Looking for a Macaw

[Northernparrot]

So I have been looking at getting a baby Macaw. The three that im looking at are the Blue Throat, Greenwing, and Blue and Gold. I have never had a Macaw before and I live in Alaska so there are no breeders here that I can talk to. I have had small parrots Parakeets, Cockateels, and Quakers. My question is which one would be best for someone who has never had a Macaw. space is not a problem and I live in a house noise is ok. Im looking for one that is a little more independent and laid-back I do work 8 hour days but have summers off. Just want peoples impute.

Thanks

 

[willist]

I would recommend a Greenwing, they are very intelligent and are not necessarily a one person birds. And besides my Greenwing is the greatest bird on the planet.

 

[cd4565]

I have to agree and say definitely out of the three the green wing. Mine is laid back and likes scratches from anyone. He can play independantly too but my guy is still a baby. I try to keep him around lots of people and in many different situations so he will not be nervous with new things and so he doesn't get scared of new people. Seems to be working so far.

 

[willist]

cd, I do the exact same thing with mine. I've had him since he was 5 weeks old he is now 6 years old. He is quite famous at the Jupiter Inlet down here in south Florida.

 

[Northernparrot]

Well it sounds like the greenwing is the way to go. thanks everyone for the input.

 

[Nimwey]

If you do get a greenwing (or any bird), PLEASE get a rehome or rescue. They are a common species and there must be many birds longing for a home that you could provide. Help a bird instead of feeding the pockets of breeders.

 

[HRH Di]

I don't have any personal experience with a Greenwing, but I have known a couple blue-throats. They're smaller than a GW and the ones I've know have been great birds. Playful and intelligent.

However, I understand about GW's since red is the One True color.

 

[Yoshi]

What bird would be a good companion for my 5 year old Congo . My Congo I have had for 6 months. He has family at home all day every day as my dads disabled he came to me with little chest / legs feathers and they don't seem to grow back he has a large cage and comes out most days but won't go back in
He flyes but crashes then he can't wait to step up .
He talks all the time he sings a and learns to whistle a coon in a couple weeks

Should I get him a friend would his feathers grow back and how long.
His neck feathers started to grow . So pleased.
Then he puld them out again so sad
What should we do.

M

 

[mtdoramike]

If you do get a greenwing (or any bird), PLEASE get a rehome or rescue. They are a common species and there must be many birds longing for a home that you could provide. Help a bird instead of feeding the pockets of breeders.

Unless you have previous LARGE BIRD EXPERIENCE, I wouldn't get a rescued bird unless yu have quite a bit of time to spend with them BEFORE you take the bird home. Greenwings have huge beaks that can do a lot of damage. Most rescues have some type of issue and it's usually aggression due to neglect or being cage bound or from abuse. Unless you know how to handle these birds, it's best to locate a breeder and pay the extra cash and get a hand fed/hand tame bird.

Please don't get me wrong here, some rescue adoptions turn out great for the bird and the owner. But quite a few don't and it's usually because of the new owner who doesn't have enough large bird experience to handle the issues that can and will come up. If you would have had large bird experience, I would be the first to suggest adopting a rescued bird.

 

[mtdoramike]

What bird would be a good companion for my 5 year old Congo . My Congo I have had for 6 months. He has family at home all day every day as my dads disabled he came to me with little chest / legs feathers and they don't seem to grow back he has a large cage and comes out most days but won't go back in
He flyes but crashes then he can't wait to step up .
He talks all the time he sings a and learns to whistle a coon in a couple weeks

Should I get him a friend would his feathers grow back and how long.
His neck feathers started to grow . So pleased.
Then he puld them out again so sad
What should we do.

M

Has he been to the vet for a checkup to rule out any physical problems? This could be just a habit. He is a rescued bird or second hand bird right? It sounds like he may have been neglected and cage bound in the past.

 

[JJones1719]

Green wings are really the way to go, Unlike the owners here who's green wings go to everyone, My green wing used to, then all of the sudden, he is now a one person bird. He wants me and only me. They are amazing macaws. You can check out rescue green wings but like Mike stated, many rescue birds come with baggage and unless you really know what your getting into, be careful and don't get pulled into the sad story and get stuck with a bird you cannot handle. It's true that not all rescues have issues and I know plenty of people who own rescues and have a great relationships. Just do your homework and do not rush into this. it would be really nice if you could visit with either the baby Macaw or rescue and really know what your getting into. Blue throat and B&G Macaws too are very nice too, so no matter what Macaw you end up with, you cannot go wrong with these choices. Although the scarlet macaw is fantastic to look at, many of them are very nippy birds with attitudes. HY Macaws are the Great Danes of the Macaws out there but they tend to be very expensive, so if you could afford it, HY maybe the way to go too. Best of luck and let us know on what you decide. Joe

 

[Northernparrot]

The more I do the research the more I like the GW. Now I just need to do more research and make sure my wife and I are prepared for such a parrot. I just don't want to get into something that im not prepared for. The more knowledge I have the better off I will be I hope.

 

[little1al]

I have a B&G. I have never owned another parrot so am not sure about the personalities of the others but my B&G is great.

I adopted mine as my first ever parrot and things are going great. He was not abused but quite neglected.

He does seem to be a bit of a 1 person parrot though. He doesn't like my boyfriend and hates it when he is near me but he is fine with my family and friends (i think the parrot senses that my boyfriend doesn't like him either!) I have heard other stories about couples who own B&G's where the parrot takes to just the 1 owner, so maybe it wouldn't be what you and your wife would want.

Don't worry about not being able to handle a big parrot though. You have experience with other parrots so I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[jezport]

We have a Harlequin Macaw. We chose her because they are known to be a steady, clever,funny bird. Ours is very friendly and quite laid back, she will go to anyone as long as she is not near her cage. If she is near her cage she can be very defensive.

We take her to childrens charity events and she is well behaved.

 

[Mondos Parents]

Bob, our GW was a 3rd time re-home to us. H is about 6 or 7 years old, and had started plucking. He had been neglected somewhat, but I don't think he was abused. That was 7 months ago, he is just now starting to relax, he has never stepped up for me, yet he says it all the time? He has never broke skin when he bites either. He is a wonderfull buddy, and quite the clown! We are glad we took him in. One thing I can say, when you get a rehome, read between the lines, there owners never tell the truth or the whole story. Good luck!
Gary