A Hy high

[jmerrell]

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I am luck enough to have a Hyacinth and she is a real goofball. One of the sweetest parrots I've ever been around, and very funny. She is about a year and a half old. Her head is as large as my hand and her beak can fit all the way around my wrist. Very intimidating. It was painful teaching her how not to use her beak and every once in a while she'll get excited and put too much pressure on body parts, especially when she's excited. we don't mind visitors so if anyone is close enough to visit they are welcome. She loves people and to be cuddled with.

 

[Darius]

I have a gentle giant of my own he's not a Hy but he's just about as big he's 42 inches long and weighs 1500 grams I don't even bother hanging toys up any more he turns quick links into pretzels like its nothing a quick twist with his beak and the quick link is garbage so I just put his toys in a big basket, I guess I could buy thicker grade quick links for him but I sure he would find a way to get it down any way thats just what he likes todo. the cheep ones that come with most toys are a joke. I love my big bird he is so gentle and so sweet and I need to buy a lumber yard to keep him supplyed with wood to chew, I would never want to find out what life would be like without him in it He's a harlequin Macaw and he's one big birdy.

 

[Gristleboy]

Beautiful birds guys! It seems they bigger the bird, the sweeter the disposition.
To paraphrase an earlier post: mucho pollo!

 

[Alwese]

I wonder if/how many people HAVE gotten their bones crushed... That would be a story to hear.

Looking through these old posts and having three macaws I have to comment. I have heard a german shepard can bite down at 150-175 psi. and that a macaw can bite at 450 psi which sounds more realistic... still could be a nasty bite. All three of my macaws have greatly varying beak strength. Kayko (B&G) can hardly open an almond and can give a pinch but would not make you bleed. Clifford (Scarlet) opens brazil nuts easily. The real beak danger is not the upper beak but the "V" notch from the lower beak. Clifford is murder on stranger's toes (ask my wife) Doogie my Catalina Hybrid redefines the word beak strength. I deliberately give him oversize walnuts just to see him get in. I see the muscles around his eyes flex as he keeps turning the nut to find the weak spot to get in. He'll strain and then laugh and turn the nut to a new place. There seems to be two sub-species of Hyacinths. Those that live in the cliffs are a little smaller (38") and those that live in tall trees in the Pantanel are the 40 plus inch boys here are a couple of pics to enjoy. This is Connie's two and a pic from my back yard (NOT!)