Is being bit by a macaw quite painful?

[Beachsv]

I've gotten to meet and hold macaws before; greenwings, blue and golds, hyacinths... but I've never been bit by a macaw. Am I to understand that if at any point in time I do get bit by one, that it will be fairly painful?

 

[Carl_Power]

My Quaker bit me the other day. He doesnt bite but i was checking his wing and it was defensive. It put a hole in my finger and bled and hurt and his beak is small. A Macaw bites you hard and your going to hospital. They could more than likely take a finger off. They chew through hard nuts we need a nut cracker for x

 

[LordTriggs]

With Macaws it's hit and miss, a little warning from a well trained macaw will pinch you so you know you have performed unsatisfactorily, a full angry "I am frightened/you are my enemy" bite can cause stitch needing cuts, broken bones and in worst case amputation of fingers. If one were to reach that anger near a face you could easily say goodbye to your eye.

I assume you're looking into getting a large parrot and are looking at ones with less painful/damaging bites going by your other thread in the amazon zone? My best bet is this, look in rescues/stores. Assume any bird you look at will bite you (you will get bitten at somepoint for some reason, it's nearly inevitable no matter how well behaved they are) after you assume you'll be bitten look at what you find yourself comfortable handling with that in mind. Then you have an idea of what you could find yourself keeping. Having a pet you live in fear of just isn't a sustainable situation no matter how you cut it. So if you're looking at macs and zons but going "Oh but what if they bite me? I don't want to get hurt" then they're not going to be right for you.

that's my 2 cents on things

 

[happy410]

When my DYH Amazon bites its like a pinch bite. You can see perfect beak impression, sometimes breaks the skin. Our Macaw is more of a pressure bite. I think the problem is the fear of knowing he could easily break or remove a finger if he wanted to. When you see him crack an almond in 1/2 a second with ease, you wonder what he could do if he really wanted to.

 

[Kiwibird]

Well, a bird can "bite" with a range of damage in mind, ranging from a "pinch" or "nip" which does not break the skin but may sting a bit to a full force bite, which with any large parrot species could be a serious injury requiring medical attention. Any large parrot has the potential to bite bad enough to facilitate a trip to the ER. Macaws, having the largest beaks of all have the potential to inflict the most damage. The worst bite you'd typically expect out of a well adjusted, happy, bonded bird would be the occasional skin breaking bite, which is certainly quite painful but also a wound that is easily treated at home. However, every so often a bird gets you just wrong or a bird who has not been bite pressure trained or has behavioral problems can bite bad enough to cause permanent nerve damage and/or require reconstructive surgery. Remember, parrot beaks are powerful enough to crack open nuts and chew out big holes/hollows in large trees to nest in. A macaw beak can crack a walnut. You have to accept the damages that could do to your body as a condition of ownership.

That all said, proper bite pressure training will reduce the likelihood you ever receive a serious bite. Being a good owner will reduce the likelihood of a bad bite. Generally, happy, properly socialized parrots bite to convey a message or as a warning, not to inflict maximum damage. They do have a concept a bite hurts us. Often the worst bites from pet parrots come when they're injured or extremely scared and running on pure instinct . As a parrot owner, you definitely need to be ok with the occasional skin-breaking bite and the worst case scenario bite as well or else these are simply not the right pets for you. If you're just nervous about major damage but could tolerate minor bites on occasion smaller parrot species may be more the way to go. Parrots such as conures, parakeets, cockatiels etc... may occasionally draw blood but I've never heard of a serious enough bite from a smaller beak to warrant a trip to the ER. Personally, I've been bitten enough times in my life by medium-large amazons and a cockatoo, I simply have no desire to be bitten by anything bigger! Though I do love hearing about other peoples macaws and still think they are amazing, beautiful birds, there is nothing wrong with having your own personal limits to what you are or are not willing to put up with!

