CallumConure
New member
- Apr 10, 2019
- 132
- 7
- Parrots
-
Callum- GCC Hatchday: October 15th, 2016
(nonparrot friends include rats, a dog, and a few reptiles :))
Apologies if this has already been posted or if I'm posting in the wrong spot. I'm new, so bear with me.
I'm making this thread asking what it's like to live with a macaw. I've probably seen every "You want a Macaw?" "Don't get a macaw, unless..." "Living with a macaw" video I can find. Ever since I was very little and saw a macaw for the first time, I've wanted one. (I also found out that had my mother married my father, I would have inherited a last name that is pronounced exactly like macaw, so it's almost like fate is giving me a sign, lol!)
I've heard all of the scary stories of people getting bitten by the huge beaks and I don't think I'm scared of it. Of course, I never have seen the beak, so I can't say for sure. My mother has told me a story of when a macaw spooked and bit her hand and shows me the scar to this day. I also know that a lot of people say a socialized, well-cared for macaw will only ever bite rarely. But since I plan on getting a rescue and not really knowing the bird's history, I'm sort of preparing myself to get bit once or twice.
Sure, my GCC's beak is nothing compared to a macaw's, but I've been bitten hard once or twice when he spooked. I've been bitten by rats, my bird, and a few other things and I don't react anymore.
My current situation: 22-year-old part-time student attending college and about to finish up with Biology generals and an Associate's degree in hand. I have budgies and a GCC (who are all let out at least eight to ten hours a day), but no experience with macaws. If all goes well, I may end up volunteering at a bird rescue near me, but there's no guarantee that I'll see or handle a macaw. Hopefully there will be a typical macaw or two so that I can hear the screaming and noises for myself. Reading stories about their loudness is nothing compared to experiencing it.
I'd love to attend bird expos and see and handle macaws, but I can understand and relate with people's apprehension with strangers touching their birds. I'm not a fan of people touching my GCC (not that he's a fan either).
I know my current situation is not ideal for a macaw. At all. So, I'm planning on adopting an elderly/aging macaw once I've got the room, money, and time for such a large bird. Any comments or concerns are welcomed. I'm not rushing into getting a bird. I've read so many articles, websites, and books on macaws everything I read feels like a reiteration. I want to hear it from people who actually keep the birds and hear their experiences.
Ideally, I'd love to get a greenwing or B&G macaw one day. I have plans to have a huge bird room with a jungle gym in the middle of the room and my birds are left out all day with various perches around the house so that they can join me.
If I didn't live in Minnesota (it's only above 60 degrees Fahrenheit about three or four months out of the year if we're lucky), I'd love to have an outdoor aviary.
Thanks for any advice or stories! I'm craving information about macaws!
I'm making this thread asking what it's like to live with a macaw. I've probably seen every "You want a Macaw?" "Don't get a macaw, unless..." "Living with a macaw" video I can find. Ever since I was very little and saw a macaw for the first time, I've wanted one. (I also found out that had my mother married my father, I would have inherited a last name that is pronounced exactly like macaw, so it's almost like fate is giving me a sign, lol!)
I've heard all of the scary stories of people getting bitten by the huge beaks and I don't think I'm scared of it. Of course, I never have seen the beak, so I can't say for sure. My mother has told me a story of when a macaw spooked and bit her hand and shows me the scar to this day. I also know that a lot of people say a socialized, well-cared for macaw will only ever bite rarely. But since I plan on getting a rescue and not really knowing the bird's history, I'm sort of preparing myself to get bit once or twice.
Sure, my GCC's beak is nothing compared to a macaw's, but I've been bitten hard once or twice when he spooked. I've been bitten by rats, my bird, and a few other things and I don't react anymore.
My current situation: 22-year-old part-time student attending college and about to finish up with Biology generals and an Associate's degree in hand. I have budgies and a GCC (who are all let out at least eight to ten hours a day), but no experience with macaws. If all goes well, I may end up volunteering at a bird rescue near me, but there's no guarantee that I'll see or handle a macaw. Hopefully there will be a typical macaw or two so that I can hear the screaming and noises for myself. Reading stories about their loudness is nothing compared to experiencing it.
I'd love to attend bird expos and see and handle macaws, but I can understand and relate with people's apprehension with strangers touching their birds. I'm not a fan of people touching my GCC (not that he's a fan either).
I know my current situation is not ideal for a macaw. At all. So, I'm planning on adopting an elderly/aging macaw once I've got the room, money, and time for such a large bird. Any comments or concerns are welcomed. I'm not rushing into getting a bird. I've read so many articles, websites, and books on macaws everything I read feels like a reiteration. I want to hear it from people who actually keep the birds and hear their experiences.
Ideally, I'd love to get a greenwing or B&G macaw one day. I have plans to have a huge bird room with a jungle gym in the middle of the room and my birds are left out all day with various perches around the house so that they can join me.
If I didn't live in Minnesota (it's only above 60 degrees Fahrenheit about three or four months out of the year if we're lucky), I'd love to have an outdoor aviary.
Thanks for any advice or stories! I'm craving information about macaws!
Last edited:
