Scarlet Macaw - Why the bad Rep ?

Hi - Just a little update about my new Macaw - Aptly name Scarlet !

I was wondering why these birds come with bad reps? On my first post I already had people say I should have considered a greenwing. In another thread someone said always go blue and gold when deciding between the two. Then in the thread about someone’s [FONT=&quot]Camelina [/FONT]they said they were worried about the scarlet in their bird.

Since i have had her she has learned to step up, gives me kisses, high five and roll over to her back. She says hello and mumbles high five. She doesn’t squawk to get out the cage ( she swings at the door by her beak lol ) and if I leave the room she squaws maybe 6-7 times before realising that doesn’t get my attention.

Although im going to be slightly bias I do have to say she is a tremendous companion and not overly beaky, especially for a 1 year old. She eats out strangers hands and will step up if she gets used to them after a few visits. As far as I can tell, and ok I’m a first time owner, it’s about the time put in and how much you want to teach them. The only thing she does at the moment is grab my finger hard when she’s upside down playng with me lol I think it’s an excitement thing or she just wants to get her balance however she is starting to apply a lighter pressure. Anyway just wanted some thoughts ?



Thanks :red:

Scarlets get a bad rep because they "tend" to be beakier than other big macs. IMO no 2 birds are ever alike, and too much generalization may not be fair.

Very happy to hear you are doing so well with your red girl. And you are absolutely right when you say "you get what you put in".

Keep up the great progress you are having with Scarlet.

I believe socialization is very important so keep it up with her. Mine was a rescue bird that came out of a bad situation. She definitely lived up to the reputation of a beaky scarlet. Actually a biter...

She is doing much better around people and not as nippy, so definitely improving. I take her out every weekend to be around strangers, it really helps!

Enjoy Scarlet!

Yeah as soon as i have someone in the house i stop giving her treats and let them do it so she gets used to strangers. She is very well natured, first weeK i had her she didnt want to know me lol Now she gives me kisses and wants to follow me room to room !

So far so good ! :red:

The bad reputation with Scarlett's is that they tend to be the beakiest of all the macaws. And they are extremely smart. Which can be a lethal combination to someone who doesn't know how to control a macaw.

That doesn't mean they are bad birds, it means that they are more prone to use their beaks to communicate, sometimes rather forcefully, and you need to do extra work with them to make sure they are bite pressure trained so that they don't inflict injury when they communicate with their beaks...

That doesn't mean they are bad birds. It means there are species specific things you need to know about them, and they require extra socialization, or they will be prone to biting.

A mush mac, is a mush mac, is a mush mac... doesn't matter the species.

My girlfriend had a Scarlett that was a total lap bird... (The bird came from Wendy Craig, and my girlfriend knew how to socialize them as well.)

So, that's all it is. The beakier species are more prone to biting behaviors.

Hey, greenwings, especially the larger males can have dominance issues, and people inadvertently reinforce these, thereby creating a "monster." I've seen poorly trained greenwings take over a house, and chase people around the room with intent to maim. B&G's can be hyper and high strung at times. But the reputations of these birds are that they are the easier macaws to handle. It's an individual bird thing, and then after that, it's all about how they were socialized and trained, and does the person attempting to handle them actually know how to control them?

Sounds like you were doing the socialization properly, and your bird responded to it. If there is a secret to keeping macaws: (1) you can't be afraid of them, they will pick up on it and then you won't be able to; (2) bite pressure train them; and (3) socialize them to the Nth degree... THAT is how you get mush-mac.

Walshii said:

Hi - Just a little update about my new Macaw - Aptly name Scarlet !

I was wondering why these birds come with bad reps? On my first post I already had people say I should have considered a greenwing. In another thread someone said always go blue and gold when deciding between the two. Then in the thread about someone’s [FONT=&quot]Camelina [/FONT]they said they were worried about the scarlet in their bird.

Since i have had her she has learned to step up, gives me kisses, high five and roll over to her back. She says hello and mumbles high five. She doesn’t squawk to get out the cage ( she swings at the door by her beak lol ) and if I leave the room she squaws maybe 6-7 times before realising that doesn’t get my attention.

