TR's Hyacinth

[Birdman666]

Theodore Roosevelt's Macaw, Eli Yale - Presidential Pet Museum

The famous TR quote: "That damned bird can bite through boiler plate, but he plays with my kids like he's a puppy!"

Yep! That's a Hyacinth... the old black and white photo doesn't do that bird justice.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

Hyacinth has always always always been my dream bird!

Due to them being so darn expensive and pretty rare I have never even dreamed my dream could come true, but still think they are the most gorgeous birds.

The only ones I have ever seen in person were at a bird store when I lived in Arlington, TX (they had a pair of them they brought to the store with them most days). The majority of my life has been lived in Oregon and I have never seen one anywhere here.

 

[Birdman666]

I was lucky. A friend of mine used to breed them. I used to go over and "help socialize" the macaws. (Which is, of course, a euphamism for "play with.")

I love them dearly, but I need another macaw like I need a hole in my head.

And my dream bird, really, is the super-bonded greenwing I already have. Adding another one would only interfere in that pair bond relationship dynamic... you couldn't ask for a better bird than Maggie!

Two large jealous birds competing with each other for your attention 24/7?!

So NOT my idea of a good time!

 

[Allee]

Thank you for this post, Birdman, I had no idea TR had a hyacinth. You were very lucky to get to help your friend socialize the macaws. That means you probably got to see the baby Hyacinths, lucky indeed!

 

[Birdman666]

Saw them. Bird sat them. Sat down with all eight of them rolling around on the couch at the same time...

AND best of all, never once had to buy a stainless steel aviary cage, or search for a wholesale source of macadamia nuts, and palm nuts... (priced any of that stuff lately?!) While constructing daily wood toys to be turned into splinters and toothpicks...

Just a lap full of playful blue poofballs... with no downside. Cuz they weren't actually mine.

I don't mind working with them, training them, or cleaning up after them. I do that as a part of everyday life anyway...

 

[Allee]

I haven't priced them lately, but I have heard rumors! EIGHT of them, I can't even imagine.

 

[FreedomAndForgiven]

They are my dream bird also, but I'm happy with the flock we have now, and wouldn't be able to give one the time and love it needs now.

 

[Birdman666]

I haven't priced them lately, but I have heard rumors! EIGHT of them, I can't even imagine.

$8,500 low end; $10,000 median; 12,500 high end here in the States.

Down under? Try 100K and that's IF you can even find one...

And stainless steel cages are not optional with these guys. (All of hers were full on 8x8 stainless steel aviary flights.)

Yeah, she had 8 breeder birds, and all of them were as sweet as pie. Tame and playful as could be when they weren't on eggs. She generally only got one baby from each female, and they get hand fed for almost a year, and it's really easy to kill them if you're not careful. Which is one of the many reasons why they're so expensive...

Those guys are true play-ahaulic macaws.

My introduction to Hyacinth Macaws was by standing to close to one who was hanging by his beak and swinging back and forth, while kicking his legs in the air. (I didn't know that was macaw for "pick me up" at the time!) I was just standing there watching him being silly, and then he got enough momentum to swing high enough to grab my shirt.

Suddenly I had this GIGANTIC macaw standing on my chest, towering over me, looking down. Then he put his head upside down, poofed up, and said "Hello. Headscratch?!" [That was an instruction, not a request!]

I played every game that silly bird knew for the next two hours... when I finally tried to leave we had to bribe him off my arm, because he latched on with both feet, and his beak and did the "we shall not be moved" number.

After that, any time I walked in the room, he went off the minute he saw me.

And that's how I became a hyacinth macaw toy!

They really are amazing birds! But I am not uber-wealthy, and in my case, I already have two super bonded big macs that take a significant amount of my time and energy! One more would take away from them...

 

[RavensGryf]

Intersting! I love finding out what pets (birds) celebrities or historical figures have or had.

I just saw one at the bird store yesterday. This one was a 30 years old rehome going for $6500. I see them maybe a few times a year at the store. Here in Southerrn Cal, we're lucky enough to be able to see most any species at some time or another.

 

[June2012]

Intersting! I love finding out what pets (birds) celebrities or historical figures have or had.

I just saw one at the bird store yesterday. This one was a 30 years old rehome going for $6500. I see them maybe a few times a year at the store. Here in Southerrn Cal, we're lucky enough to be able to see most any species at some time or another.

6500?! Goodness, what'd I'd do!!

 

[AJBirds]

Yup - speaking as someone from Down Under, macaws are super expensive here. Six figures for a hyacinth, IF you can find one indeed...