Looking for a Macaw

Howdy there, i'm new to this bird game, and I currently have 2 budgies. I am interested in buying a blue and gold macaw or any kind of macaw. (but mostly B&G). Could you guys recommend a macaw for a first time big bird buyer like me? Thanks!

Having only experience with budgies I might recommend you consider a hahns macaw, severe macaw, or yellow collared macaw. These are smaller and less likely to intimidate first timers.

Or go with an ekkie!!

chris-md said:

Having only experience with budgies I might recommend you consider a hahns macaw, severe macaw, or yellow collared macaw. These are smaller and less likely to intimidate first timers.

Or go with an ekkie!!

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Thanks for the reply, as you're the first person to respond ever . What do you think about me getting a Blue and Gold as a first time? Also I have handled a bigger macaw (Just me going over to my dad's friend's house and hanging out for 30 minutes). I wouldn't say I am overly confident but I am not scared/intimidated of them. I would love a blue and gold as I have hear their personalities are chill and like hanging out with one person. Thanks

ahmadses said:

chris-md said:

Having only experience with budgies I might recommend you consider a hahns macaw, severe macaw, or yellow collared macaw. These are smaller and less likely to intimidate first timers.

Or go with an ekkie!!

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Thanks for the reply, as you're the first person to respond ever . What do you think about me getting a Blue and Gold as a first time? Also I have handled a bigger macaw (Just me going over to my dad's friend's house and hanging out for 30 minutes). I wouldn't say I am overly confident but I am not scared/intimidated of them. I would love a blue and gold as I have hear their personalities are chill and like hanging out with one person. Thanks

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Before you go out and get a MAC read this Thread in the MAC Forum: 12 yr old Military Macaw.

You need to really place some effort into understand what the requirement of a Larger Parrot is and more importantly one of the larger Parrots. Please take the time to read everything you can find in the MAC Forum written by Birdman666 - whether a Thread or a Post.

You need to have the 'Money' to afford the MAC, its cage, its food, its toys and its Vet costs. You also need reliable transport that can get you to a Vet when needed.

You need to have the room, multiple rooms and better a house, since MAC's can make a lot of noise and any of the Bigger Parrots can!

You need to have the time! Hours not a couple!

Come back with more questions as you begin to dig into the information! Note: big Parrots are big Commitments.

Can you do it: Yes! Should you do it: That is something that you need to take the time and understand the commitment.

At the end of day, this is all about assure that the MAC gets a FOR REAL - FOREVER HOME! Understand that with a young MAC that could be 75+ years! Now that is a commitment, and it needs to be understood!

Enjoy the process, learn first - know what is required, commit FOREVER! Or walk away and save a Parrot the lost of a home later!

Lots of good points already posted. You really can't prepare to much for a parrot, especially a macaw or too.
That being said, a well socialized blue and gold can make a wonderful companion! They are playful, inquisitive, entertaining and can be loving. I think they make a great choice - and my personal favorite (as the smaller macs I have met were more aggressive)!!!
The reality of it is most people will not own multiple macaws. One may (or will likely) be enough for them. That being the case there really isn't a starter macaw, however proper education and large parrot experience is priceless.

It can be difficult picking a bird. Often time breeders / stores are taking deposits before they are feathered (I didn't say sending them home, but taking deposits) and before you know the personality of the bird. This can be good as it allows you to spend time with it before it comes home, maybe feed it etc. On the other hand, if the bird doesn't take to you, you may be stuck with it.
In contrast, there are a few birds (who are still really young but deposits weren't placed on them) where you can see their personality and make an educated decision. Of course you can always rescue a bird that needs to be re homed (in that case I definitely recommend a rescue to give you honest info on the bird).

I would recommend visiting rescues, multiple bird shops, breeders and owners before making your decision on the specific bird you want. Then find a good reputable breeder (or rescue) in your area and go from there.

Best of luck to you!

marxxx said:

Lots of good points already posted. You really can't prepare to much for a parrot, especially a macaw or too.
That being said, a well socialized blue and gold can make a wonderful companion! They are playful, inquisitive, entertaining and can be loving. I think they make a great choice - and my personal favorite (as the smaller macs I have met were more aggressive)!!!
The reality of it is most people will not own multiple macaws. One may (or will likely) be enough for them. That being the case there really isn't a starter macaw, however proper education and large parrot experience is priceless.

