Which parrot should I choose?

[southshore]

Hi all! Hope you and your birds are well. I am new to keeping parrots but have had the experience of handling some really wild species of animals. I want to ultimately have a Scarlet Macaw, but I don't want to jump into it unprepared knowing they are probably the toughest Macaw. I was hoping someone here can guide me to the one species I should start my journey with but I don't want to start with the extreme opposite end of the spectrum and get a super calm parrot such as the Pionus or the Poicephalus family. I want to start with a moderate bird. The options I am looking into currently are the Indian Ring Neck, the Alexandrine parakeet (I live in Pakistan where these birds are native and thus HUGE savings on the cost of bird) or the Red Fronted Macaw. Wanting to get to ultimate end up with a large Macaw, I was thinking that it could be a good decision to get a larger of the smaller macaws. I want to own two birds that would prepare me for a Scarlet. I was thinking the route to take could be maybe getting a smaller macaw, then the relatively easier of the large ones i.e a blue and gold or green wing etc. and then hopefully being adequately trained by then to finally go for the Scarlet.



I would love to hear your opinion on this. So, two parrots that will act as step 1 and step 2 leading to the final step that is the Scarlet. Also, I intend to free flight train all my parrots I would be getting. Kindly also let me know which is the easiest to handle species of the 17 Macaw species? Looking forward to hearing from you All advice would be greatly appreciated!



P.S. Could find much about the temperament of the Red Fronted Macaw on the internet. If someone could send me a link with detailed information on temperent and training that would be just great!

 

[BirdyBee]

I'm going to try tag some people who own macaws, these are all I can think of right now:
@riddick07
@Cindylynn

 

[southshore]

@PippTheBananaBirb You are SUPER helpful!

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

So, two parrots that will act as step 1 and step 2 leading to the final step that is the Scarlet.

If you want the Scarlet and are able to provide it an amazing life, go for it! There is no such thing as a "beginner bird". All birds have their own challenges and issues. You could get a really easy-going, tame macaw who barely destroys your house, and you could get a vicious, territorial, untame, extremely destructive B&G (or vice versa). It really just depends on the individual personalities of the bird. And mini macaws are known for being very sassy. Just because a bird is smaller in size does not mean it is easier to care for.

So yes, you COULD get "step one" and "step two" parrots, but you only SHOULD get them if you really want them and will treat them just as well as a Scarlet. And honestly, it's much easier to have one bird (provided it's not a budgie, budgies NEED a companion) as a beginner. Point is, if you want the macaw, if you have enough space, time and money for the Scarlet (and are willing to spend quality time with it and care for it well), then I see no reason why you shouldn't get the bird. If you don't have those things, maybe you should step back and reconsider if ANY bird is right for you at this time in your life.

I also highly recommend getting a rescue macaw. If you get a baby macaw to hand-feed, 2 things are almost certain to happen:

1. As the baby matures it will grow distant from you, it's "parent", in search of a mate.

2. The baby will be sweet and cuddly before puberty, but after and during puberty it will have an almost complete personality change, and won't be as tolerant anymore.

If you get an adult bird, you know it's personality, which makes it easier to work with. And yes, adults can be trained just as easily as babies.

And make sure to work with a PROFESSIONAL FREE-FLIGHT TRAINER to train them. DO NOT attempt it on your own, many people's birds have been lost and/or killed from trying this.

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Cindylynn]

I have a Harlequin Macaw. He's a cross between a B&G and a Green Wing. He's very friendly, affectionate, playful. But he is a HANDFUL! I dont think I would describe any macaw as easy.
I've never been close with any macaw other than my Harlequin, a Catalina and a B&G, so I can't speak to others temperaments.
I've never been around a Scarlet, but I've heard that they tend to be very beaky.
Have you spent any time around macaws?
Are you planning on being a forever home for step 1 & 2 birds?

