Attention Mini Macaw Slaves

[Helitorian]

I very recently lost my little Jenday and this silence is getting pretty hard to stand. I'm not looking to replace her RIGHT NOW, but I am interested in 6mo to a year. I always knew my next bird would be a mini macaw and most likely a Hanhs at that because of its size. Now that Con has passed, I no longer have to worry about her safety with another bird, so I can look at larger species.

Part of me is considering a macaw larger than a Hahns, but preferably still a mini, (I'm really interested in an Illigers) while the other half says I should just go all out and get my dream bird: a B&G. The only problem is I'd like to have my own home before I get a B&G which leaves me with the mini's again.

Rambling aside, all I want from you guys is some advice, lots of adorable and not so adorable stories, and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Actually, I'm demanding pictures Thank you in advanced!

 

[MikeyTN]

I'm so sorry to hear you lost Constantine.....Been around hahns but never owned one, but they seem very clownish and have big macaw personalities. I have my two B&G Macaws and wouldn't trade them for nothing.

 

[goalerjones]

I had a Jenday pass away, then I got a Hahns a year later.

Positives:

1) totally different personalities. Which means it's not going to remind you of your Jenday.
2) very good talkers
3) easily socialized w/ multiple family members
4) can be loud but nothing compared to a Jenday

Negatives:

1) very interested in what you're doing, whether it's dangerous or not.
2) that beak shape is wider and thinner than a Jenday, plus the tip is very sharp. More blood-letting.
3) might need to be flightless depending on how bird-proof your house is.

At first she was very timid, but now she's bold as a lion. Very affectionate, but not passive. She isn't afraid of the stove, the oven, or the dogs. Which of course my Jenday was terrified of. Funny little girl she is. She used to nip my finger then say, "ouch," or, "good boy!" (When I thought she was a he). Once, when I was on the phone with my vet making a grooming appointment, she snuck down and bit my ear. Then she walked away laughing. My vets receptionist thought it was hysterical.

 

[Helitorian]

Thank you for the replies. I've seen loads of Hahns videos and they are seriously adorable but I'm interested in something larger. Anyone have any input on owning an Illiger? A Severe would be awesome too though I'm rather leery of the one person bonding thing. I'd be glad to hear different about it.

 

[noblemacaw]

My parrot experience includes a Noble macaw, Illiger's macaw and RFM. I also had Cockatiels and a Solomon Island Eclectus.

Such a variety of parrots have lived with me. I learned early on I am a macaw person. I LOVE macaws and realized I need at least one macaw in my life. Right now my macaw is Valentino a RFM which is the smallest of the large macaws or the largest of the mini macaws. They never agree on what the RFM is.

I had a Illiger's macaw from 2002 to 2011. Diego was my first bird I purchased across country and back then I flew out to California to take him home. Diego's personality was very fiery and he was willful. Between the Noble, Eclectus and him Diego had the strongest personality but I really liked that about him. He was bonded to me but tolerated everyone else even though I took great pains to socialize him with other people. I have been told more than once that while I had my three boys I favored Diego.

The Illiger's is very different than the Hahn's. My experience with my Noble and knowing a lot of people with Hahn's is that the noble macaw is so much more mellow than the Hahn's. Mihijo never once bit me and anyone could handle him especially if you had food. My Illiger's was not as food motivated as the Noble or Eclectus and it took me longer to teach my Illiger's tricks and correct behavior issues. When I took Diego to bird club meetings I would always have to sit way in the back because the little freak use to heckle the speaker. It was so embarrassing.

Diego was very affectionate with me. He use to like to cram his little body up under my chin shoving himself against my neck. His feathers use to tickle my neck as I have always been ticklish there so it took me a good long while to be able to tolerate the constant tickling Diego's feathers caused me. He would coo and serenade me while cuddling especially when I went out of country for two weeks.