It can be difficult picking a bird. Often time breeders / stores are taking deposits before they are feathered (I didn't say sending them home, but taking deposits) and before you know the personality of the bird. This can be good as it allows you to spend time with it before it comes home, maybe feed it etc. On the other hand, if the bird doesn't take to you, you may be stuck with it.
In contrast, there are a few birds (who are still really young but deposits weren't placed on them) where you can see their personality and make an educated decision. Of course you can always rescue a bird that needs to be re homed (in that case I definitely recommend a rescue to give you honest info on the bird).

I would recommend visiting rescues, multiple bird shops, breeders and owners before making your decision on the specific bird you want. Then find a good reputable breeder (or rescue) in your area and go from there.

Best of luck to you!

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Thanks man

I am sorry, but these are your words!

Flboy said:

ahmadses said:

As to answer one question, I have looked into Colleges that allow pets. I would ditch my significant other (assuming i've had this macaw since this summer), (I don't know maybe I wont?, you never know). The finance is hard, but my dad is willing to pay for it as of right now.
Another comment about the money. Don't you technically take that risk with a lot of things? Cars, kids, homes? (I'm only 15 so please don't be too harsh but I want honest comments.

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That is why you should not go forward with a mac!
Cars and homes are stuff! Kids grow up!
What if your dad wanted to expand his business, and decided the best way to do this was to use your college fund? Also to save money, and your age was close enough, he decided to declare you as an emancipated minor! Best thing? Off to the military with you! How would you feel? Quite upset! But remember you still grow up and will be independent! Also, emotionally, you are able to sort all of this out and deal with it!
On the other hand, your 'companion' gets screwed! Just another nail in the wall!

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Flboy said:

I am sorry, but these are your words!

Flboy said:

ahmadses said:

As to answer one question, I have looked into Colleges that allow pets. I would ditch my significant other (assuming i've had this macaw since this summer), (I don't know maybe I wont?, you never know). The finance is hard, but my dad is willing to pay for it as of right now.
Another comment about the money. Don't you technically take that risk with a lot of things? Cars, kids, homes? (I'm only 15 so please don't be too harsh but I want honest comments.

Click to expand...

That is why you should not go forward with a mac!
Cars and homes are stuff! Kids grow up!
What if your dad wanted to expand his business, and decided the best way to do this was to use your college fund? Also to save money, and your age was close enough, he decided to declare you as an emancipated minor! Best thing? Off to the military with you! How would you feel? Quite upset! But remember you still grow up and will be independent! Also, emotionally, you are able to sort all of this out and deal with it!
On the other hand, your 'companion' gets screwed! Just another nail in the wall!

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I understand, but could you please explain what seems to be... misunderstood, because (for me) all I see is your copying and uhh pasting stuff.

Yes, I am copying and pasting because in that original post you yourself said you would just dump your companion! And you put that living being, in an example comparing him/her to a car or a house!
Yes, I am being harsh! And I must say you really are handling it well! At your age, I was a complete jerk! Now I am no longer so quite complete!

I only have 4 words for you. No, No, No and No.

Why? Parrots are a lifetime commitment. You would need to mold your life around your Blue and GOld macaw. School. Relationships, marriage, living space or house, children, and finally who will care for your Mac after you pass on. Big parrots ( amazons and up) can live 60-75 years. So if your 15, your bird will be with you until you are 75. At least. And the vet care for large parrots can run thousands of dollars a year ( we have a $1500 fund put aside for vet care , of which we have chewed up $850 so far this year).

I suggest you volunteer at the local Parrot Rescue center near you.. You will get a much better understanding of what caring for bug parrots is like.

Flboy said:

Yes, I am copying and pasting because in that original post you yourself said you would just dump your companion! And you put that living being, in an example comparing him/her to a car or a house!
Yes, I am being harsh! And I must say you really are handling it well! At your age, I was a complete jerk! Now I am no longer so quite complete!