 

[southshore]

If you want the Scarlet and are able to provide it an amazing life, go for it! There is no such thing as a "beginner bird". All birds have their own challenges and issues. You could get a really easy-going, tame macaw who barely destroys your house, and you could get a vicious, territorial, untame, extremely destructive B&G (or vice versa). It really just depends on the individual personalities of the bird. And mini macaws are known for being very sassy. Just because a bird is smaller in size does not mean it is easier to care for.

So yes, you COULD get "step one" and "step two" parrots, but you only SHOULD get them if you really want them and will treat them just as well as a Scarlet. And honestly, it's much easier to have one bird (provided it's not a budgie, budgies NEED a companion) as a beginner. Point is, if you want the macaw, if you have enough space, time and money for the Scarlet (and are willing to spend quality time with it and care for it well), then I see no reason why you shouldn't get the bird. If you don't have those things, maybe you should step back and reconsider if ANY bird is right for you at this time in your life.

I also highly recommend getting a rescue macaw. If you get a baby macaw to hand-feed, 2 things are almost certain to happen:

1. As the baby matures it will grow distant from you, it's "parent", in search of a mate.

2. The baby will be sweet and cuddly before puberty, but after and during puberty it will have an almost complete personality change, and won't be as tolerant anymore.

If you get an adult bird, you know it's personality, which makes it easier to work with. And yes, adults can be trained just as easily as babies.

And make sure to work with a PROFESSIONAL FREE-FLIGHT TRAINER to train them. DO NOT attempt it on your own, many people's birds have been lost and/or killed from trying this.

I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you soo very much for taking out the time to answer to my questions!

"So yes, you COULD get "step one" and "step two" parrots, but you only SHOULD get them if you really want them and will treat them just as well as a Scarlet."

You said earlier that there is no such thing as a beginner bird. I wanted to ask your opinion on all the videos on YouTube that are suggesting parrot species suitable for beginners. Does this mean that you don't agree with them at all, which is fine since you have a right to your opinion. You have suggested that I can have a step 1 and step 2 parrot in the sense of increased difficulty species temperament wise if I can care for them. Yes indeed I would care for them the same way I would my Scarlet. So what would you suggest as an ideal step 1 and step 2 bird?

"2. The baby will be sweet and cuddly before puberty, but after and during puberty it will have an almost complete personality change, and won't be as tolerant anymore."

Here are you referring to the bluffing phase? I have read mixed opinions on how long this might last. Some say from a few weeks to a few months while others suggest that it can last upto 2 years. So, how long does it really last for?

Secondly, doesn't getting a baby ensure a higher chance of creating a stronger bond with the bird? Or is this a false presumption and adult birds can bond as well as baby birds? Also, for flight training isn't it even more prudent to get a baby for the bonding necessary for creating a strong foundation for the free flight process?

“I also highly recommend getting a rescue macaw."

Unfortunately being a third world country we don't have organized systems for rescues and it is near impossible to get a bird worth getting. It would be a ruined bird fed a seed diet and either having or on the verge of having serious health issues. Plus there would be the solidified behavioral issues to deal with. But then again, there aren't any rescue programs in place.


"And make sure to work with a PROFESSIONAL FREE-FLIGHT TRAINER to train them."

There aren't any professional free flight trainers in the country. There is just one guy in my country Pakistan on YouTube who trains IRNs to free fly and makes videos on how to train them and he lives half way across the country. He recommends getting an IRN that is a month old, creating a bond by getting the chick to come to you on whistling and then rewarding them with handfeeding. According to him, it is an absolute must to get a chick if you are to create the bond necessary to ultimately free fly the bird. What is your opinion on this?

"All birds have their own challenges and issues. You could get a really easy-going, tame macaw who barely destroys your house, and you could get a vicious, territorial, untame, extremely destructive B&G (or vice versa). It really just depends on the individual personalities of the bird."

If we can't generalize based on temperamental differences between species, then how will we ever be able to decide which species to go for? How can we be sure then?

I will eagerly await your reply. Once again I am deeply grateful for your time and help! 😌

P.S. Kindly ready reply to @Cindylynn where I have explained where my concept of the step 1 and step 2 bird comes from. Thanks!

