

• Central America to South America
• The scientific name of the blue and gold macaw is Ara ararauna.
• It can be very loud as most macaws can

Additional blue gold macaw facts:

Breeding of the blue gold macaw

• They breed readily in captivity and they are increasingly popular in the pet trade

Approx Breeding Age- As young as three years. When the bird reaches sexual maturity you will need to watch aggression level during mating season in early spring. (usually lasts 6 weeks)

• Can breed as young as three years of age
• At sexual maturity it is important to watch out for aggression in the blue gold macaw
• Mating season, which is usually in early spring lasts approximately six weeks

Consider these blue gold macaw facts:

Blue and Gold macaw behavior

• They can inflict serious bites
• They do not make good dorm or apartment pet
• Very noisy
• Very messy as most large (and small) birds are.
• They need training and those cases with best results are the ones where a chick or young bird was brought to the home, trained, and adapted to family living.

Other blue gold macaw facts:

You should consider getting a strong and sturdy play stand of a pretty good size for your macaw to play on

Toys should be strong, and chances are he will destroy them no matter what you buy. Wooden toys seem to work best.

A couple more blue gold macaw facts:

Cost is approximately eight hundred to two thousand dollars.

They talk, are playful, and beautiful birds

If these aren’t enough blue gold macaw facts for you, check out our complete blue and gold macaw fact sheet, but whatever you do, make sure you are prepared for this great commitment which involves not only having the right home, equipment, and knowledge, but considering the long life these animals live you must make proper arrangements for others to care for when you can no longer do so.
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How To Stop Your Macaws Screaming

Macaws Screaming

The technique I’m about to share with you has been used on my own macaws, and by thousands of my customers parrots as well. It’s a time tested technique that works for virtually all parrots, and is a surefire, gentle technique for getting your macaw to stop screaming.

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How To Stop Macaw Biting Problem

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Top 4 Question Answer about Macaw lifespan

1. 
   1. The scarlet macaw can live up to 75 years in captivity, although a more typical lifespan is 40 to 50 years.
   
    Q 1: How long does a macaw live?
   Scarlet macaws make very loud, high and sometimes low-pitched, throaty squawks, squeaks and screams designed to carry many miles to call for their groups. The scarlet macaw can live up to 75 years in captivity, although a more typical lifespan is 40 to 50 years.
   

   1. Q 2 : Where does the macaw live?
   2. 1. Macaws are native to Central America (especially Mexico), South America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forests, especially rainforests, but others prefer woodland or savannah-like habitats.
          Q 3 : Are blue macaws endangered species?
      2. There are 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. Hyacinth, red-fronted, and blue-throated macaws are seriously endangered.
         Q 4 :What does a scarlet macaw eat?
         

         1. Nuts, leaves, berries and seeds from the rainforest make up the bulk of the scarlet macaw's diet. It's strong, hooked beak is perfect for breakingnuts and seeds. Interestingly, the scarlet macaw can eat fruits toxic enough to kill other animals.
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