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Well I just believe that there is always someone more experienced and has more knowledge. Sorry I decided to get a macaw, guess it was just... a dream I guess.

ahmadses said:

Flboy said:

Yes, I am copying and pasting because in that original post you yourself said you would just dump your companion! And you put that living being, in an example comparing him/her to a car or a house!
Yes, I am being harsh! And I must say you really are handling it well! At your age, I was a complete jerk! Now I am no longer so quite complete!

Click to expand...

Well I just believe that there is always someone more experienced and has more knowledge. Sorry I decided to get a macaw, guess it was just... a dream I guess.

Click to expand...

It need not be a dream, but the reality of a large parrot companion is complex. I salute your desire and willingness to research before acquiring! Spending some time at a rescue or other similar experience with a macaw will help you clarify whether the dream can be a reality, and if so, when.

I'd like to tell you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a dream! Dreams are what make life tolerable! And you've come on to a forum full of very experienced bird owners for advice, and that's a great first step towards SOMEDAY possibly owning a large parrot, like a Macaw. That being said, you're only 15 years old, and (I'm saying this with the utmost respect) you do not have a clue about life yet. And that's okay, you're not supposed to! But a Macaw is a living creature that has the intelligence, needs, and wants of a 3-4 year old human toddler. A Macaw is not a house or a car, both of which are inanimate objects that you are not old enough to purchase or own! You have absolutely no idea where your life is going to take you, so why would you want to strap yourself down at 15 years old and limit what you'll be able to do and where you'll be able to go? Because that is exactly what you would be doing if you got a Macaw right now. And you don't even know it or realize it yet, which again shows why you shouldn't get a Macaw, Cockatoo, African Gray, etc. right now.

I can tell that you're a responsible teenager and that you would want what was best for any pet you would get, or that you already have, like your budgies. So can you honestly say that you're ready now, emotionally, socially, financially, mature enough, and fully 100% willing to limit your social life, for the rest of your life, to have a toddler? I don't think that you fully understand what actually owning, living with, and being solely responsible for a Macaw is like or what it entails. It truly is just like having a human toddler. So think about that, would you want to have a human toddler right now at the age of 15? Would your dad? Because I'm sure your dad has no concept of what owning a Macaw is like, he's probably thinking that he'll pay the couple thousand dollars for a baby Blue and Gold Macaw and a cage and then it will be your responsibility. But every single person that lives in your house is going to be extremely effected by having a Macaw living there, and they ALL need to know what is involved, what they will all have to give up and put up with, and they ALL have to be fully on board. If they're not then you have a huge problem, and realize that this is a problem that is going to follow you for the rest of your life. From the day you bring home a Macaw forward it will effect every aspect of your life, as well as the lives of anyone that lives with you, or has the potential to live with you. It is extremely difficult to own a large parrot like a Macaw, a Cockatoo, African Gray, etc. and to live in an apartment or townhouse. First of all, a Macaw requires a huge amount of space, both for it's cage, it's play stands, etc. and for it's existence. My birds are fully flighted and each bird has its main cage in my connected living room/dining room area because birds of this intelligence need to be located in the main room of your home, where all the action is, where the people of the home spend most of their time. They cannot be located in your bedroom or a spare bedroom. My birds are always out of their cages when I'm home, and this is an absolute must with a Macaw. If you're home your Macaw must be out of his cage or you're going to get screaming. I have a Green Cheek Conure, a Quaker parrot, a cockatiel, and a Senegal parrot and they take up 90% of my living room with their cages and play stands. A Macaw is much larger, obviously. So apartments are very difficult to keep a Macaw in because you don't have the space to sacrifice. And secondly and most importantly (and a major cause of rescues being FILLED with Macaws and Cockatoos) Macaws are extremely loud! Most neighbors will put up with a little, but even if your bird is happy, healthy, and completely occupied and stimulated, it's going to be loud at best, at worst it will be constantly deafening. So apartments and townhouses generally do not work. So from the day you get the Macaw forward you'll most likely need to live in a house, or you'll be bouncing from apartment to apartment on a regular basis forever. And pet-friendly apartments are becoming more and more scarce and are more and more expensive. I cannot begin to imagine having a Macaw in a dorm room at college!!! That will go from everyone on your floor living the bird and thinking it's badass to wanting to kill you very quickly. And most colleges and universities require that you live on campus in a dorm for your freshman year, so you can't get "an apartment" off campus your freshman year. So are you willing to sacrifice going to the college you really want to go to in order to go to one, perhaps one that doesn't have the major you want or one that is of much lesser quality, that will allow you to live off campus your first year? And what is your backup plan for when you are told that you have to either get rid of your Macaw or move out of your dorm (again this is very rare and very doubtful) or your apartment? Are you prepared to leave school in order to keep your Macaw with you? Because if you're thinking that your dad can take care of YOUR Macaw while you're away at college for the better part of 2-4 years and your Macaw will be perfectly alright with that with no issues then you need to do some research. And if you think that you'll just come back home for Christmas break after being gone since August or September and your Macaw will just act the same way he did before you left you again need to do some research... Would you leave your 3-4 year old toddler?

