Red-Bellied Macaw

[yann]

Hi! i'm getting a red bellied macaw soon and i realized that there aint much information about their diet around!! in the wild they eat only palm fruit. it would be nearly impossible to replicate this diet at home...so i was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on feeding them?? is it ok if i just feed what i'm currently feeding-chop and pellets?or do i need a more specific diet?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Here is an extraordinary article about Red Bellied Macaws:
The Mysterious Macaw (The Unique Red-Bellied Macaws) | Voren's Aviaries Inc

And another good one:
Longo's Aviaries

Best of luck to you. While skimming through the articles, keeping them healthy certainly is no easy task.

 

[yann]

thanks so much for your reply!! i've looked at those two sites already while doing some research. i've only gotten a rough idea that they need a lot of peanuts? still so many questions unanswered i will be trying my best to keep them alive though! they already have it quite bad at the pet shop now...

 

[MonicaMc]

Unfortunately, the best diet for this species is not well known within captivity.

There is a Red-Bellied Macaw group on Facebook and at least 10 members of the group currently have a RBM or have had them in the past. I am sure that the members would be willing to share what they are feeding their birds. (it's not a too active group, btw)

This is one member of the group.
Evet Loewen - Parrot Blogger

Some of the other owners have their birds videos on Youtube
red bellied macaw - YouTube


I will say though, if they are very skittish birds, when you get them home please set their cage up in a way that they can hide from view.


Someone did tell me about a pair for $600, but I don't have the room for a pair of macaws (let alone any more birds), and I probably would have killed them! Or at least one of them!


If you get them, I wish you the best of luck with the birds!

 

[SpotsandSally]

Could you ask the person you're getting the macaw from what they feed theirs?

 

[MikeyTN]

Like above posting says, ask the people that owns him right now on what they're feeding him. Then you can gradually change parts of it over time to make it better.

 

[yann]

i'm getting them from a small pet store and they are feeding them a sunflower seed only diet. i think that they are rather unaware that these fellas need a special diet. i dont like the conditions they are being kept in now(one of the reasons why i'm buying them). i will be diligently converting them over to a better diet!thanks for the advice i was thinking about a very electus-like diet. more fresh stuff and un-fortified pellets(TOPs?) and see how it goes!

 

[yann]

oh and also a hugeee thank you to monicamc!!the blog post was very interesting.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Do you have a good certified avian vet in your area? Red bellied macaws are hard to keep alive in captivity, you should create a good relationship with a avian vet who can help you create the best enviroment possible for your new bird.

Poor thing is on sun flower seed diet! That's terrible, my galah was on that diet when I adopted her and she was extremely unhealthy.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Sunflowers are waay to fatty for a red belly. They're gonna kill the thing!
Yes, please give it a better diet. And provide it with a hiding place as well.
Oh and don't forgot the pictures

 

[yann]

i just collected em and they are really really nervous and skittish birds. but it could be somewhat due to the treatment at the pet store. poor felluhs were grabbed by the neck when caught from the cage, i couldnt stand it anymore and volunteered to catch the bird myself>< i've attached some pictures!! some from the store and some in here at home and also a pic of their food

 

[noblemacaw]

I don't see any pictures. The birds are lucky you got them and saved them. Thank you for helping them.

 

[yann]

sorry i tried using the photobucket link...seems like it didnt show up its okay!!lemme try to copy and paste n see how it goes
http://www.parrotforums.com/members/yann-albums-parrots-picture9829-20131020-102618.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/members/yann-albums-parrots-picture9830-20131020-102744.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/members/yann-albums-parrots-picture9833-20131020-131911.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/members/yann-albums-parrots-picture9831-20131020-125850.html

 

[noblemacaw]

Thanks for posting the links to the pictures. The Red Bellies always fascinated me but I live in a cold climate so I would never risk bringing one home here. Today I finally had to turn on my furnace (It's going to be in the 30's F tonight) and my RFM still had cold feet. His appetite has increased because he is cold.

I use photobucket to post my pictures also. I bring up the libary and choose the picture I want to upload and over to the right where it says "links to share this photo" I copy the direct link come back into my post and click the picture icon above and copy the link into it

Photobucket is normally very friendly for uploading pictures into your posts.

