October Flock Together Feature - Mighty Macaws!

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:thumb466344624: Venezuelan Guacamaya by Mumuchi Beloved by moonbeamballerina
Easily the most recognizable member of the Parrot family, large Macaws are often the first choice for bird lovers who become interested in owning a large parrot.

Types of popular Macaws Greenwing Macaw [Free Icon] by ekoru
The macaw species commonly seen in the pet trade are large colorful ones from the Ara genus:

Scarlet macaws
:thumb646171915: 1:12th scale miniature parrot by AnyaStone Parrots) by Alik-Volga :thumb637015126:
Blue and gold macaws a.k.a. blue and yellow macaw Sky, the  macaw. Hi is so cute, isn't it? by AlinaCityPlush
:thumb646172428: Blue-and-Gold Macaw by darkcalypso Commission: Henry by emmil
Green wing macaws Thinking out loud by Lys333
Macaw Head by Delinlea Red-and-green macaw necklace by szaranagayama :thumb403980290:
Military macaws a.k.a. Great green macaw Green Macaw by parva-lupa
:thumb646184866: :thumb674079182: LinLin the Military Macaw by Dragongirl1026
Hyacinth macaws   Hyacinth Macaw by AmBr0
Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) by PicuiDove Puppet Meeku by FeynaSkydancer Blue Macaw by dlitefulimagez

These larger species range from about 20 inches (military) up to 42 inches (hyacinth) including their long tails.
Catalina Macaw Mosaic Final by Dreamspirit Free (canvas experiment) by shanskala :thumb598196332: :thumb627936102:

The Macaw Temperament   Free Catalina Macaw Icon by AntiDarkHeart
Macaws are playful and active and they have exuberant personalities to go along with their size. But this also makes them very challenging pets. They require extensive amounts of time outside of their cage, ideally with space to fly, as well as constant mental stimulation. These birds are flock species, and are also very affectionate so they require a good deal of time and attention from their owners or another bird to be happy. Living with a macaw is not unlike to having a special needs toddler, or a large breed dog. You need to be vigilant and always on call for your big feathered friend. Macaws that are not regularly handled, have hormonal imbalances, experience drastic environmental changes, or receive inadequate mental stimulation often become aggressive, territorial, destructive, and problematic. A well-cared for macaw that received appropriate nutrition, mental stimulation and enrichment, attention, and space makes a unique, long-lived companion that is very affectionate and loyal.
Macaw by FablePaint 43985-2309534-6932094832-5935 by Floridamingo Jada and Maui by RobynLori Hyacinth Macaw by Raven-and-Fox Needle Felted Young Macaw by FeatheredFauna :thumb625721039: dont worry be happy by boykdemah Preening by KristynJanelle Looking for his pirate by baddido Blue And Gold Macaw by Chinkuru Hyacinth by ekoru :thumb668424181: Ringo by CHeMnICORn Step up! by shanskala 30 Days of Birds - Day Thirty by KathrynWhiteford Vibrant by DragonHaven42 Blue and Gold Macaw by Cortoony Hyacinth macaw by TheSax66 coby 4 months old by saosinandravyn Hey, is that food? by ekoru :thumb706117835:

SQUAAAAK! Macaw Speech   Blue Yellow Macaw by DPA-avatars
Inktober 2- Noisy by Zor-chan-413 No getting around it - Macaws are LOUD and noisy. Their vocalizations can be more than some people can tolerate and they will scream when they want to. They do have the ability to learn words and mimic our speech but it is not as clear as some other pet bird species. If you, your family and your neighbors aren't prepared to embrace the noise, then a macaw is not your ideal living companion.

:thumb458336784: Parrot sketch by AgroTemp BLUE PARROT(ISE) by Magicmind3 :thumb445585347: SQUAAARRRRRKKK by Vaya-Dragon Macaw by IndiWolfOnline Military Macaw by Golphee El Poncho Cocoaaaaaa by SilverWolfAJ :thumb65094092: parrot variations by cl2007 A1040 - Green. by Lothringen Bo 1 by MagicBirdie Great Green Macaw by HoofbeatsnPawprints Coby! 043 by saosinandravyn Say 'Hello', Archimedes! by oingy-boingy Macaw Parrot - Highlighter Art by SlotsArtStudio

Housing for Macaws   Parrot-Bird icon by RedqueenAllison
Polly no cracker by MaxRamsey Macaw enclosures need to be large and durable, so be prepared to make a significant investment. Owners often spend amounts equal the price of their bird on its living quarters. The larger macaws we focus on in this article need a cage of at least 36"x48"x60". The cage must be strong enough to withstand the significant beak strength of macaws therefore a stainless steel cage is a good investment. Any macaw cage is meant to keep your bird temporarily contained and safe (usually just at night or when you are not home), not for them to live their lives out of. Macaws need much more room than a cage will provide in order to explore, spread their wings, and be mentally and physically healthy. All species of macaws need very large enclosures to stretch, and ideally, fly. Unless you have a free-flight aviary enclosure as a "cage" you must plan on your macaw spending more time outside of their cage than in it.

