[Help!] Scarlet Macaw Peeling Beak~

[hungdou_scarletmacaw]

Hello Everyone~
I am new to this forum but saw many helpful members here so I just hope I can get some help from you all!

I got a 1year old scarlet macaw last month and it s been super quiet.
It knows how to say Hello, Byebye and make some weird noise back in the parrot shop and for once at my home when i was taking a shower...
However, for the rest of the time, it s been super quiet, no matter how hard I tried to make him talk...
The cage is located at the balcony with covers and good ventilation. I take him out to play with him inside home at least 1 hour everyday.
Most of the time there is no one at home, so I v put a swing perch and a wooden toy in his cage to keep him entertained, but he seldom plays.
I set up a cctv and saw him standing on the 1 perch in front of the food bowl like a statue for most of the time...
Is he unhappy or not comfortable with the environment?
I saw many energetic and play macaw but mine seems very boring

In addition, it always rubs his beak on the cage & perch, I think thats why its beak starts to peel.
This looks pretty bad to me and i am afraid it will get worse and eventually the beak will break...
Do i need to send it to the vet?

 

[TiredOldMan]

Welcome,come on in.

You should search the forum for any posts by Birdman666. Also in the Amazon forum you will find a sticky thread I Love Amazons. Excellent in fo there for every parrot owner.

As far as being quiet, it has been my experience that if they are not comfortable they are generally quiet and reserved. It just takes time getting comfortable in their new home. This can take a long time for some birds.

Patience is the key with birds.

As for the beak. Someone else will need to advise you on that. My best advice at this time is get to an avian vet. At the same time you can get an exam and tests to make sure he is healthy.

 

[BluenGold_Congo]

The cage is too small, one hour of time outside the cage is not enough, I feel sorry for that bird. Yea he's definitely not happy, you basically took a social animal that thrives in a flock and stuck him in jail for 23 hours a day alone.

 

[itzjbean]

The cage he's in looks very small, almost no room to open his wings and stretch out. If he's going to be caged 23 hours a day, I highly suggest you invest in a cage that allows him to completely open and spread and beat his wings comfortably.

Parrots kept in cages the majority of the day end up becoming a statue like that because they have no mental stimulation or the room to actually move around freely. I am all for responsible caging of animals if you are not home, but when you are home the bird should be inside with you, from the moment you get home from work to the moment you go to bed. Macaws love attention, they thrive on interaction and will not thrive mentally or physically if left in a cage the majority of the day.

If you take him inside, offer a play stand of some kind (he can hang out on it when you get home from work, for hours) and you should really commit to at least a few hours daily of play time and quality time with your macaw to ensure he stays happy. An hour a day of interaction/out of cage time will make for a very lonely, sad macaw.

 

[ChristaNL]

I have to agree with the other people here-


The beak is probably damage from repetetive movement because he has nowhere to go and is bored (or stressed) out of his/her little skull.


Always take a new bird to the vet for a thourough check-up.
Have bloodwork done to find out about possible (lethal) diseases, malnutrition and what sexe it is. If you have a male you need never worry about the bird being eggbound (just an example) and since they sometimes react quite different it is usefull to know anyway.


I would not even stick one of my african greys (who are half that size) in that cage. I know cages are bloody expensive but maybe you can find one second-hand or build one?
One year old macaw is still a baby - and will be for a few years more- so it needs a LOT of care, socialisation and attention.


If one hour a day is all the time you can possibly spend with an animal- maybe parrots are not the right pets for you. Not meaning to put you down or make you miserable: these things happen.
Parrots are high-maintenance to a fault!


(and we are all insane to even want to keep one or more -but once again: these things happen )


Plze do the right thing for this beautifull little chap :40:
this marriage could last over 80 years - so choose wisely

 

[wrench13]

The action your macaw is doing is called beak wiping, and they do it when they are bored out of their skulls. He should be in a cage where he can not only stretch his wings out fully, but even fly/hop around. This is little more then a small closet. Think 4X as big, especially if he will be in there 23 hrs a day ( which is cruel in itself).

Yes, he is unhappy, and dont be surprised if he starts RIPPING feather out of his body and wings, in sheer boredom. Screaming and biting are not far behind that. He is as smart as a 3-4 year old child - would you put a child in that small space and only take him out 1 hour a day? And he has ONE whole toy? WOW !