Although im going to be slightly bias I do have to say she is a tremendous companion and not overly beaky, especially for a 1 year old. She eats out strangers hands and will step up if she gets used to them after a few visits. As far as I can tell, and ok I’m a first time owner, it’s about the time put in and how much you want to teach them. The only thing she does at the moment is grab my finger hard when she’s upside down playng with me lol I think it’s an excitement thing or she just wants to get her balance however she is starting to apply a lighter pressure. Anyway just wanted some thoughts ?



Thanks :red:

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My guess is that the beauty of the Scarlet attracted a lot of people who weren't really ready for a large bird companion. Bad parenting creates bad children and bad Parronting (Parrot Parent) creates bad parrot pets.

The Scarlet's reputation is more a reflection on the skills of their owners, and less on the characteristics of the birds.

BTW: I chose a Greenwing due to the better reputation they had over that of the Scarlet. Now that I've been a Parront for three years I believe the bird is not the issue.

I firmly believe it all comes down to positive reinforcement versus the standard ways of dealing with pet behavior. Positive reinforcement is difficult when they start screeching or biting, but its the ONLY way to end up with a pleasant companion bird.

The fact is certain birds truly are more prone to certain traits. Scarlets generally are beakier than other macaws even as babies. That doesn't mean they are worse, just a bigger challenge.

Sennies (like I have) are known for being one person birds. They naturally gravitate that way. Doesn't mean they can't be a good family bird, but you have to be aware of that and work on it.

Hi Walshi the Camelina post was actually mine. I too was worried due to the reputation of the bird but thus far have been pleasantly surprised with Sunny being really docile. He is a character for sure but not very beaky although he is still young. From what I am told they are a bit beaker but I think it's safe to say with a Macaw your going to get some beaky ness sooner or later. Scarlett's are like pretty girls lol

locito277 said:

Hi Walshi the Camelina post was actually mine. I too was worried due to the reputation of the bird but thus far have been pleasantly surprised with Sunny being really docile. He is a character for sure but not very beaky although he is still young. From what I am told they are a bit beaker but I think it's safe to say with a Macaw your going to get some beaky ness sooner or later. Scarlett's are like pretty girls lol

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Yeah i seen the post ( BTW gorgeous bird ). The Scarlet i have at the moment is so well behaved. She likes a little sqwak in the evening an maybe one or two when i leave the room but in now way is she loud or overly demanding. Her " Beaky" traits seem to be getting better. If she does use her beak it is very gentle and usually to life my hand or start a little play fight. Except when shes on her back...she gets awfy excited and i think used her beak to keep a steady balance if i lift her. But so far so good...just need to get friend and family more comfortable with her. We dont get that many big birds as pets in Scotland lol

All birds are different and have different personalities. But if you check out Scarlett macaws on the internet, it will give you more info on them. Plus you have to realize they are like children, their personalities will change as they get older. Post this same post AFTER you have owned the bird for 10 years or longer.

Walshii said:

Hi - Just a little update about my new Macaw - Aptly name Scarlet !

I was wondering why these birds come with bad reps? On my first post I already had people say I should have considered a greenwing. In another thread someone said always go blue and gold when deciding between the two. Then in the thread about someone’s [FONT=&quot]Camelina [/FONT]they said they were worried about the scarlet in their bird.

Since i have had her she has learned to step up, gives me kisses, high five and roll over to her back. She says hello and mumbles high five. She doesn’t squawk to get out the cage ( she swings at the door by her beak lol ) and if I leave the room she squaws maybe 6-7 times before realising that doesn’t get my attention.

Although im going to be slightly bias I do have to say she is a tremendous companion and not overly beaky, especially for a 1 year old. She eats out strangers hands and will step up if she gets used to them after a few visits. As far as I can tell, and ok I’m a first time owner, it’s about the time put in and how much you want to teach them. The only thing she does at the moment is grab my finger hard when she’s upside down playng with me lol I think it’s an excitement thing or she just wants to get her balance however she is starting to apply a lighter pressure. Anyway just wanted some thoughts ?



Thanks :red:

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locito277 said:

Hi Walshi the Camelina post was actually mine. I too was worried due to the reputation of the bird but thus far have been pleasantly surprised with Sunny being really docile. He is a character for sure but not very beaky although he is still young. From what I am told they are a bit beaker but I think it's safe to say with a Macaw your going to get some beaky ness sooner or later. Scarlett's are like pretty girls lol

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Well, macaws are very tactile with their beaks and their tongues... There is some of that with ALL of them.

