Decisions Decisions

Deciding if a macaw is right for me is(to me)a big decision, as I'm sure it was for you macaw owners. I keep reading the cons to owning the many different species but it hasn't stopped me from wanting one as a companion.

I'm interested in manly 3 species the greenwing, military and the blue throated

I would also like to be fairly young when I do decide to adopt one(I'm 21 now)but I would like to be done school first. Mostly for the fact that I would like to have the bird with me for as much of his/her life as possible.

I'm not really sure what my question is haha, I guess it's the pro's and cons of each species in a generalized sense. I have done a lot of research on my own but nothing from people who actually live with these amazing birds(unfortunately there aren't any bird clubs, or rescues where I could meet these guys in person)

thanks for reading and I look forward to your replies

I don't really know much about macaws myself, but best of luck with your decision!

At 21 years old, I wouldn't take in a Macaw... They live a very long time, and you have barely started your life, yet...

I know nothing about Macaws, but all parrots needs a lot of attention... When I was in my 20's I got married and had 3 children... I worked full time as a legal secretary as well as making all the kiddies' clothes

Macaws consume an insane amount of time, and money. They are amazing birds but require a home with lots of interaction with the owner and since they are large, all the continuing costs of feeding them, keeping them in toys, vet services etc is also large. Do you have experience with big birds? Because it takes a special person to have a macaw. Many let them develop behavior Anne health issues, then get rid of them. They are a lifetime,if not more, committment and you should never give an animal a home unless you are certain that it will be their forever home.

They are my favorite birds as well, but I made the decision not to get one. First, it would have been better if I had been young like you. I was pretty concerned about that 50-70 year lifespan. However when I was your age, I most definitely couldn't afford one. I tried at one point to find one in it's 20s at least, but the rescues didn't have any, and I got another conure instead. Now I have all the time in the world, but don't make good money on disability. I could have had one I guess if I hadn't also had my horses, dogs, cats, etc, but I wasn't willing to give up the other animals.

I would at least wait until you are out of school, have a job that you think you will keep (and in this economy that's a scary thing), and have a home of your own where the noise won't get you evicted. You will need to evaluate your income and whether you can provide food, toys, perches and vet care. Macaws go through toys and perches like I go through tissue with my allergies.

Your list of the three macaw species seems like a very disparate bunch. What is your selection criteria?

I only have a Scarlet Macaw, so I'll leave specific comments about your favored 3 species to people who've kept them.

I would, however, like to point out that, when I read posts on message forums about people's Sun Conures screaming, about their Yellow Naped Amazons screaming, and how the screaming is driving them to their wits' ends, well...

I have two Double Yellow Headed Amazons, and they can scream, but, when the Scarlet Macaw screams, the two Double Yellow Headed Amazons' screams, put together, sound like sweet coogi coogi coogi mummy-to-baby talk.

I did a lot of research before getting Chilli. Over here in Australia, scarlet macaws are rather unusual as pet birds because we are not allowed to import them due to our quarantine laws. So, I had to pay a 5 figure sum of money for Chilli. When Chilli began screaming, while she was going through her escalation phase as I was using behavioral techniques to prevent and address this issue, the duration of these screaming sessions increased until it went up to a record high of 2 hours non-stop. I had to think seriously about re-homing her.

So, apart from them being bigger birds physically, think about this...should a macaw develop behavioral problems, the size of these problems and the impact these problems would have on your life would likely be a lot bigger as well. Would you be adequately equipped to deal with them?

As a macaw owner myself I would say that they are not really a first bird or a bird for a younger person. You need to plan the rest of your life involving them, what if you get a partner who doesn't like birds? Who goes first? What if you need to work hours that dont give you enough time for the bird? Who suffers? What if you have to live somewhere that neighbours complain about the noise? Will you move house?

I was 44 before I bought our macaw. I discussed it through with my wife and my children and told them how things would need to be if we were to buy a macaw. They all agreed that they would accept the changes and we now have a macaw. We also had to consider that Tango could out live us and one of our kids will need to take over keeping her.

We had a number of parrots before Tango and can advise that if you must have one there are a lot of more suitable breeds that do not neet anywhere as much stimulation or care and time as a macaw but will still give lots of love and affection.

Bare in mind all birds are individuals and will have different personalities so dont think because Mrs X has a harlequin macaw that is cuddly tame and never bites your bird will be the same, as you may be disappointed.

You are young and have plenty of time, dont rush into anything.

Thank you all for your replies, I won't be rushing into anything.

I do plan on waiting until after I am done school(still four years) and also waiting until I have a job in the field I am going to school for. I don't want to dive into the world of large parrots with macaws.

I'm not the type of person who gives up on a animal(but I guess I don't know how strong a resolve I would have with a macaw)

I am interested in gw because of their tendency to be the gentle giants, for the Military I have been reading into them lately and thought that they seem to have a very different personality. As in they tend to be more grumpy and like their space. Now the the blue throated is the one I am leaning towards more(of course in the future)all around if I was going to get a macaw I think their size and their personality is what I am drawn too

GW are known for their good temperament, we chose a Harlequin which is half GW half BG as we had heard that they make a good friendly bird and luckily she is very friendly.

She is however very clever and can be noisy and will bite if anyone other than me or my wife touches her if she is near her cage. She will attack if my wife cuddles up to me and she understands many words and emotions and when she talks she knows what she is saying. Macaws are very complicated birds.

I loved blue throats... and that's pretty much the only imput I can put in, you know everything else about waiting with money/education etc. You're being smart about it, so I'll wait for the real macaw owners to chip in

Thanks again I enjoy reading every ones thoughts, I don't want to screw up a macaws life because I rushed into it without the knowledge and information to properly take care of he/she.

Since you want to wait a little while, why don't you spend some time volunteering at a bird rescue? You'll be able to handle Macaws and get to know some of them, and by the time you're ready for one you may even decide to rescue a bird that needs a home instead of a baby. I don't know if there is a rescue close by to do this though or not, but since you have some time it could be a good way to get your Macaw fix while you're deciding

I wish that was option Safira, but there isn't a rescue anywhere near me, even in our SPCA we rarely even get a budgie

I love your macaws name, did you get it from the Eragon books?

I like a lot of the comments others have mades, especially concerning the amount of money and the amount of attention you'll have to spend on the bird.

I would like to comment, however, on one point someone made, which I've seen many times before. Yes, these birds potentially have a long lifespan. I disagree, though, that only people young enough to keep that bird throughout their long lifespan should consider having one. I think the quality of life that you can give the bird and the quality of life that having the bird in your own life, should be the real drivers in making your decision.

You're about to start a life full of unknowns. You'll probably have many jobs, many friends, and live in many places. Will having the bird provide you with a comforting consistency through all those changes, or will it become a ball-and-chain which keeps you from living the life you want?

Whichever way you go, don't only keep number one in mind first (yourself), don't forget to consider that feathered friend who will depend on you for absolutely everything. If you do find yourself regretting taking on that responsibility take special care in finding the bird its next home. You'll owe it at least that much.

Mike has a good point. My brother has a Severe Macaw and he got her when he was 16 and hes now 23 and she's a big part of his life, and he has had to make some sacrifices, but there's no way he'd give her up. She may be a mini macaw, but she is more work than most other macaws I've worked with.

Sorry I didn't realize anyone else replied after I did.
Thanks I really do appreciate everybody's advice and I will put the macaw first in any decision I do make.

I have decided on a species, so now I am just continuing to read read and read some more. I take adding an animal into my family very seriously.