 

[southshore]

I have a Harlequin Macaw. He's a cross between a B&G and a Green Wing. He's very friendly, affectionate, playful. But he is a HANDFUL! I dont think I would describe any macaw as easy.
I've never been close with any macaw other than my Harlequin, a Catalina and a B&G, so I can't speak to others temperaments.
I've never been around a Scarlet, but I've heard that they tend to be very beaky.
Have you spent any time around macaws?
Are you planning on being a forever home for step 1 & 2 birds?

"Are you planning on being a forever home for step 1 & 2 birds?"

Yes indeed! They would stay with me just as a Scarlet would. The reasoning here is that after seeing videos on YouTube of so called "beginner birds" which are a plenty even on the most popular channels all of them most definitely have a beginner bird video. This obviously leads to suggest that there has to be a progression from what are presumed to be the easier to handle species such as the Pionus and the genus Poicephalus to eventually the large parrots, essentially the large Amazons, Cockatoos and Macaws. My interest is only in the Macaws. From what I have read off the internet and through videos is that the Scarlet is the most challenging of the Macaw species. That's why I was considering a step 1 and step 2 bird that would ultimately prepare me to handle a Scarlet. So that's the logic behind it. Again as I stated early it is mostly conditioned by YouTube videos where suggestions are made as to which birds a novice should keep and which they should stay away from since they are intended for the EXPERIENCED bird owner only, Scarlets being at the top of the list. What is your opinion on this.

I would also be grateful if you could explain in detail the temperament of B&Gs as per your experience. I have heard that GWs are much calmer than B&Gs. What are your thoughts on that?

 

[Cindylynn]

My experience with a B&G was only at a friend's house as a kid. I remember her being friendly, but that was 20 years ago. We had a Catalina when I was a kid (B&G and Scarlet) and he was pretty "one person" and I was his person. This was also 20ish years ago.
I wanted a macaw ever since my mom sold our Catalina. So for my 40th birthday, my hubby got me a Harlequin Macaw! So i guess that's why I asked if you've ever been around macaws...my Harlequin and I hit it right off and he's quickly become a family member. And I haven't been around macaws since childhood. I wouldn't necessarily think you need a starter bird I f you know how to handle them and understand the time, space and money it will take to keep a macaw (or several)!
They are wonderful, and wonderfully CHALLENGING!

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

Let me just start off by saying, I have seen many YouTube channels with creators from third-world countries. Most of these channels (not all, but at least 90% of them) do not display correct care/handling of their birds, and stress their birds out, all while advising others to do the same. I recommend you watch some BirdTricks training videos so you can see the correct handling of birds, and I also recommend you watch this video on handfeeding baby birds, because the smallest mistake can kill them. Additionally, do you have a Certified Avian Vet within a 3-hour travel? If not, I HIGHLY recommend reconsidering getting a baby bird, or any bird for that matter. Birds need very specialized vet care (and antibiotics), and many times they are dead within days/weeks (hours for baby birds) if they are ill and do not receive that care.

I wanted to ask your opinion on all the videos on YouTube that are suggesting parrot species suitable for beginners.

It is a known FACT within the parrot community that there are no "beginner birds". Sure, some birds are less expensive and more readily available, but they still need the same amount of care, attention, and love as bigger birds. "Beginner birds" such as budgies can even be MORE insistent on getting attention than bigger birds, since budgies are much more impatient and have a shorter attention span when it comes to playing with toys than a larger bird. I'm speaking from experience here.

Here are you referring to the bluffing phase? I have read mixed opinions on how long this might last. Some say from a few weeks to a few months while others suggest that it can last upto 2 years. So, how long does it really last for?

It can last from a few weeks/months to many years. The issue here is that, like human teenagers, once birds go through puberty they are no longer your baby. They will now be a more independent and hormonal adult, who will have their good and bad days. This is also a FACT, and is something every parrot owner experiences.

Or is this a false presumption and adult birds can bond as well as baby birds?

