Greenwing or Military Macaw?

[junglenutcracker]

So you also want to expose them to new things once in awhile, and you don't want to enforce it so rigidly that the slightest deviation from the routine causes emotional upset. THAT is how neurotic pluckers are created, in my opinion. Especially if the bird is raised in isolation, and the routine is all he knows.

This is absolutely true. With our GW, if I walk around with her on my arm and move to another area of the house that she is less familiar with she will suddenly become more agitated and start crying “WOWWWW!”

In this case, WOW doesn’t mean “awesome”...it simply means....“where the hell am I? Where are you taking me to?”

And all the while she looks up at me to see if I’m starting to panic too. I talk back to her calmly saying that it’s ok and usually end up giving her a little treat that she will only eat when she is back in here usual room.

So I just keep repeating the procedure a few times a week and this is how, little by little, she gets familiar with new places, new people, new things.

Oh and BTW, to answer the original question of this thread...let’s just say that I could not imagine our lives without our GW.

 

[Zirstonas]

I really have to stop myself from getting this military macaw. Always loved how they look, and they're slightly smaller then a B&G. I don't know how their behavior is though.. but still they're so beautiful. The one in the picture is the one I saw a few days ago, he's six months old now, and still available...in the Netherlands

P.S The ape is not available:smile009:

 

[Birdman666]

Military macaws are still just macaws.

The only difference is they are a little bit on the beaky side, and need extra socialization around strangers to avoid overbonding issues. They do tend to be a little more one-person-ish if they don't get properly socialized.

A macaw is a macaw. They ALL have the propensity to be mush macs if they get handled. Even some of the beakiest scarlets I've known will still roll over into a mushy pile of feathers on your lap, if they are given the right stimulation.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

Birdman, I noticed you have a red fronted macaw in your picture. Would you mind giving me a rundown on what they're like. I've started considering them because of their macaw personality but MUCH more manageable size for a first bird. Thanks!

Edit: I just checked Wendy's Parrots and read the article on these guys. They sound amazing! Do have any personal stories about them you're be willing to share?

 

[Birdman666]

Well, red fronts and blue throats are very similar birds in terms of personality and temperment. And Wendy's write up on them is pretty accurate, and I don't know that there is much I could add to it.

The four mushiest generally are Hys, Greenwings, Red Fronts, and Blue Throats.

Blue Throats are the most mechanically inclined birds on the face of the planet, and Red Fronts probably come in second. (Yeah. Sweepea has been known to run around disconnecting things too... Toys, cage doors, treat cup doors, playtops, entire playstands.) the difference being that Blue throats figure it out in milliseconds, and it generally takes a red front a minute or two to think about it.

The little BTM I bird sat, that was just a baby, and still being hand fed, figured out how to open his cage door and climb the stairs within the first minute of being placed in the cage. No sooner did I sit back down upstairs, then that bird was back on my lap.

Sweepea is super playful. Very mushy. Super attention oriented. She'll go to anyone that will play with her. She loves to beak wrestle. Loves to roll around on her back during play. She's one of my louder birds, especially at mealtimes. She does tend to have a jealous side, and she pinches when she gets mad. She's very high IQ, which means easy to train, but also very manipulative. They're not great talkers. INCREDIBLE FLIERS! Probably the most incredible fliers of all the macaws. I'm pretty sure they are the only mac that can hover and change directions in flight.

I went through a six to eight month stretch with her at somewhere around age 5-7, where she was testing the boundaries, both with me, and the other birds, which was a strain on my patience at times...

But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one for a pet quality bird.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

They sound amazing! What's the catch? I would want to get personal experience with them before I go and decide that's the one I want. I understand they're not as common as some of the other macaws, do you think it would be hard to find one I could see in person?

 

[Birdman666]

Well, I have one in my living room... so...

I don't know any breeders anymore, but Wendy is ONE OF THE BEST, if not THE BEST macaw breeders in the US. I heard through the grapevine that she's doing less than she used to, so I don't know anymore.

But find a breeder and find out if they'll let you interact with them.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

Well, I have one in my living room... so...

I don't know any breeders anymore, but Wendy is ONE OF THE BEST, if not THE BEST macaw breeders in the US. I heard through the grapevine that she's doing less than she used to, so I don't know anymore.

But find a breeder and find out if they'll let you interact with them.