macaw by jessiccaandsox11 Macaw Cage by zjlht George by Shomo520 Ballou: What is That? by Ryuyujin Scarlet Macaw 1 by Vixerstock Needle Felted Life-Sized Greenwing Macaw by FeatheredFauna Gift: Blue And Gold by KreepingSpawn Blue and Gold Macaw by Avajes Bo 3 by MagicBirdie Beautiful Paco by NairaSanches Protect by xshatteredtear Coby! 104 by saosinandravyn :thumb644518837: Yellow blue macaw by LaYue :thumb347365386: Little Helper by sarahEAL37 Einstein by Infinity0nHigh

Playthings for Macaws Greenwing Macaw [Free Icon] by ekoru
Hilton Parrot, Red by C4talys7 A wide variety of wooden toys or plain, untreated chunks of wood to chew on should be provided on a rotating basis to a macaw. Toys meant to be taken apart to get at a treat are also a good choice, as are hanging toys and playpens to climb on. Macaws can be messy and destructive so heavy-duty toys should always be provided so your bird won't find something else to chew on. Many owners opt to build their own macaw toys and utilize recyclable, yet safe, materials such as phone books and tissue boxes. The intelligent macaw is capable of learning tricks like “waving hello” and "stick em up" turning around on command. Advanced tricks include skating/skateboarding, dropping a ball through a hoop and riding on your shoulder as you bike through your neighborhood. Work slowly, in short sessions, and offer your bird plenty of praise and treats along the way. Trick training your macaw is an excellent way to bond with it while providing that essential mental stimulation.
Like dogs... they love to chew a stick by ssabbath Brutal Nikita by ThraxRoja Silly Chili Bean by CaptainBuzzBuzz Parrot by lottikbr :thumb522435759: Blue and gold Macaw in a hat by FlyingCowCreations I'm having fun by Nookslider Cocoa waving. by SilverWolfAJ Macaw by Zebralover214 parrot 2 by panter-mis Green Macaw Drawing. by MasterPred Parrot Donation Stand 2 by xThe-Twilight-Wolfx coby and toy by saosinandravyn my parrot by doug64 Coby`s ball by saosinandravyn My Domino. Nope. Its mine by Shortwinger hyacinth Macaw by Gredinia GentleGreys|Belonging by pillowglitch Look at my stomach by FlyingGuardianFish Oh, lookie a new toy by Katana-Tate Majestic Wings by Hypnokinesis

Feeding a Macaw Red Macaw by DPA-avatars
Vets agree that a pelleted food should be the basis for a macaw's diet, supplemented with a range of healthy fresh foods (grains, fruits, vegetables, etc.). Pellets should make up 25-50 percent of the diet, seeds should be no more than 10 percent of the diet (as they are too high in fat), and the rest of the diet should be fresh produce and other healthy foods. Many people will offer their macaws a small portion of whatever they are eating, and this is fine as long as it does not include any chocolate, caffeine, salt, or refined sugar. Favorite items include cooked pasta, apple sauce, and cereal. Nuts should be reserved as a treat (or bribe!). A diet of fatty food or one of exclusively nuts and seeds leads to overall poor health.  
Blue and Gold Macaw 2 by goadiz Nikita by ThraxRoja Coby eating a grape by saosinandravyn Elmo The Parrot by AllHailTheNekomancer Nom nom nom by OkayGrandpa Scarlet macaw - airbrush by czajka Araras by rosye Macaw eating Mandarin by alasmarides Macaws by CelestialComplex greenwing macaw by philipphuber Thinking Macaw by ChopShopStuK Grape Peeler by yurizemira Abba the Scarlet Macaw by CaptainBuzzBuzz What chu lookin' at? by Meowster78 Pepper Beak by ekoru Big birb by TemeroHimitaki Bad Manners by camyvergara A Parrot ate a Pepper by CynicalYak Macaw on Black by ZOMGwingly cannibal by idunnoshutup Arara-Caninde by rosye Eating by ToxieFox Yours Looks Better by RedCobalt

Links and Credits  

Websites about macaws:

Macaws overview - lafeber.com/pet-birds/species/…
Macaws - 8 Things you should know  - www.petcha.com/macaws-8-things…
Handling a macaw  - avalonaviary.com/large-macaws.…
Harness Training a macaw - www.sevenparrots.com/OurPerson…

Videos about pet macaws:

Scarlet and Green Wing Macaws holding hands - www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtzybn…
Macaws taking a shower - www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdXmjp…

Q & A series from a macaw owner -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahUS5k…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUGm3I…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUl29J…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILayZ6…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOyoEV…

Comic relief - Macaw noise www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKTzp-…

Parrot-closeup by duzulek Interracial Macaw Love by meihua Crazy Tongue by fennecx The Seed was THIS big - I swear! by tupilak

SoftParrots|Red Macaw hanging curious by pillowglitch Special thanks to all the DA members who shared their gorgeous photos and artwork that made this article possible! :heart:
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Mumuchi's avatar
Thank you for including my work too :)