It is 100% a false presumption! Adult birds can bond even better than baby birds in some cases (where they were treated with love and care prior to you receiving them).

Also, for flight training isn't it even more prudent to get a baby for the bonding necessary for creating a strong foundation for the free flight process?

Nope! Many, many people have free-flight trained adult birds (even adult birds that came from a bad situation) extremely successfully, even better than baby birds! What matters is the expertise of the trainer, not the age of the bird.

According to him, it is an absolute must to get a chick if you are to create the bond necessary to ultimately free fly the bird. What is your opinion on this?

See my answer above I can give you many examples of people successfully free flight training adult birds. The best thing for you would be to harness train your bird, then work on outdoor recall with them (after working on indoor recall). Of course, it will take a fair bit of time (minimum 8 months), but otherwise the bird may not be reliable in it's recall.

I will eagerly await your reply. Once again I am deeply grateful for your time and help! 😌

And I am deeply grateful that you are seeking knowledge! I am glad to offer my time and help, anytime you need it.

Lastly, make sure you read up and watch videos on free-flight training. I mean EVERYTHING, especially from legitimate trainers (not just random people on YouTube). Good luck!

 

[Cindylynn]

And might I ask, what draws you to the macaws? Other than their obvious BEAUTY?

 

[ravvlet]

No macaw here, but I do have two rescue amazons acquired in their 30s-40s, and I have had one “baby” bird that was a tiel. The quality of bond between my OWA & what I had with my tiel is the same, in spite of the vastly different ages I acquired them. It’s about the bird choosing you.

With an adult bird, you know their personality going in, and they’ll have settled into their hormonal yearly cycle, so there shouldn’t be any surprises there. Plus, these guys live a loooooong time - especially larger parrots like macaws - sometimes an older bird is a more practical choice for end-of-life decisions. Who will take care of your baby when you are gone?

Nothing wrong with still wanting a baby, by the way. I did love my tiel’s baby stage. He was so precious and precocious! Did not love his hormonal teenage moments but those were fleeting as he was a smaller species thankfully.

I guess I’m just saying, don’t rule out an older bird - you might find one that works for you & likes you just fine.

 

[riddick07]

Okay so there’s a difference between hormonal & bluffing. I think you might be combining the two. Hormonal phase of reaching maturity will pass sometimes quickly sometimes not. Then, you may or may not have seasonal mood swings to deal with. I don’t notice this quite as much in the big macaws as other species. Now bluffing is for life. It’s them testing boundaries & seeing if you got what it takes to make them behave or if they can just push you around all the time. Even a well behaved macaw will have moments of testing you over the years to see what happens & they pretty much all love testing new people. My personal macaw is a huge bluffer for people other than me but he’s also a huge wimp. He will bark & bite the chair/perch with wings out but if you don’t back down he’ll either do what you want or run away.

Its 100% false on the baby bird adult thing. Adults bond just as well if not better than babies. Adults will choose their person & that’s that. Babies have a tendency of maturing & picking a person that didn’t buy it or you are just flock & not closely bonded haha. That’s not saying a baby bird can’t form the same bond it’s just a bit of a chance being taken. If you go out and adult macaw decides that you are it than the tight bond is pretty much automatic. I know 3 people personally that got adult macaws this way. My mother who never wanted a macaw but was chosen. My friend who has both a family macaw but one that chose the daughter. So while the whole family can interact without issues it’s the daughter will the real bond. And my own macaw that I can do anything with. I worked at a shelter for awhile so I’ve seen these automatic chosen moments often but just haven’t kept up with anyone else. I’ve also both bought baby birds & handraised birds. My best bonds were the birds I got as adults. The only one that came close was my green cheek conure female. She was hell thru maturity but did bond very well once she got thru it. My others not so much.

