General Macaw/Parrot Questions

[MustLoveAnimals]

I have fallen head-over-heels in love with a B&G. He/She is cuddly, interactive, playful, mellow, and just amazing. And he/she obviously likes me. It was following me around, so sweet. Now, I have some questions:

It was definitely not aggressive, but was chewing on my hand. It bled. I didn't react to it, I just set it down. Why was it doing this? Was it a test? Or just playing? How do you stop this behavior?

If it's a baby, will it grow out of being cuddly? Will this adorable personality change as it gets older? Are most hand tame Macs cuddly until sexual maturity?

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm sorry, I have to ask: Why did you allow him/her to chew on your hands to the extent of him/her drawing blood?

Yes, big macs can be quite beaky, but that's where training comes in. Beak pressure training to be exact.

If raised, handled and socialized properly, they never outgrow their 'cuddliness', even when sexually mature.

 

[weco]

As you & many other bird owners quickly find out, they come with cute & cuddly, but they don't come prepackaged with manners and limitations and since we humans have sought fit to bring these cute bundles of feathers into our lives, it is incumbent on those of us who came without feathers to teach our feathered friends what is and what is not acceptable behavior.....I've found similar inefficiencies in my human children, heck, I think human children are messier than their feathered siblings.....at least our feathered friends are less odoriferous than a child's loaded diaper ! ! !

Sorry to dump all of this on you Brittany, but not all breeders or bird sellers are good about putting on those, often little sticky tags that warn we humans about untrained biting beaks.....think of it as you're having passed the hardest part of the examination, you got him/her interested & follow you around.....

 

[Anansi]

Any idea on the age?

It is very possible that this macaw is simply not yet bite-pressure trained. I'm betting that you allowed the B&G to chew on you because of the whole "show no reaction" tactic to bird biting that so many cite, no?

I very much disagree with that approach. I think it's just unnecessarily painful. Keep your reactions calm, of course, but tell the bird "no" in a steady voice and remove the beak from your hand. Don't give tacit approval by allowing him/her to chomp away.

As for the change in macs (as well as a number of other parrots) when they hit sexual maturity, the extent to which this happens will vary from individual to individual. But yes, it's quite possible that they may begin to test you around that time. But it's something you work through. Doesn't mean that they'll cease to be cuddly. Macs are big old mush birds as long as they're socialized correctly.

But depending on the individual bird, you may have to make some adjustments. Watch body language. Be aware of their mating seasons. Eventually, you'll know your bird well enough to know when it might be best to leave them alone for a while.

 

[Birdman666]

I'm sorry, I have to ask: Why did you allow him/her to chew on your hands to the extent of him/her drawing blood?

Yes, big macs can be quite beaky, but that's where training comes in. Beak pressure training to be exact.

If raised, handled and socialized properly, they never outgrow their 'cuddliness', even when sexually mature.

I second this. People have been sold on this "don't react" theory, as if it were gospel, and the poor bird probably didn't even know it was hurting you...

They have to be taught what they can and cannot chew on. Human flesh definitely qualifies as a "no."

Essentially, if they get handled and properly socialized, macaws are lap birds. Sexual maturity does not really affect that (unless they have a female on eggs - then they will defend the nest.) These are attention oriented birds that want to be with their people...

It's a lifetime thing.

But they need to be handled EVERY DAY, and not left to rot in a cage. Macaws do not take kindly to being locked up and ignored. You don't work with them "when and if you feel like it." These are high IQ high attention needs birds...

If they get their needs met, they tend to be cuddlebugs for life.

If not properly socialized, or their needs do not get met? They tend to become difficult.

You get out what you put in. A bird that is well loved soaks it up and gives it back to you.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

I'm sorry, I have to ask: Why did you allow him/her to chew on your hands to the extent of him/her drawing blood?

Yes, big macs can be quite beaky, but that's where training comes in. Beak pressure training to be exact.

If raised, handled and socialized properly, they never outgrow their 'cuddliness', even when sexually mature.

I was under the impression that you are supposed to ignore a bite completely. It didn't make much sense in this particular case, for this bird wasn't aggressive. But all of the websites I browsed through mentioned ignoring a bite. So that's what I did.