 

[wrench13]

OP, your getting good advice here. Bites are a part of parrot ownership. LOL, my kid the other day razzed me about this. He said " You would have our dog put down if she bit you as bad as Salty has in the past". I was like " He's a parrot, a wild animal I invited in to live with us. Dogs have been domesticated for 1000's of years". That being said, it's also a part of ownership to train your bird, and to also RECOGNIZE his body language. Salty is a really handle-able Amazon ( go check out his videos below) but if he is not in the mood to be manhandled and I disregard his very clear body language, well I can;t blame him for the bite. Hes a small amazon, so even a hard bite is not that bad ( bandaid level), a Macaw, frightened and in unfamiliar surroundings, could deliver much worse, but funny, you almost never read about a big Macaw doing serious hospital level damage. They COULD, but usually DONT.

 

[SailBoat]

It seems that you have three different Threads regarding mid-upper and Large Parrots biting based questions.

Based on that, you likely do not have an Amazon, Africa Grey or a MAC at this time.

Any of the mid-upper and larger Parrots can bit with pressure and they all nibble at ears, if allowed.

 

[LordTriggs]

OP, your getting good advice here. Bites are a part of parrot ownership. LOL, my kid the other day razzed me about this. He said " You would have our dog put down if she bit you as bad as Salty has in the past". I was like " He's a parrot, a wild animal I invited in to live with us. Dogs have been domesticated for 1000's of years". That being said, it's also a part of ownership to train your bird, and to also RECOGNIZE his body language. Salty is a really handle-able Amazon ( go check out his videos below) but if he is not in the mood to be manhandled and I disregard his very clear body language, well I can;t blame him for the bite. Hes a small amazon, so even a hard bite is not that bad ( bandaid level), a Macaw, frightened and in unfamiliar surroundings, could deliver much worse, but funny, you almost never read about a big Macaw doing serious hospital level damage. They COULD, but usually DONT.

haha should try elling me about putting a dog down after a bite! I personally have been privy to 8 dogs within my lifetime. 3 of them have bitten me. 1 by a cairn terrier as a child because I was teasing him (My fault and I was told it was my fault), 2 by the current westie cross, just playing with him and he got a little overexcited and chomped my hand (OUGC!) and finally by the ridiculously large German shepherd who got me on the arm. Was "fighting" with the westie over a toy and in a momentary lapse of concentration decided it was a good idea to remove the toy from both of them whilst they both had a hold of it. Both dogs immediately stopped and entered apology mode. I'd never think of putting them down, though a telling off was on the cards for them.

Also got bitten by my sister's rabbits, distinctly remember falling asleep once and woke up with my scalp being chewed on.

In summary, if it's a creature with a mouth odds are if you're around them long enough a part of your body may end up in said mouth!

 

[Kiwibird]

they all nibble at ears, if allowed.

Sometimes the nibbles (ears, nose, fingers, toes etc...) are harder to cope with than the bites! Usually 'nibbling' is a friendly act but they sometimes just get a bit...too eager and OUCH! Then what do you do? Can't give them a time out or stern word like a bite because they weren't being mean, but still, OW bird, you little stinker!

 

[Kentuckienne]

I've been bitten by amazon and blue and gold macaw. The amazon had a sharp beak that could cut a v shape into my finger, but didn't bleed much and healed quickly when it happened. I learned to ask, not demand, and to watch the body language to give him time to think and accept. He did once bite his person on the lip, nearly removing a large triangle of it, and that also healed well. He was on the shoulder, they were passengers and I was driving, and he was getting excited about something. The bite seemed unprovoked.

Macaw has bitten me on the arm several times. The sharp part of the beak seems to be the flat front of the lower beak, the one they sharpen against the top inside beak. It gouged a decent piece of skin off, requiring bandaids for a long time, and usually makes a bruise as well. One advantage is I don't offer a finger to him for step-up, just the arm, which makes a broader target. His body language is harder to read - sometimes he actually lifts a foot as if asking for step-up, then bites. Tricky little runt.

Biting is an instinct, and I think any parrot can and will bite. You just have to be prepared, and not throw the bird down or do anything to injure it. Get it off you, yes ... put it in the cage for a ten minute time out, put it on the floor, but don't fling it violently or hit it. Hitting a parrot, even "gently", will put your relationship back for years.