Never get a baby bird because “adults come with behavior issues & babies don’t“. The only thing getting a baby bird means is that you get to personally screw it up & cause behavior problems that need to be fixed

No small bird is going to prepare you for a big bird. I don’t believe in the beginner bird either. If you’ve done your research & aren’t intimidated by the beak than just get what you want the first time. Be prepared for mistakes, take criticism & don’t let ego get in the way of fixing how you may be interacting. Most likely you WILL cause a behavior issue especially if you don’t have anywhere to get macaw experience in handling. Just be willing to ask for help to see where you went wrong.

Scarlets are beaky but they get a bad rep. They are no more of an issue than any other big macaw. I’ve meet horrible blue and golds or green wings & sweet scarlets. I’ve also met some truly terrible scarlets lol. The worst macaws I’ve met though leaned toward the hybrid category for some reason.

Also, small macaws have a tendency to go the way of conures with their Napoleon complex. So wouldn’t necessarily recommend them as preparing for the big guys.

The two red fronted macaws I knew were jerks. A blue throated macaw was my favorite smallerish macaw even though they really aren’t that small. My one friend loved his severe macaw. I’m not a huge small macaw fan personally.

I don’t free fly but from what I heard baby birds do make it easier. I’m thinking mostly because they actually get to learn how to fly & develop for it. Which is something a lot of birds don’t get to do before their flights get chopped off. But I’ve also seen people take adult rescue birds free flying too.

 

[ravvlet]

Never get a baby bird because “adults come with behavior issues & babies don’t“. The only thing getting a baby bird means is that you get to personally screw it up & cause behavior problems that need to be fixed

Haha, couldn’t agree more.

 

[southshore]

My experience with a B&G was only at a friend's house as a kid. I remember her being friendly, but that was 20 years ago. We had a Catalina when I was a kid (B&G and Scarlet) and he was pretty "one person" and I was his person. This was also 20ish years ago.
I wanted a macaw ever since my mom sold our Catalina. So for my 40th birthday, my hubby got me a Harlequin Macaw! So i guess that's why I asked if you've ever been around macaws...my Harlequin and I hit it right off and he's quickly become a family member. And I haven't been around macaws since childhood. I wouldn't necessarily think you need a starter bird I f you know how to handle them and understand the time, space and money it will take to keep a macaw (or several)!
They are wonderful, and wonderfully CHALLENGING!

Thank you for sharing your experience @Cindylynn. It is much appreciated

 

[southshore]

Let me just start off by saying, I have seen many YouTube channels with creators from third-world countries. Most of these channels (not all, but at least 90% of them) do not display correct care/handling of their birds, and stress their birds out, all while advising others to do the same. I recommend you watch some BirdTricks training videos so you can see the correct handling of birds, and I also recommend you watch this video on handfeeding baby birds, because the smallest mistake can kill them. Additionally, do you have a Certified Avian Vet within a 3-hour travel? If not, I HIGHLY recommend reconsidering getting a baby bird, or any bird for that matter. Birds need very specialized vet care (and antibiotics), and many times they are dead within days/weeks (hours for baby birds) if they are ill and do not receive that care.

It is a known FACT within the parrot community that there are no "beginner birds". Sure, some birds are less expensive and more readily available, but they still need the same amount of care, attention, and love as bigger birds. "Beginner birds" such as budgies can even be MORE insistent on getting attention than bigger birds, since budgies are much more impatient and have a shorter attention span when it comes to playing with toys than a larger bird. I'm speaking from experience here.

It can last from a few weeks/months to many years. The issue here is that, like human teenagers, once birds go through puberty they are no longer your baby. They will now be a more independent and hormonal adult, who will have their good and bad days. This is also a FACT, and is something every parrot owner experiences.

It is 100% a false presumption! Adult birds can bond even better than baby birds in some cases (where they were treated with love and care prior to you receiving them).

Nope! Many, many people have free-flight trained adult birds (even adult birds that came from a bad situation) extremely successfully, even better than baby birds! What matters is the expertise of the trainer, not the age of the bird.