Honestly, this poor bird .... makes me so sad to know he may have 40 + years of this. We can hep you turn him around, but you have to commit.

 

[BluenGold_Congo]

I'm not trying to single you out but I feel so bad for that bird, did you just buy that bird as a decoration piece?

Yes some of us work regular jobs but those among us that actually care about out birds let them out of the cage as soon as we get home from work and spend the rest of the entire day with them until bedtime.

I would feel so horrible and guilty if I kept my gray and macaw locked up all day like that, and they both have huge cages in a room with the tv on along with countless toys and I still feel obligated to have them with me 5 hours each night. These are not dumb animals to be thrown in solitary confinement for 50+ years.

The cost of ownership is not the cost of the bird, it's the cost of time, dedication, food, toys, attention over a lifetime, do you think it would be fair if someone threw you into a cage exposed to outside elements 23 hours a day where you barely had any room to move around?

 

[charmedbyekkie]

First of all, glad you joined this community! Welcome - feel free to ask more questions and also look-see look-see.

Kudos to you for recognising something might be off with your macaw. Sounds like you might be from my area of the world, similar culture different country.. So if my guess of your country is correct, this macaw might have been a bit of an investment from your side.

I think the others have mentioned the cage, but I'd like to touch on the explicit effects of a small cage:

- Birds need to stretch and flap their wings for their heart and lung health. A cage that doesn't give at least 1.5 wingspan width for the bird to exercise their wings will shorten their life. Macaws in particular need space for their tails to move around - tail feathers constantly brushing the cage will not only cause deterioration of the feathers but also irritate the bird.

- Parrots need the opportunity to stimulate their brain. Without stimuli, they will resort often to self-harming methods, such as plucking their beautiful feathers!

- You have observed the macaw is not speaking. That may be due to a new environment, but also with a small cage (no exercise or stimulation) your macaw may resort to using other communication methods to demand attention; I'm talking screeching loudly because that might be the rare thing that will trigger an interaction from a human (typically shouting at the parrot by humans that don't know how to interact with birds)

- To add to the above point, another thing that might trigger a response from humans that your macaw might resort to is biting. Remember, this is because parrots need interaction with other creatures. And biting, well, that will trigger a shout of surprise from any unprepared human.

I'm sure there are other points to add. However, all of that being said, you spent this much money on a beautiful creature. It would be a shame to see it go to waste by accidentally creating the conditions for your macaw to become a frustrated, plucked bald macaw that acts out with screeches and bites.

How can we fix it so that your macaw stays largely the same creature you saw when you purchased it?
- More space: a bigger cage so your macaw can stay healthy physically and mentally
- More stimuli: more toys (especially wooden ones to keep the beak healthy) so your macaw can occupy its mind
- More interaction: spend more time with your macaw outside the cage (a couple of hours) so your macaw stays mentally balanced and maintains understanding of how to interact with humans

If you do your best to implement the above, I'm sure your macaw will eventually warm up to chatting with you again since he will soon be a happier, healthier bird who sees you as part of his flock. Each bird's personality is as unique as each human's personality, so have fun exploring this new relationship

加油！

 

[eagle18]

Welcome to the forum!

I was always told that if a bird whips his/her beak against the bars of a cage it is because they are feeling claustrophobic.

 

[Owlet]

On a note other than too small of a cage, what are you feeding him?

 

[LordTriggs]

yeah the cage is WAY too small (that cage is intended for Cockatiels which are barely the size of your mac's beak)

also you only appear to have 2 concrete perches in there which is going to hurt his feet very quickly and with only 1 toy boredom will soon set in too. With the strength of those bars he could potentially, given enough time and frustration actually break the bars and fly off

to give you an idea this is the kind of cage a macaw needs to be happy but they definitely need more than 1 hour with you a day, they're essentially a 4 year old child mentally and need to be around their loved ones to feel happy.

It would be a horrible shame to see what looks like a healthy macaw with great potential to be a happy pet become a plucked mutilating biting screaming monster so do look at EVERYTHING you can in regards to housing and caring for a macaw. It's a tiny bit trickier than keeping their food and water bowls full

 

[hungdou_scarletmacaw]

Hello~ thanks for all the comment.

