Lear's Macaw

[parrotlover2013]

Hi,

I have seen photos of the Lear's Macaw and it really is one of the most beautiful parrots I have seen. I understand it is highly protected, but I wanted to know if someone perhaps has any ideas about the possibility of acquiring one?

thanks!

 

[thekarens]

It's a protected species and highly endangered, so it's not possible.

 

[Birdman666]

Somewhere between none, and none what so ever.

Even on the black market, you cannot find them anymore.

And if you ever did get caught with one?! The fine would be pretty significant... with possible (okay, probably nominal) jail time as well.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

They should really be in a breeding program, not as pets.

 

[MonicaMc]

The lears macaws that I know of that are within captivity are within a breeding program. The one breeder I know of also has golden conures, blue headed macaws, blue throated macaws, hyacinths and spix macaws.... among other species of birds and animals.

https://www.facebook.com/AlWabraWildlifePreservation
https://www.facebook.com/awwp.spix?ref=stream

The only all blue macaw you are likely to get as a pet is a hyacinth.

 

[Birdman666]

The only all blue macaw you are likely to get as a pet is a hyacinth.

If you have between $8,000-10,000. for the bird.

Another $2,000.00 for a stainless steel cage for the bird (they can bite clean through wrought iron cages!)

And another $200.00 or so per month for toys and food... and that is a conservative estimate. Might be closer to $300 the way they go through toys...

And even though they are generally very sweet and docile, you will need to know how to handle them on those occasions where they do act up before you even consider getting one... (because they can bite clean through wrought iron! Itty bitty human bones are significantly less of a challenge!)

STILL WANT ONE?!

ME TOO! As soon as my six winning numbers hit...

 

[MonicaMc]

$8k-$15k in the USA that is!


I hear they are $40k and up in Australia, not sure about other places!

 

[Birdman666]

$8k-$15k in the USA that is!


I hear they are $40k and up in Australia, not sure about other places!

Well, all Macaws are hard to come by in OZ... so the cost is way up.

Toos are a lot more expensive here...

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

The only all blue macaw you are likely to get as a pet is a hyacinth.

If you have between $8,000-10,000. for the bird.

Another $2,000.00 for a stainless steel cage for the bird (they can bite clean through wrought iron cages!)

And another $200.00 or so per month for toys and food... and that is a conservative estimate. Might be closer to $300 the way they go through toys...

And even though they are generally very sweet and docile, you will need to know how to handle them on those occasions where they do act up before you even consider getting one... (because they can bite clean through wrought iron! Itty bitty human bones are significantly less of a challenge!)

STILL WANT ONE?!

ME TOO! As soon as my six winning numbers hit...

You may be able to get an older re-homed Hyacinth for under $10K, but a baby will probably be at least $10K and up. I saw a petstore with babies for $12,500. They're majestic birds. They had some at the St. Louis zoo, and I could stare at them all day long.

The sky is the limit after that since they do require an enormous stainless steel cage. They'll easily destroy other cages from what I hear. The food is very expensive since they only certain fatty nuts, and I don't know if you can get Pallm nuts, but they do eat macadamias I know, and those are very expensive.

I knew a Hyacinth breeder once, who's husband smoked like crazy, and she housed them all in a smoke filled and filthy house. I don't know what became of her, but hopefully she isn't breeding anymore, and her Hyacinths are with better owners. She was very old when I met her, and not the healthiest of people. This was many years ago.

Another gorgeous blue macaw is the Spix, but they're probably extinct in the wild, and I believe there's only 70 in captive breeding programs in the entire world. Very sad that such majestic beautiful creatures are on the brink.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Just ran across a link showing this bird. Amazing. First time I have seen one.

Lear's Macaw

 

[Birdman666]

And you may never see any wild ones again.

The only ones that still exist are in captive breeding programs now.

 

[Mekaisto]

Al Wabra and ACTP Berlin are currently breeding Lear's macaws - AWWP had luck this year, ACTP just got their Lear's so haven't started breeding them yet. There is also another breeder in the Phillipines that I know of, but he is very secretive. I'm certain there are more breeders worldwide.

There are plans to reintroduce them into the wild, but it is a huge effort, and will still be a while. The current hope is Spix's macaws back in the wild by 2021. I imagine the Lear's have a similar plan.

 

[Birdman666]

Al Wabra and ACTP Berlin are currently breeding Lear's macaws - AWWP had luck this year, ACTP just got their Lear's so haven't started breeding them yet. There is also another breeder in the Phillipines that I know of, but he is very secretive. I'm certain there are more breeders worldwide.

There are plans to reintroduce them into the wild, but it is a huge effort, and will still be a while. The current hope is Spix's macaws back in the wild by 2021. I imagine the Lear's have a similar plan.

Yep. That's my understanding as well. But it's gonna take longer, and it also kinda depends on the success and aftermath of the Spix program. (Given the nature of Brazil, and the lack of success in keeping people from going right back to poaching them again for a profit!)

I'll recapture the birds you just released, and then sell them back to you...

They are doing some wonderful things, especially Al Wabra...

But for their efforts, Spix's might no longer exist, and they certainly would not be being reintroduced into the wild.

If that works, then maybe there's hope for the lears, and our beloved Red Front and Blue Throated macaws, whose nesting areas and natural food sources in Bolivia have been decimated. They're then next ones on the list teetering on the brink of extinction...

 

[SoCalWendy]

And you may never see any wild ones again.

The only ones that still exist are in captive breeding programs now.

That is so sad.....