See my answer above I can give you many examples of people successfully free flight training adult birds. The best thing for you would be to harness train your bird, then work on outdoor recall with them (after working on indoor recall). Of course, it will take a fair bit of time (minimum 8 months), but otherwise the bird may not be reliable in it's recall.

And I am deeply grateful that you are seeking knowledge! I am glad to offer my time and help, anytime you need it.

Lastly, make sure you read up and watch videos on free-flight training. I mean EVERYTHING, especially from legitimate trainers (not just random people on YouTube). Good luck!

"I recommend you watch some BirdTricks training videos so you can see the correct handling of birds, and I also recommend you watch this video on handfeeding baby birds, because the smallest mistake can kill them."

When you say 'this video on handfeeding' which video are you referring too?

" Additionally, do you have a Certified Avian Vet within a 3-hour travel?"

Yes I fortunately do.

" It can last from a few weeks/months to many years. The issue here is that, like human teenagers, once birds go through puberty they are no longer your baby. They will now be a more independent and hormonal adult, who will have their good and bad days. This is also a FACT, and is something every parrot owner experiences."

So how bad is this harmonal phase going to be like? Is it really true that the worst possible behavior can continue for as you say MANY years and you are dealing with an absolute BRAT for many years? When does the bird finally get over it and settle into ONLY seasonal harmonal behavior? To what extent can this behavior be curtailed with proper handling?

“Lastly, make sure you read up and watch videos on free-flight training. I mean EVERYTHING, especially from legitimate trainers (not just random people on YouTube)."

Can you please point me in the right direction here? Everyone with an opinion is an expert on YouTube. Apart from Birdtricks which other YouTubers can I follow and which expert blogs can I read to better prepare myself?

Also, there are so many training approaches. Which one should I focus one which will teach me step by step on what to do from day 1?

Can't thank you enough for your help! Looking forward to hearing from you

 

[southshore]

No macaw here, but I do have two rescue amazons acquired in their 30s-40s, and I have had one “baby” bird that was a tiel. The quality of bond between my OWA & what I had with my tiel is the same, in spite of the vastly different ages I acquired them. It’s about the bird choosing you.

With an adult bird, you know their personality going in, and they’ll have settled into their hormonal yearly cycle, so there shouldn’t be any surprises there. Plus, these guys live a loooooong time - especially larger parrots like macaws - sometimes an older bird is a more practical choice for end-of-life decisions. Who will take care of your baby when you are gone?

Nothing wrong with still wanting a baby, by the way. I did love my tiel’s baby stage. He was so precious and precocious! Did not love his hormonal teenage moments but those were fleeting as he was a smaller species thankfully.

I guess I’m just saying, don’t rule out an older bird - you might find one that works for you & likes you just fine.

@ravvlet Thanks so very much for dropping by to answer my queries

"With an adult bird, you know their personality going in, and they’ll have settled into their hormonal yearly cycle, so there shouldn’t be any surprises there."

At about what age would you say they settle into their cycle?

 

[southshore]

Okay so there’s a difference between hormonal & bluffing. I think you might be combining the two. Hormonal phase of reaching maturity will pass sometimes quickly sometimes not. Then, you may or may not have seasonal mood swings to deal with. I don’t notice this quite as much in the big macaws as other species. Now bluffing is for life. It’s them testing boundaries & seeing if you got what it takes to make them behave or if they can just push you around all the time. Even a well behaved macaw will have moments of testing you over the years to see what happens & they pretty much all love testing new people. My personal macaw is a huge bluffer for people other than me but he’s also a huge wimp. He will bark & bite the chair/perch with wings out but if you don’t back down he’ll either do what you want or run away.