 

[SpotsandSally]

Very petty, and good to know your offering food. Just remember, they need a low fat diet (though at this point getting them to eat new things is number one priority) Hard to tell by the pics, but they actually don't look half bad. Bright yellow face patch, feathers look alright. But the pics aren't the best (low light, a lot of bars) so I can't say this for sure, and considering they're diet Im sure you can make them look so much better!
Try and give them somewhere to hide in. Could you take a box and cover it with a sheet so there's just a small hole they have to go in and out? They'd probably appreciate that, ESP. If they are skiddish. If not, I'd cover the cages with a cloth (are they together?) sheet or blanket or whatever and don't disturb them. That one is trying to hide by his food dish Congrats on the new fids, and rescuing them you'd imagine if a pet store spends a bunch of money to buy these birds, they'd actually take care of them. Not just stick sunflower seeds and water in and call it a day

 

[yann]

yes these two dont look that bad~ theres another one with no tail and white face but i have to tame and rehome one of these 2 first before bringing another fella home! hopefully that guy will still be around when i can bring it home i'll b updating more pics when they feel more comfy with me!

 

[SpotsandSally]

Oh, that's so sad. Have you talked to the pet store about the birds? Ever tried contacting the SPCA ? Have they had the white face longer or? Have you suggested to them they stop bringing in complicated-diet birds like red bellied macaws?
I feel awful for those birdies what else do they have they're neglecting?

 

[MonicaMc]

i just collected em and they are really really nervous and skittish birds. but it could be somewhat due to the treatment at the pet store. poor felluhs were grabbed by the neck when caught from the cage, i couldnt stand it anymore and volunteered to catch the bird myself>< i've attached some pictures!! some from the store and some in here at home and also a pic of their food

I think the issue is that you posted the page URL rather than the image URL.



Have you found the RBM group yet?

And if you don't mind me asking, where do you live?

 

[Abigal7]

It is interesting how they are different then other macaw species. I remember when I research on mini macaws they said macaws need some fat in their diet so be sure to give some nuts as part of their diet. I would not get one since I would be afraid of it starving. Have they started getting palm fruit or making pellets designed for them? I know Lories, lorikeets and Toucans have food products designed especially for them. I probably would have a easier time taking care of a Lory or Lorikeet then I would a red bellied macaw.

 

[MonicaMc]

Abigal, unfortunately not. Red bellies are so rare within captivity that there really isn't a market for them. I was shocked that someone would sell a pair for $300 per bird... and other places have sold the birds for cheaper than that!

The simple act of placing them in a new home could mean the death of a bird. People often say that of all the species kept within captivity, cockatoos should not be pets. Yes, they bite, they scream, they pluck and mutilate, they have aggression problems, etc.... but you want to talk of a species that *REALLY* doesn't belong within captivity? It's the red bellied macaw! There is no diet for them, so anyone who has one has to just "wing it" and try to get as close as possible to the kind of nutrients that they'd get from the wild. Unlike lorikeets, eclectus and toucans, there is nothing out there that says "this is the best diet to feed them within captivity, so stick to it". They are such skittish birds that moving them to another home could result in the birds not eating, and they would die. They can be kept as pets or breeders, but likewise, they can be difficult species to keep alive.



One owner bought a pair from a pet store. He gave them a nest box so they had a place to hide. Surprisingly, the pair had a clutch! Well, I think two, but the first wasn't viable? (might be off) Anyway, they ended up having three chicks. One died, which left two. These two chicks were not thriving (eating well, but not gaining weight), so by the recommendation of others, this person was told to sacrifice one chick to figure out why they weren't thriving. Necropsy of the chick didn't return a single thing wrong... it took a while, but the sole remaining chick did finally start to gain weight and now he is an adult at 22 years old.


Another ex-owner had a pair when she was younger, but due to life, she sold them to an "all knowing" breeder. This breeder figured he knew it all because he's kept and bred species far longer than the owner has. The owner told the breeder how to care for them and he didn't want to listen. Sure enough, after the breeder got the birds, he ended up losing one because he didn't do as was recommended.