Hardly any bird lovers can resist the unmistakable plumage, striking beauty and character of macaws. However, these attractive jungle birds are very demanding of their owners. We have summarised for you the most important tips for owning and caring for these exotic birds.
Appearance: What distinguishes the appearance of macaws?
The Psittacidae family is a diverse bunch, although does have some common features: Nature has given all macaws a distinctive facial mask that covers both sides of the face with little or no feathered skin.
The beak is generally black or white in colour and, typically of parrots, curved and strong. The feet are dark grey and the long, feathered tail is made up of different layers.
Apart from these characteristics, diversity is typical of macaws: Size and colour differ greatly among the different macaw species.
Two well-known specimens, the scarlet and blue-and-yellow macaw, are colourful and can reach up to 90 centimetres in size and weigh up to 1.5kg. In contrast, the chestnut-fronted macaw is just 50 centimetres in size and weighs slightly more than 300g. It is primarily green in colour and its plumage is adorned with red and bluish accents.
How can we tell apart male and female macaws?
Whilst different macaw species can be easily recognised, there are no easy answers regarding their sex.
There may be some slight differences in size and physique with some species. However, a clear determination of sex is often only possible with DNA analysis or an endoscopic examination.
Character: What are these colourful birds like?
The best way to describe macaws is lovely, lively and loud. Despite their strong curiosity and great intelligence, they are not as linguistically talented as grey parrots, for instance.
However, this doesn’t stop them loudly drawing attention to themselves even without words, mostly in mornings and evenings. Indeed, their cries are the origin of their onomatopoeic name.
Once macaws have built up trust in you, you can treat them to a tickle because they very much need affection. However, they do experience attacks of jealousy now and then.
Profile
Name: Macaw, also Aracanga
Size: up to 90 centimetres
Life expectancy: on average 40 or 50 years, sometimes up to 90 years
Housing: at least in a pair
Socialisation with other animals: not recommended
Cage: bird room or aviary with at least 4 x 2 x 2 metres plus shelter room for a couple
Food: fruit, vegetables, seeds, berries, herbs, nuts, additional minerals
Difficulty level: demanding
Source: Zooplus