Its 100% false on the baby bird adult thing. Adults bond just as well if not better than babies. Adults will choose their person & that’s that. Babies have a tendency of maturing & picking a person that didn’t buy it or you are just flock & not closely bonded haha. That’s not saying a baby bird can’t form the same bond it’s just a bit of a chance being taken. If you go out and adult macaw decides that you are it than the tight bond is pretty much automatic. I know 3 people personally that got adult macaws this way. My mother who never wanted a macaw but was chosen. My friend who has both a family macaw but one that chose the daughter. So while the whole family can interact without issues it’s the daughter will the real bond. And my own macaw that I can do anything with. I worked at a shelter for awhile so I’ve seen these automatic chosen moments often but just haven’t kept up with anyone else. I’ve also both bought baby birds & handraised birds. My best bonds were the birds I got as adults. The only one that came close was my green cheek conure female. She was hell thru maturity but did bond very well once she got thru it. My others not so much.

Never get a baby bird because “adults come with behavior issues & babies don’t“. The only thing getting a baby bird means is that you get to personally screw it up & cause behavior problems that need to be fixed

No small bird is going to prepare you for a big bird. I don’t believe in the beginner bird either. If you’ve done your research & aren’t intimidated by the beak than just get what you want the first time. Be prepared for mistakes, take criticism & don’t let ego get in the way of fixing how you may be interacting. Most likely you WILL cause a behavior issue especially if you don’t have anywhere to get macaw experience in handling. Just be willing to ask for help to see where you went wrong.

Scarlets are beaky but they get a bad rep. They are no more of an issue than any other big macaw. I’ve meet horrible blue and golds or green wings & sweet scarlets. I’ve also met some truly terrible scarlets lol. The worst macaws I’ve met though leaned toward the hybrid category for some reason.

Also, small macaws have a tendency to go the way of conures with their Napoleon complex. So wouldn’t necessarily recommend them as preparing for the big guys.

The two red fronted macaws I knew were jerks. A blue throated macaw was my favorite smallerish macaw even though they really aren’t that small. My one friend loved his severe macaw. I’m not a huge small macaw fan personally.

I don’t free fly but from what I heard baby birds do make it easier. I’m thinking mostly because they actually get to learn how to fly & develop for it. Which is something a lot of birds don’t get to do before their flights get chopped off. But I’ve also seen people take adult rescue birds free flying too.

Thank you for sharing your wealth of experience! Can you tell me what you mean by the adult bird choosing you and what are the ways in which you can check how well behaved an adult large macaw is before bringing them home?

Since you have experience with Macaws can you please point out main differences in generic temperament between the BG, GW and the Scarlet?

 

[𝕾𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖞𝕻𝖎𝖈𝖆]

When you say 'this video on handfeeding' which video are you referring too?

So sorry, I forgot to link it!

So how bad is this harmonal phase going to be like? Is it really true that the worst possible behavior can continue for as you say MANY years and you are dealing with an absolute BRAT for many years?

I think you may have misunderstood me a bit. I meant that the adult will go through hormonal phases every spring and fall even after puberty. This is because those times are mating seasons for parrots. You can reduce hormonal behavior during these times by giving the bird 12-14 hours of sleep, and taking away all boxes and other dark enclosed areas the bird can get into.

 

[Cindylynn]

So sorry, I forgot to link it!

I think you may have misunderstood me a bit. I meant that the adult will go through hormonal phases every spring and fall even after puberty. This is because those times are mating seasons for parrots. You can reduce hormonal behavior during these times by giving the bird 12-14 hours of sleep, and taking away all boxes and other dark enclosed areas the bird can get into.

I'm gonna add here too that There are certain areas that you should avoid petting to help decrease hormonal behavior. Head and neck area are fair game any time birdie wants affection. Under the wings should only be handled if required to care for the bird, same with vent area. Not sure if this is the case for all birds, but for macaws, certain areas can send very wrong signals

 

[southshore]

So sorry, I forgot to link it!

I think you may have misunderstood me a bit. I meant that the adult will go through hormonal phases every spring and fall even after puberty. This is because those times are mating seasons for parrots. You can reduce hormonal behavior during these times by giving the bird 12-14 hours of sleep, and taking away all boxes and other dark enclosed areas the bird can get into.

OK so I have read that Macaws hit puberty between 3 to 6 years. How long does this difficult puberty time last before the bird settles into its routine seasonal only hormonal changes?

And thanks for the video!