I understand the bigger the space they have, the happier they are. However, unlike many spacious countries, I live in Hong Kong where the majority of us do not have big rooms/gardens for pets.
I did ask for many people's advice before getting my macaw. Most people in my country or even in Taiwan use cages in the size of 100cm(H)x50cm(W)x50cm(D), even the shop where I got my Macaw.
My cage is 170cm(H)x80cm(W)x80(D), therefore I thought I am giving him at least a better environment than where he used to be in (the shop)...
Please dont misunderstand that I am not willing to invest in a cage... money isn't really a problem as I dont think there would be a cage more expensive than the macaw itself... it costs me USD9,000 to get that beautiful baby I just want it to be happy and healthy!

I am also told by the shop and a few parrot owners in my community that macaws tend to increase their demand in attention, so like the more u play with it the more they will ask for. They suggest me play with him only when I have time, or else when it gets used to the large amount of attention, he will get upset one day when I cant give as much.
In my case, I only have 4 hours staying at home and actually awake, I am spending as much time as I can on him, 1 hour is just the worst case.
How can I make him happier apart from adding more toys?
Does keeping my TV on for the whole day work?

I have a bigger concern on the beak.... shall I bring him to the vet immediately?

 

[Owlet]

yes bring him to the vet and if you have a pet you must have the space to keep it. I highly suggest a bigger cage. I know a lot of people keep their birds cage free but honestly I feel that's a bit on the more dangerous side for the bird and your house trimming. If you choose to go the route of cageless you will have to be very careful with keeping doors and windows shut and when opening them the windows must have screen and doors must be watched so the bird doesn't fly out. Lots of play stands and the like will be needed for cageless too.

 

[itzjbean]

I'm appalled that these bird people told you the stuff about not playing with him very much. Why even get a pet if you don't play with it, or treat it like an actual member of the family?

I guarantee that such an intelligent animal will not thrive in an environment you have described. Bigger cage, more toys and perches, TONS of out of cage time, and forget everything else those pet shop people told you about macaws. Would you deprive your own child of your affection so he or she doesn't get too attached to you? of course not, you love the heck out of your kids, and I promise you nothing bad will happen if you play with your bird and spend a lot of time with your macaw. In fact, you will likely find that these pet shop people are horribly mistaken, these guys should be treated like they are your children, inside and given enrichment and love.

 

[eagle18]

tzj I agree with you on what you have just said but I was also told not to give my bird (Umbrella Cockatoo) any more attention then what was realistic. And that advice came from 'mycockatoo'.

 

[ChristaNL]

I know you are trying your best- but have been flooded with misinformation by salespeople.
(It happens a lot- that is why places like this are so important)
but...


I am dealing with the aftermath of a macaw that had been stuck in a waaaaay to small cage before - her wings were so stiff en painfull from being in a cramped position for far too long that she some days screams in pain if you even point a finger to it or accidently brush it very gently when giving her scritches on her head and neck.
She is only 10 years old a young adult and a cripple, probably for life.
Her vet expects her never to be able to fly again.
(I've had her for 4 months now and am not ready to give up on her.)

She also started plucking during that cage-time and has been gnawing her stainless steel footring to the point where you can no longer read the numbers at all!
She is a mess!



Do NOT do this to your bird!!
That young one is now looking okay-ish and your avian vet (make sure it is a specialist!) will tell you (from bloodtest, not just by looking) if your bird is really fine or not.


Hong-Kong is a huge town - you should be able to find everything you need there (and being formerly brittish probably a better place for pets than anywhere else in China).
Rule of thumb: the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM for a cage is one that allows the bird to spread both its wings and flap- and I mean in both directions front to back of the cage and from the side to the side.
(according to the internet the Scarlet Macaw has a wingspan of over 3 feet (1 meter, some even say max. 123 cm!) and a tail about the same lenght ...)



Cages in petshops are almost *never* large enough for birds to live in- it is too expensive for the shopowners: they need to get as much merchandise stuffed in the shop as possible -> better sales and a profit...


You have chosen a BIG bird - so start building a huge cage and some perches for indoorsy time with you.
(See the D.I.Y. section: lots of do-able ideas Do It Yourself - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community )



(I love that you gave your bird the fan on top of the cage- that was realy sweet of you! It gets really hot where you live.)

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Hello~ thanks for all the comment.