Break pressure training? How is this done?

I understand that parrots are nothing like dogs, but would you socialize each in a similar way? Exposing them to new people and places, making every experience positive and fun?

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

As you & many other bird owners quickly find out, they come with cute & cuddly, but they don't come prepackaged with manners and limitations and since we humans have sought fit to bring these cute bundles of feathers into our lives, it is incumbent on those of us who came without feathers to teach our feathered friends what is and what is not acceptable behavior.....I've found similar inefficiencies in my human children, heck, I think human children are messier than their feathered siblings.....at least our feathered friends are less odoriferous than a child's loaded diaper ! ! !

Sorry to dump all of this on you Brittany, but not all breeders or bird sellers are good about putting on those, often little sticky tags that warn we humans about untrained biting beaks.....think of it as you're having passed the hardest part of the examination, you got him/her interested & follow you around.....

Thank you!
Yes, I understand that it takes lots of training to mold a parrot into a great, well behaved companion. I definitely learned this from my sassy Cockatiel.

So....do you think that this bird "liked" me because I didn't "discipline" it for chewing on me? Darn, I really thought that there was a connection.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Any idea on the age?

It is very possible that this macaw is simply not yet bite-pressure trained. I'm betting that you allowed the B&G to chew on you because of the whole "show no reaction" tactic to bird biting that so many cite, no?

I very much disagree with that approach. I think it's just unnecessarily painful. Keep your reactions calm, of course, but tell the bird "no" in a steady voice and remove the beak from your hand. Don't give tacit approval by allowing him/her to chomp away.

As for the change in macs (as well as a number of other parrots) when they hit sexual maturity, the extent to which this happens will vary from individual to individual. But yes, it's quite possible that they may begin to test you around that time. But it's something you work through. Doesn't mean that they'll cease to be cuddly. Macs are big old mush birds as long as they're socialized correctly.

But depending on the individual bird, you may have to make some adjustments. Watch body language. Be aware of their mating seasons. Eventually, you'll know your bird well enough to know when it might be best to leave them alone for a while.

You are exactly right. Wow, I thought that I was doing the correct thing. Well, now I know. Thank you.
I did not ask the age, but I'm guessing it is fairly young. Possibly adolescent. How does one bite-pressure train? I will keep this in mind the next time I visit!
Thanks again for correcting me!

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

I'm sorry, I have to ask: Why did you allow him/her to chew on your hands to the extent of him/her drawing blood?

Yes, big macs can be quite beaky, but that's where training comes in. Beak pressure training to be exact.

If raised, handled and socialized properly, they never outgrow their 'cuddliness', even when sexually mature.

I second this. People have been sold on this "don't react" theory, as if it were gospel, and the poor bird probably didn't even know it was hurting you...

They have to be taught what they can and cannot chew on. Human flesh definitely qualifies as a "no."

Essentially, if they get handled and properly socialized, macaws are lap birds. Sexual maturity does not really affect that (unless they have a female on eggs - then they will defend the nest.) These are attention oriented birds that want to be with their people...

It's a lifetime thing.

But they need to be handled EVERY DAY, and not left to rot in a cage. Macaws do not take kindly to being locked up and ignored. You don't work with them "when and if you feel like it." These are high IQ high attention needs birds...

If they get their needs met, they tend to be cuddlebugs for life.

If not properly socialized, or their needs do not get met? They tend to become difficult.

You get out what you put in. A bird that is well loved soaks it up and gives it back to you.

I will definitely remember this the next time I visit. I feel terrible that I was doing the wrong thing. I was sure that it wasn't trying to hurt me. I'm just glad that the big powerful beak didn't scare me away or make me nervous.
I put everything I have into my pets. They are my reason for living. When I'm home, I'm with my pets. Everybody who knows me knows that my pets are my life and passion. I don't spend money on clothes or personal items. I spend everything I can on them. Toys, quality food, treats, anything that will make them happier, healthier, and more comfortable. When I bring a new pet home, that animal will be a part of the family. I will always treat them as such.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Don't feel bad . Just learn and from reading your post that is just want you want to do.
All the people posting here will go above and beyond to help you understand. Trust me I know LOL

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Don't feel bad . Just learn and from reading your post that is just want you want to do.
All the people posting here will go above and beyond to help you understand. Trust me I know LOL

Thank you so much! Everybody who posted has helped me a great deal already.
I will go back and react the correct way to a bird gnawing at my hands.