Skittles just gave me a playful bite and said "Owww!" Yeah, she knows the pain she can inflict...

I'll post it as and when I please thanks. That's why the forum is here I'm a new owner and I'm asking for feedback. Yours is less than helpful maybe it's best you don't post at all if that's your snappy approach. Thanks for the encouragement

Onr thing I would like to add, they can change after hormones hit! They can go from a sweet gentle baby to a biting monster. If your a first time owner, learn and train as much as you can. I see you give him kisses, if you do it on the lips, you better be careful in doing so. A sweet baby like yours can change over night without you realizing it. I've had Willie over 10 years and he was a sweet angel I can do anything with. When his big hormone hit at 10 years old I was not paying attention when I stuck my hand in his cage like I've been doing for years and he chump down. Rip my skin open like banana peel. I had a huge gash on me bleeding profusely. So think again if you think they're easy. Must take precautions! I learned real quick to never do that, watch their body language before proceeding.

Chesphoto said:

Skittles just gave me a playful bite and said "Owww!" Yeah, she knows the pain she can inflict...

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My redfronted macaw was pissed off at me one day, and was on my shoulder when she knew full well I was not in a position to control her. (Fortunately for me, she is UBER tame and bite pressure trained.) She strolled down my arm just as deliberately as you please, l and grabbed a hunk of skin in her beak, and twisted it. Then she looked me straight in the eye, PINNING, and says "OWWW! THAT HURTS!"

Absolutely deliberate. Absolutely sending a message "in human." And non-bite pressure trained birds usually draw blood with those messages...

And NOW when they are still docile and easy to work with is the time to work with them on bite pressure...

My personal opinion is that the tough ages for macaws is the 7 to 12 year old range... when the hormones are kicking in, and they are still testing their limits.

I would say 7-12 as well cause Willie is nicer during hormones this time around and he'll be 13 soon. I'm so not looking forward to when Lola hits it.......

I'm past all those issues with my flock, thank god!

There were two times when my red front really seemed determined to push the boundaries, and we had to butt heads...

But overall, they were all pretty mild.

I don't know if I was just fortunate, or good, or both...

Walshii said:

I'll post it as and when I please thanks. That's why the forum is here I'm a new owner and I'm asking for feedback. Yours is less than helpful maybe it's best you don't post at all if that's your snappy approach. Thanks for the encouragement

Click to expand...

Not to burst your bubble, but baby macaws are incredibly docile... for the first several months.

Then suddenly they are NOT!

What you do between now and then, determines whether or not you go through what some people refer to as the terrible 2's. To my way of thinking, the terrible 2's are more about correcting the inadvertent training mistakes you made with the bird when it was younger.

BUT macaws also go through what I call the "TESTING" Phase...

This is where a young macaw will see how far he can "push" the boundaries of good behavior, and whether or not he can use his screaming and biting to get the upper hand...

If they can, you are no longer in charge. The bird is!

That doesn't just apply to Scarlet's - that applies to all of them.

Scarlet's are scarey smart though, and that means they can be scarey manipulative... during this phase especially.

And they are notoriously beaky birds. Which means the "testing" phase will, most likely, involve using the beak in a forceful manner to try and get his way from time to time.

He can't get his way. If it doesn't work, he'll stop using it.

If it works, or if he thinks it might, he'll keep trying.

Macaw 101...

I own two. I've worked with more than twenty... including scarlet and scarlet hybreds... My Ruby macaw rehab was one of the most difficult birds I ever rehabbed. Greenwing dominance issues combined with Scarlett beakiness. Not a bird to be trifled with.

Trust me, been there, done that. More than once.

I love Scarlet's colours.

Scarlets have two solid advantages, and one vague disadvantage.

The two solid advantages are their beautiful coloring and the length of their tail feathers.

The one vague disadvantage is their reputation.

I believe training occurs with every pet. The only question is "Who's doing the training?" If you let any pet's behavior affect you negatively, causing you to react in some manner, then the pet is the trainer. If you do things which cause the pet to react in some manner which you like, then you are the trainer.

Oh, and if size matters to you, Scarlets are smaller than GWs. I'm not sure how they compare with other Macaw types.