I understand the bigger the space they have, the happier they are. However, unlike many spacious countries, I live in Hong Kong where the majority of us do not have big rooms/gardens for pets.
I did ask for many people's advice before getting my macaw. Most people in my country or even in Taiwan use cages in the size of 100cm(H)x50cm(W)x50cm(D), even the shop where I got my Macaw.
My cage is 170cm(H)x80cm(W)x80(D), therefore I thought I am giving him at least a better environment than where he used to be in (the shop)...
Please dont misunderstand that I am not willing to invest in a cage... money isn't really a problem as I dont think there would be a cage more expensive than the macaw itself... it costs me USD9,000 to get that beautiful baby I just want it to be happy and healthy!

I am also told by the shop and a few parrot owners in my community that macaws tend to increase their demand in attention, so like the more u play with it the more they will ask for. They suggest me play with him only when I have time, or else when it gets used to the large amount of attention, he will get upset one day when I cant give as much.
In my case, I only have 4 hours staying at home and actually awake, I am spending as much time as I can on him, 1 hour is just the worst case.
How can I make him happier apart from adding more toys?
Does keeping my TV on for the whole day work?

I have a bigger concern on the beak.... shall I bring him to the vet immediately?

To answer your last question: yes, bring to an avian vet, specifically. Try to find someone with proper certification.

However, I wanted to say, thank you for clarifying on the "1 hour worst case" - I think that helps put many members' minds at ease And I definitely agree that he's better now than staying in his tiny cage in the store.

Also, as someone who also lives in a dense, shoebox city, I realise space is tough and tight and expensive! That being said, while culturally Yuen Po Street is norm (we have the same practice where I live), it is not necessarily healthy for the birds.

I'm also looking at cages and balancing space; however, the realisation that I'm making a choice to bring a life into mine, means that I have full responsibility over the quality of life. Now, I have to then make another choice, do I want to supply to barest of minimum needed to sustain this creature's life, or do I want to give it the quality of life I would want if I were that creature? I've had long discussions with my partner on the fact that the species I'm looking at (eclectus - which is smaller than a macaw) needs a cage bigger than the one you currently have for your macaw. We're discussing where we can keep a cage, what are the things needed for his wellbeing (e.g., play stand), what furniture do we not use at all and can remove, what's acceptable for us as a family, can we actually provide properly for an ekkie. I encourage you to ask yourself similar questions.

I also see you're keeping him on your balcony - I see he has a personal fan that might be ok so long as he has some shade to hide away from the sun. Just be careful when summer really hits and be ready to bring him in if it spikes, but when winter comes, you might need to bring him indoors, especially during the night. Ideally his room temperature should be between 16-27 C - he's not a hardy wild bird, so you'll need to help him there

Hope to hear good news from the vet!

 

[hungdou_scarletmacaw]

I know you are trying your best- but have been flooded with misinformation by salespeople.
(It happens a lot- that is why places like this are so important)
but...


I am dealing with the aftermath of a macaw that had been stuck in a waaaaay to small cage before - her wings were so stiff en painfull from being in a cramped position for far too long that she some days screams in pain if you even point a finger to it or accidently brush it very gently when giving her scritches on her head and neck.
She is only 10 years old a young adult and a cripple, probably for life.
Her vet expects her never to be able to fly again.
(I've had her for 4 months now and am not ready to give up on her.)

She also started plucking during that cage-time and has been gnawing her stainless steel footring to the point where you can no longer read the numbers at all!
She is a mess!



Do NOT do this to your bird!!
That young one is now looking okay-ish and your avian vet (make sure it is a specialist!) will tell you (from bloodtest, not just by looking) if your bird is really fine or not.


Hong-Kong is a huge town - you should be able to find everything you need there (and being formerly brittish probably a better place for pets than anywhere else in China).
Rule of thumb: the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM for a cage is one that allows the bird to spread both its wings and flap- and I mean in both directions front to back of the cage and from the side to the side.
(according to the internet the Scarlet Macaw has a wingspan of over 3 feet (1 meter, some even say max. 123 cm!) and a tail about the same lenght ...)



Cages in petshops are almost *never* large enough for birds to live in- it is too expensive for the shopowners: they need to get as much merchandise stuffed in the shop as possible -> better sales and a profit...


You have chosen a BIG bird - so start building a huge cage and some perches for indoorsy time with you.
(See the D.I.Y. section: lots of do-able ideas Do It Yourself - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community )



(I love that you gave your bird the fan on top of the cage- that was really sweet of you! It gets really hot where you live.)