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah, don't react to a bite is bad advice, and not 100% accurate.

In fact, bite pressure training involves reacting to the bird as soon as he starts applying too much bite pressure, and letting him know whan he's being too hard. That's how they learn it. They don't know their own strength sometimes, and have to be taught what an acceptable bite pressure is.

Young birds pick it up fairly quickly. And it essentially involves lots of beak play.

What is more accurate is you NEVER allow a macew to intimidate you with their beak, and you don't give them the upper hand when they do. You DO NOT SHOW FEAR to a macaw. That can turn them into bullies...

Part of the "macaw bluffing" thing they do is to see who flinches, and jumps, and who they can control, and who they can't. TRUST ME they are THAT SMART and THAT MANIPULATIVE at times.

If a macaw learns that you are unable to control him, HE JUST MAY DECIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA....

Greenwings are very sweet birds for the most part, but I have, in my rescue days, seen dominant greenwings chasing people around the house, because they were unable to control their own birds.

If they know you can, those sorts of behaviors never start.

I walked in and didn't run. The bird didn't bite me. Did try and bite his owner though... Why? The owner wouldn't do anything about it. Birds like that require a firm hand, and a certain amount of intestinal fortitude.

Think of a toddler aged child who is allowed to do what ever he or she wanted, including throwing tantrums when they don't get their way... It's very much the same thing.

Macaws are raised the same way you would raise a child. With boundary setting, discipline, and nurturing guidance. Do that, and they are wonderful and well behaved.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Yeah, don't react to a bite is bad advice, and not 100% accurate.

In fact, bite pressure training involves reacting to the bird as soon as he starts applying too much bite pressure, and letting him know whan he's being too hard. That's how they learn it. They don't know their own strength sometimes, and have to be taught what an acceptable bite pressure is.

Young birds pick it up fairly quickly. And it essentially involves lots of beak play.

What is more accurate is you NEVER allow a macew to intimidate you with their beak, and you don't give them the upper hand when they do. You DO NOT SHOW FEAR to a macaw. That can turn them into bullies...

Part of the "macaw bluffing" thing they do is to see who flinches, and jumps, and who they can control, and who they can't. TRUST ME they are THAT SMART and THAT MANIPULATIVE at times.

If a macaw learns that you are unable to control him, HE JUST MAY DECIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA....

Greenwings are very sweet birds for the most part, but I have, in my rescue days, seen dominant greenwings chasing people around the house, because they were unable to control their own birds.

If they know you can, those sorts of behaviors never start.

I walked in and didn't run. The bird didn't bite me. Did try and bite his owner though... Why? The owner wouldn't do anything about it. Birds like that require a firm hand, and a certain amount of intestinal fortitude.

Think of a toddler aged child who is allowed to do what ever he or she wanted, including throwing tantrums when they don't get their way... It's very much the same thing.

Macaws are raised the same way you would raise a child. With boundary setting, discipline, and nurturing guidance. Do that, and they are wonderful and well behaved.

Thank you!
Would you put a misbehaving Macaw in a "time out" as some do with toddlers? How exactly do you correct/discipline them?

 

[Anansi]

Yeah, don't react to a bite is bad advice, and not 100% accurate.

In fact, bite pressure training involves reacting to the bird as soon as he starts applying too much bite pressure, and letting him know whan he's being too hard. That's how they learn it. They don't know their own strength sometimes, and have to be taught what an acceptable bite pressure is.

Young birds pick it up fairly quickly. And it essentially involves lots of beak play.

What is more accurate is you NEVER allow a macew to intimidate you with their beak, and you don't give them the upper hand when they do. You DO NOT SHOW FEAR to a macaw. That can turn them into bullies...