Do you think I could call or email her? I'm also, like you, located in Texas. Where did you get your Greenwing and Red Front. I don't need to know the exact location, but was it in or out of state? Thanks

 

[Birdman666]

I was in CA when I got mine. Maggie came from a Parrot Rescue in Lodi.

Sweepea is actually my only store bought bird. She's one of Cindy's birds (Blackstone Aviaries, San Diego.)

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

Thanks, I'll call Wendy tomorrow. Hopefully she'll have some red fronts or greenwings weaned by the summer. Now would be towards the end of breeding season if I'm correct. I think I've narrowed it down to those two, but the aquarium I volunteer at has an AMAZING bird trainer whose helping me, and he's going to give his picks tomorrow. Hopefully he'll be on the same page as me.

 

[Weezerj]

If I were to ever get a second bird, my choices would be a blue throat, a red front, or a green wing.

Of course, BTMs and RFs are a lot tougher to find. GWs are far more common which gives a person more opportunity to spend time with a chick to make a connection.

I seem to be able to keep the MBS at bay, one macaw seems to keep me pretty busy.

Good luck finding your baby, the options you have listed are all good choices.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

To be honest... I've narrowed it down to these 5 birds:
Male Eclectus
Female Greenwing
Red Front
African Grey
Blue Crowned Conure

Would anyone mind giving me a couple pros and cons of each?

 

[chris-md]

Ekkie! But I'm biased. My ekkie is very mellow, bit of a perch potato. He's not crazy about toys (except foraging) and would sit on my shoulder all day nodding off if I'd let him.

 

[Rroberds]

There is breeder in Phoenix that breeds Red Fronts. Idk if they have any available but they have them listed in their website. Might be worth a trip out if you can't find one in Texas.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

There is breeder in Phoenix that breeds Red Fronts. Idk if they have any available but they have them listed in their website. Might be worth a trip out if you can't find one in Texas.

I'll check it out

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

Ekkie! But I'm biased. My ekkie is very mellow, bit of a perch potato. He's not crazy about toys (except foraging) and would sit on my shoulder all day nodding off if I'd let him.

They are adorable!

 

[ChrisDooley]

This is a diverse list. You might start by just listing off qualities you like in a bird and then pick the bird that most closely resembles your list of qualities.

I cannot speak to the Male Eclectus or Red Front. I have no experience with them. I do have a Harlequin Macaw, a Blue Crown and I just adopted out a Grey.

Do you want a bird you can pet and snuggle with? I would mark Grey off the list. In general these birds don't get into the physical contact as much. My Blue Crown is mostly the same. She will let me pet her, but its not her favorite thing.

Is noise level a concern? Mark Blue Crown off the list. My bird is adorable and sweet but can cause a sober man to start drinking with the amount of screaming she can do. (you said list some cons)

I adopted my 9 year old Harlequin Macaw (close in size to a green wing) from a rescue. As the years go on since the ban on imports, there seems to be more good parrots outliving their owners. Some of these can be really great birds. Try not to limit yourself to a chick.

CD

 

[Anansi]

Like Chris, I'm definitely partial to ekkies. As you are only considering male ekkies, I'll focus on Jolly rather than Maya.

Jolly is an incredibly gentle and easygoing bird. He has never bitten or even given an aggressive nip. (The ekkie I had before him, Bixby, was also rather gentle natured. While he had bitten on occasion, the instances were few and far between.)

He also enjoys attention. He loves being petted and goes crazy over beak wrestling. He'll only cuddle on his terms, though. And the duration is limited. He'll do it here and there, but would far rather petting or playing. So don't go expecting any Zoe or Maggie style lap cuddles. Not likely to happen with an ekkie.

He's also highly intelligent. He'll pick up on things very quickly. And he can be very silly. He's not overly mischievous, though, and is generally well behaved.

Cons? Uhmmm............. oh! I know! Ekkie soup! Ekkies constantly make soup out of their water. The rapidity with which they'll turn a crystal clear bowl of water to a murky mess is astounding.

And then there are the dietary challenges. Fresh fruits and veggies are very important with ekkies. I really don't see preparing chop as a big deal. You get used to it. But for others it can be a bit of a deal breaker, so I thought I'd throw it in there.

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

Try not to limit yourself to a chick.

CD

I've just heard males can be REALLY bad during hormonal season

 

[JackTheParrotLover]

I would consider female Ekkies, I just want something a bit less nippy