And then there are the finances... You're 15 and apparently planning on going to college, so you've got at least until you're 22-23 years old at a minimum before you'll be making a solid income that will support a Macaw financially. While your dad says that he's willing to buy you a Blue and Gold Macaw (and I'm assuming all of the initial expenses that go along with it like a cage, play stands, toys, food, etc.) is he both aware of all of the yearly expenses that a Macaw requires, and willing to pay for all of them until you're out of college and able to pay them? Forgetting the initial expenses that your dad will have to pay in order to just get a hand-raised baby Macaw (somewhere between $2,000-$3,000), you have to figure that the yearly medical care from a certified avian vet for a Macaw will cost around $1,000+, and food much more per year if you're feeding a high quality pellet diet. So is your dad aware and willing to commit to paying for this for the next 7-8 years? Are you willing to pay it for the rest of your life? And that without assuming any illnesses or serious injuries.

And after you get past everything I've already said, you're still only 15 and have no idea where life will take you. I have no idea what you want to do with your life, but I doubt that you are willing to put it on hold or change its path because you have a Macaw that you are responsible for. A lot of opportunities are going to present themselves to you in the near future, they always do between the ages of 16-23, and I can't begin to tell you how many of my friends and acquaintances from high school had to pass them up because they had kids in high school. Many of them basically gave up their own lives because they had to give their kids a life. Now is owning a Macaw the same as having a human child? No, not exactly, not in the sense that you are required by law to provide certain things for it, and not in the sense that if you don't provide for it the way that you should you'll be looked down upon and face consequences for it. But if you are properly caring for and providing for a large parrot and spending the amount of time with it that will make it happy, healthy, and keep it from having behavioral problems (the main reason people rehome large parrots or surrender them to rescues), it's not a whole lot different.

Ask yourself why you want a Blue and Gold Macaw right now. What is it about that specific bird that makes you want to have one? Is it the way they look? Their ability to talk? All I read as far as your prior interaction with one is that you've had one on your arm and that you're not intimidated or scared by large birds. So I'm not sure what it is that is making you think you want one and that it would be a good idea for you to get one now, but I haven't heard you say a single word about wanting to be responsible for a large parrot that has the mentality and the needs of a young child. I haven't heard you say anything about wanting a bird that will need you to devote most of your life to taking care of it. You haven't spoken about holding, comforting, and being affectionate with a bird that will have tantrums like a young toddler. You have yet to mention wanting a bird that you will have to care for before you leave for school in the morning and that will require you to come straight home from school every single day and spend your entire evening every single day with, as well as most of your weekends. You haven't expressed a desire to own a bird that will need comforting when it gets scared or has a night terror at 2:00 in the morning. And you haven't once mentioned looking forward to commiting most of your free time for the rest of your life to a Blue and Gold Macaw. All that you've said is that you're not afraid of them, you've handled them before, and that you would dump your significant other at the drop of a hat. Typical 15 year old mentality? Absolutely. Ready to commit to a parrot that has the intelligence and needs of a 3-4 year old and that will live for over 70 years? Absolutely not.





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