Part of the "macaw bluffing" thing they do is to see who flinches, and jumps, and who they can control, and who they can't. TRUST ME they are THAT SMART and THAT MANIPULATIVE at times.

If a macaw learns that you are unable to control him, HE JUST MAY DECIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA....

Greenwings are very sweet birds for the most part, but I have, in my rescue days, seen dominant greenwings chasing people around the house, because they were unable to control their own birds.

If they know you can, those sorts of behaviors never start.

I walked in and didn't run. The bird didn't bite me. Did try and bite his owner though... Why? The owner wouldn't do anything about it. Birds like that require a firm hand, and a certain amount of intestinal fortitude.

Think of a toddler aged child who is allowed to do what ever he or she wanted, including throwing tantrums when they don't get their way... It's very much the same thing.

Macaws are raised the same way you would raise a child. With boundary setting, discipline, and nurturing guidance. Do that, and they are wonderful and well behaved.

Well said. And exactly right IMO. Bite pressure training is very important, and some birds truly have no idea how much pressure is too much when dealing with our flesh.

And then, yes, there are those like Mark (Birdman666) mentioned who will test you. Either way, boundaries have to be set.

@MustLoveAnimals: Btw, you asked if perhaps the macaw was only drawn to you because you allowed him/her to gnaw on you. I doubt it. Some macaws can be very beaky. If you sensed a connection between the two of you, then it was probably really there. You'll hear many people on this site talk about how they were "chosen" by their birds. This might be exactly what happened. Don't let the advice we're giving you in any way undermine your confidence in the strength of the connection you may have established with this macaw. I'd just advise you to visit several more times and see if the interaction remains the same.

Keep us updated, and share some pics if possible. We love pics!

 

[Birdman666]

Yep! Mine get time outs. (Haven't had to put one in time out in many, many years, because guess what? THEY BEHAVE!)

A biting macaw gets dropped to the floor the minute he tries that stuff, before he latches on, and he gets to sit there a minute feeling all small and vulnerable, and think about what he did.

Then he has to step up nice to get out of my doghouse. If he does that, all is forgiven, and the game resumes as if nothing happened.

If he does it again, back to time out.

They pick this up in, like, maybe three trips to the floor....

That's honestly all it usually takes to set a boundary.

With beak play games, those are done on your lap, and you just stop the game when they get too hard. Make them sit there. Resume the game after a minute, and stop it again if they get too hard.

This usually only takes a few sessions... like 3-4....

It's very, very basic, but it's so very important to do, and to maintain.

Set the boundaries, and the bird generally will stay within them.

When the bird doesn't have set boundaries, and gets to the "headstrong" years, THAT'S when you run into problems, and then it can be painful and difficult to go back and break them of these habits.

When they're young, it's actually the easiest time to set these boundaries.

 

[Anansi]

Would you put a misbehaving Macaw in a "time out" as some do with toddlers? How exactly do you correct/discipline them?

Yes. First I would say "No" in a stern, yet even, voice. At the same time, use the finger and thumb of the hand not currently under assault to grip the upper beak just above and to either side of the point. This will allow you the leverage to free your hand from the bite. Just gently twist the beak up and away from your hand.

Oh! And if they've locked on, try to keep the presence of mind to move into the bite rather than pulling away. Counterintuitive, no doubt, but pulling away often results in a worse bite.

Now, if after the first time he tries once or twice more, you escalate to timeouts. My suggestion is to keep the timeouts relatively short, as you run the risk of them forgetting why exactly they were put in the cage if you go much over 15 or 20 minutes.

And when they are on timeout, ignore them completely. Turn your back and everything. (Of course, it helps if the bird actually wants to be around you. So make sure to try and build a bond first. Spending time by the cage, talking and giving treats.)

Once you let him/her out, make sure to swiftly reward good behaviors. With consistency, they'll get it.

 

[Birdman666]

The object of a time out is to immediately respond to bad behavior.

In the wild, if one big mac were messing with another in an inappropriate way, the other bird would knock him off the branch, and chase his little butt off...

He wouldn't be kicked out of the flock, but he would know where the boundary was.

Same principle works in captivity.

You reward them and reinforce the good behavior. You don't reinforce bad behaviors, with attention, drama, or anything else.