 

[Scott]

While a macaw bite has the potential to be severe, they generally do not use their might to excess unless seriously provoked or under hormonal influence.

I have been bitten by an Amazon, Green Wing/B&G, and various cockatoos. By far the worse was the Amazon. In my experience, macaws are well aware of their beaks and are among the more "rational" of parrots.

This thread is a classic: http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56384-big-beak-o-phobes-guide-understanding-macaw-beaks.html

 

[Abu Colo]

You can get arm and glove protectors made to protect again cuts, some made with Kevlar or even steel wiring or bars. A bite will still pinch, which is bad enough, but it shouldn’t break the skin. I use them now just to protect from claw marks.

As others already said, a domesticated macaw will usually only give a pinch bite, which will still hurt (a lot) and be sore for a few hours, but it won’t break the skin much. More often they will give a warning snap first unless something spooks them. I’ve had worse cuts from Quakers.

 

[riddick07]

I’m with Scott the Amazon bites are the worst! Technically I’ve had more damage from a macaw but the amazons just know how to make it hurt and grind in haha

Macaw bites are generally very easy to avoid since they tend to give off flashing neon light warnings. I’ve been bitten twice on the fingers because I wasn’t focused on the macaw but doing other things. One time distracted by an adopter and another just trying to get out and go home. The one time cracked/crushed a nail and the other I should have gone for stitches but as I said I just wanted to go home. I had some nerve damage for the second one but it healed up. Weirdest feeling touching but not feeling 100% haha. It was like just pressure for awhile. So I was just lucky no long term nerve damage for that one.

But my Amazon bites just hurt! Even when they don’t break skin those things hurt the worst. I’ve had huge bruises and deep indents from them. It’s like getting hit by a particularly angry freight train haha

 

[Dopey]

Push a human too hard and they will bite. Just saying.

 

[Dopey]

Yes, macaw bites hurt if they draw blood. If they are only out to warn you then usually they don't hurt. But if you cut yourself it hurts. Don't fear the macaw beak.

 

[Cas27]

Yes it hurts but,
I have a 9 year old male B&G I rescued from a bird store named Marty. When I first brought Marty home about 7 months ago he was hard too get off the cage. I would offer him my forearm and I’m a pretty big guy so he wasn’t able too get me with the tip of his beak but he would get me with enough pressure too leave welts on my arms but never broke the skin...I would take that over an Amazon or too bite any day. If he would get me on my fingers it’s a lot of pressure but he would always back right off. So the answer is yes but the posts above all hit the money if you read the signs of a Macaw and still get bit it’s your fault they are really gentle loving birds don’t be scared of their beaks respect them like you would a dog they can bite and send you too the hospital but that rarely happens the same with a Macaw.

 

[DiscoDuck]

There is a lot of good information in this thread about that 4 letter word people call "bite".
I get asked frequently "does he bite?" I answer of course! "If I stick my hand in your face are you going to bite me??

Its at that point I explain, "they will grab you and you are going to think it is a bite" "If he truly bit me my fingers would be missing." Now to be fair that when I show the tiny cuts on my finger or whether he decided to pierce my ears the day before. I don't know why he does what he does so I give him pistachios, sticks and even rocks for that matter. People sometimes want to ask whether they can pet him. I sternly say, NO!

He is not a cat not a dog and I cant teach as a human to not react. I feel strongly that this where the fight or reflex kicks in for both parties. Now to be fair. I have telling my self that I need to quit playing with him so much, because I present him my fingers and grab him by the beak. Its just a matter of time before he really nails me.

Anyways. I imaging that every bird is going to be different. It depends on the environment they are around, what their owners do with them. For example Rudy is fearless and extremely well behaved. When people greet us, I ask them to stick their arm out, i then place Rudy on their arm. Its at that point, I tell them look, hes a pirate not a parrot. inevitably he will remove ear rings, buttons, cell phones. Even the regalia from the police officers.

There are a lot of experts on here that have provided you with a wealth of information. IMO if this is something that concerns you, reconsider what it means if you have a bird that is bitey, they all will stick something of yours in their mouth.

Here is a picture of me feeding my boy snow.