Thanks a lot for the advice!
Agree no more that HK is better than most parts of China for pets... but info about parrots is still very limited comparing to other countries~
That's why I feel grateful to have you guys here giving me advice!

I am going to get an indoor stand for him this weekend and plan to have half day in the cage half day out~
Also will bring him to a specialist vet for a body check... hopefully will help his beak...
But does anyone know if it is any cure for his beak n how to stop him from rubbing too much?

Btw, I also asked my shop about my macaw's breeding farm. He said it is from Philippines BII, which is one of the best farms...
Does anyone know if it is actually true?!

 

[hungdou_scarletmacaw]

Hello~ thanks for all the comment.

I understand the bigger the space they have, the happier they are. However, unlike many spacious countries, I live in Hong Kong where the majority of us do not have big rooms/gardens for pets.
I did ask for many people's advice before getting my macaw. Most people in my country or even in Taiwan use cages in the size of 100cm(H)x50cm(W)x50cm(D), even the shop where I got my Macaw.
My cage is 170cm(H)x80cm(W)x80(D), therefore I thought I am giving him at least a better environment than where he used to be in (the shop)...
Please dont misunderstand that I am not willing to invest in a cage... money isn't really a problem as I dont think there would be a cage more expensive than the macaw itself... it costs me USD9,000 to get that beautiful baby I just want it to be happy and healthy!

I am also told by the shop and a few parrot owners in my community that macaws tend to increase their demand in attention, so like the more u play with it the more they will ask for. They suggest me play with him only when I have time, or else when it gets used to the large amount of attention, he will get upset one day when I cant give as much.
In my case, I only have 4 hours staying at home and actually awake, I am spending as much time as I can on him, 1 hour is just the worst case.
How can I make him happier apart from adding more toys?
Does keeping my TV on for the whole day work?

I have a bigger concern on the beak.... shall I bring him to the vet immediately?

To answer your last question: yes, bring to an avian vet, specifically. Try to find someone with proper certification.

However, I wanted to say, thank you for clarifying on the "1 hour worst case" - I think that helps put many members' minds at ease And I definitely agree that he's better now than staying in his tiny cage in the store.

Also, as someone who also lives in a dense, shoebox city, I realise space is tough and tight and expensive! That being said, while culturally Yuen Po Street is norm (we have the same practice where I live), it is not necessarily healthy for the birds.

I'm also looking at cages and balancing space; however, the realisation that I'm making a choice to bring a life into mine, means that I have full responsibility over the quality of life. Now, I have to then make another choice, do I want to supply to barest of minimum needed to sustain this creature's life, or do I want to give it the quality of life I would want if I were that creature? I've had long discussions with my partner on the fact that the species I'm looking at (eclectus - which is smaller than a macaw) needs a cage bigger than the one you currently have for your macaw. We're discussing where we can keep a cage, what are the things needed for his wellbeing (e.g., play stand), what furniture do we not use at all and can remove, what's acceptable for us as a family, can we actually provide properly for an ekkie. I encourage you to ask yourself similar questions.

I also see you're keeping him on your balcony - I see he has a personal fan that might be ok so long as he has some shade to hide away from the sun. Just be careful when summer really hits and be ready to bring him in if it spikes, but when winter comes, you might need to bring him indoors, especially during the night. Ideally his room temperature should be between 16-27 C - he's not a hardy wild bird, so you'll need to help him there

Hope to hear good news from the vet!

thanks charmedbyekkie!!!

Yes I got him a personal fan and built a cover with shades for him but i didn't want to block the whole balcony, for a better ventilation.
I have heat lamp for cooler times but for HK's current temperature a fan is more needed...

It's difficult to renovate the whole area all at a sudden or find another place to put him at my home. Short term solution that I am thinking of is to get an indoor stand. Cageless means he can stretch as much as he can, with toys and TV nearby to entertain him when i am not there.
Would that work?

 

[hungdou_scarletmacaw]

On a note other than too small of a cage, what are you feeding him?

I am giving him Pretty Bird's Macaw food~
I want to give him nuts and snacks too but apparently 1yr old is too young for treats and hard shell nuts. My shop told me to wait till he s older to give him nuts.
What s your advice?

https://www.prettybird.com/hi-energy-macaw.html