Macaws HATE being ignored! Withholding of attention is USUALLY all it takes to discipline a macaw. The "bad bird" face, and five minutes of time out is usually all it takes. They learn quickly...

Which is why so many people accidentally train them to do things they don't want them to do.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Yeah, don't react to a bite is bad advice, and not 100% accurate.

In fact, bite pressure training involves reacting to the bird as soon as he starts applying too much bite pressure, and letting him know whan he's being too hard. That's how they learn it. They don't know their own strength sometimes, and have to be taught what an acceptable bite pressure is.

Young birds pick it up fairly quickly. And it essentially involves lots of beak play.

What is more accurate is you NEVER allow a macew to intimidate you with their beak, and you don't give them the upper hand when they do. You DO NOT SHOW FEAR to a macaw. That can turn them into bullies...

Part of the "macaw bluffing" thing they do is to see who flinches, and jumps, and who they can control, and who they can't. TRUST ME they are THAT SMART and THAT MANIPULATIVE at times.

If a macaw learns that you are unable to control him, HE JUST MAY DECIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA....

Greenwings are very sweet birds for the most part, but I have, in my rescue days, seen dominant greenwings chasing people around the house, because they were unable to control their own birds.

If they know you can, those sorts of behaviors never start.

I walked in and didn't run. The bird didn't bite me. Did try and bite his owner though... Why? The owner wouldn't do anything about it. Birds like that require a firm hand, and a certain amount of intestinal fortitude.

Think of a toddler aged child who is allowed to do what ever he or she wanted, including throwing tantrums when they don't get their way... It's very much the same thing.

Macaws are raised the same way you would raise a child. With boundary setting, discipline, and nurturing guidance. Do that, and they are wonderful and well behaved.

Well said. And exactly right IMO. Bite pressure training is very important, and some birds truly have no idea how much pressure is too much when dealing with our flesh.

And then, yes, there are those like Mark (Birdman666) mentioned who will test you. Either way, boundaries have to be set.

@MustLoveAnimals: Btw, you asked if perhaps the macaw was only drawn to you because you allowed him/her to gnaw on you. I doubt it. Some macaws can be very beaky. If you sensed a connection between the two of you, then it was probably really there. You'll hear many people on this site talk about how they were "chosen" by their birds. This might be exactly what happened. Don't let the advice we're giving you in any way undermine your confidence in the strength of the connection you may have established with this macaw. I'd just advise you to visit several more times and see if the interaction remains the same.

Keep us updated, and share some pics if possible. We love pics!

Oh good. I was hoping it really liked me. I saw him/her peering out the window as I was leaving. I couldn't help but think that it was sad to see me leave.
I'm actually going to try to visit him tomorrow. This time I'm going to bring my mother to meet him! I think it's important that everybody in the family knows how to handle a large parrot. I know she'll fall in love with him too.
And if I do go tomorrow, I'll definitely take some photos to share.

 

[MustLoveAnimals]

Finally got a photo today! I swear, every time I visit, (this would be the fourth) we seem to bond more.
Today, he actually tried to fly to me when I wasn't paying attention to him. And this visit was much less painful, thanks to the great advice I've been given. He was "mouthing" my thumb, and being very gentle!
View attachment 12786

 

[Birdman666]

Finally got a photo today! I swear, every time I visit, (this would be the fourth) we seem to bond more.
Today, he actually tried to fly to me when I wasn't paying attention to him. And this visit was much less painful, thanks to the great advice I've been given. He was "mouthing" my thumb, and being very gentle!
View attachment 12786

When a big mac considers you a friend and/or plaything... they just EXPECT to interact with you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it...

Flying to you when you're not paying attention to them?! Nah! Never happens! Isn't that right, Karen, Tab, and pretty much everyone else around here that's owned by one. These guys tend to be at the Velcro end of the scale... Sounds like he picked you to me.

Mouthing fingers is good, and entirely normal. Looks like his head feathers were sprung for you too... (that would be macaw code for scratch my head.... but then, so is just about everything else!)


So, how many more visits before that bird has you completely wrapped around a toe?!