My Illiger's grew into a very beautiful colorful mini macaw. His colors were vibrant his plumage shiny with excellent diet. However I lost Diego to a massive stroke that killed him within only 45 mins. I took his death very hard because I felt his stroke was caused by his diet. I have done extensive research and talked to many experts across the world to learn about heart disease in parrots. I learned with diet changes and CBC numbers feeding hot peppers to any parrot that will eat them helps keep cholesterol low and heart disease at bay. My Valentino gets 4 to 5 different hot peppers in his fresh mix. He LOVES all peppers hot and sweet.

Because of Diego I cannot bring myself to get another Illiger's. Diego was co-parented between the breeder and his parents. This was instrumental for Diego to understand he is a parrot so he had a bit of a "wild" streak which I called willful. There will only be one Diego. I do recommend Illiger's macaw for experienced people only. I don't think you would love a mini macaw because you loved your conure so much and they are somewhat similar in behavior.

As for the exceptional behavior and personality of the Noble macaw I can only go off of my Mihijo. He was a one in a million parrot which was never aggressive or nippy. Anyone could handle him, even responsible children. Anyone could take Mihijo out of his cage as he only cared about coming out and was never possessive of his cage. Mihijo was nearly the perfect parrot but because of his personality and intelligence. I had adopted a abused Noble macaw and I could still see a lot of what I learned as "noble macaw" behavior but also had issues because of the abuse.

The only parrot I think is the closest to a Noble macaw would be the Golden Conure. Very affectionate, intelligent and even though they are considered loud they have the CUTEST call ever. I think compared to how loud a RFM is I could handle a GC.

I do not have any experience with a yellow collar (If I could find one I would love to have one) or the severe. Everyone I know that has had or has a severe love them but they are difficult to keep socialized properly.

For my experience I want my second parrot to be either a Panama Amazon, Golden conure (not very likely but can dream), Yellow collar (hard to find one), and if I am crazy enough BTM.

Can you find the Illiger's

Such a pretty parrot

 

[Helitorian]

Thank you for the info, noblemacaw. You're Illiger was a beautiful boy
Any other Illi owners out there that'd like to weight in? HOw about Hahn's?

 

[BirdyMomma]

Hi
I am the most fortunate mom to a Yellow Collared Macaw.
.......shhh.......don't tell anyone.....but,..........these birds are AWESOME. I could seriously drive you up the wall, talking about how magnificent my YCM is. I would LOVE to post THOUSANDS of photos and videos of her, but I have trouble posting them on our forum.

Our YCM is a loving, devoted little GENIUS. She LOVES training and cuddling, and just hanging out with is. She is soooo ridiculously smart, she knows over a dozen tricks, and once she figured out, that we like it when she talks, she became a great talker. She is doing great with her flight training, and she loves to eat.

If you are considering a mini, please look into a YCM. My life has been made so happy since I met my little baby, and maybe a YCM can make you smile too!!

 

[Helitorian]

I never even considered a YCM! Now I'm gonna have to start researching them too. Thanks, BirdyMomma!

 

[Abigal7]

I read Severes can be the most challenging mini macaw and even accessed or being more challenging then larger macaws. I have a Hahns macaw. He doesn't try to bite me but he sadly will fly away from new people I introduce him to. I love macaws and to be honest I would like to add a illigers or yellow collard macaw. It is hard to say if a mini macaw will remind of your conure since both have macaw like traits. One difference is Captain Jack has a black tongue he taste things with (something a conure does not have). He also has a voice that is less cringe worthy then say a sun or jenday conure.

 

[Helitorian]

Thank you, Abigal7. My research has led me away from Severes due to the fact that they bond strongly with one person. My dad loved playing with my Jenday so I need to make sure I get a fairly laid back species. I'm really leaning towards and Illigers and there is a breeder just over the state line from me. As for the macaw reminding me of my conure, I don't mind. What better way to remember her then to see her reflected in my new baby?

I'm not looking to get the macaw right now. I'm waiting about a year so that I can save up for the bird, a new cage, and lots of toys. I'll have plenty I time to grieve for my conure and accept that she's gone. That doesn't make this silence any easier to tolerate but I'd rather welcome my new baby with an open heart rather than rush and be heart broken when it isn't exactly the same as my Con.

As for a conure's tongue: my Jenday had a black one and boy did it end up in some odd places. My nose being one of her favorite places to stuff it.