Hey! I'm a college student with an interest in birds. My orchestra director heard that I have an interest in birds and asked if I would be available to watch his bird (A blue and gold macaw), along with two dogs that he owns (I assume he keeps them separate).

I own a dog of my own, but all of my experience with birds has been with ones that aren't my own, and I've never spent more than a day or two with them.

So what I'm asking is: What should I know before I do this? I get really nervous with this kind of thing.

My ex husband forced me to rehome my beautiful blue and gold macaw. Reluctantly I found a home for him with someone who knew about birds and had a beautiful aviery set up for him. Years later I have seen my macaw for sale online, but he is now part of a bonded pair. The seller mentions they have a nest box and are currently agressive. I missed my macaw so much but I’m worried he will be too much for me now that he’s got a hen. Could he ever be a pet again? He’s been living in an aviery with a hen the last 4 years. Before that he was my much loved pet.

My boyfriend’s parents have had their macaw for about 17 years (she’s 30).

My boyfriend’s mom got diagnosed with stage four cancer and is currently in hospice.:(

Even before she got sick we always talked about taking her as my boyfriend is her person.

Coco hates the dad so we’ve been staying at the house taking care of her.

She is so hesitant of new people which after reading this thread that’s very common.

I seem to be doing what you are all recommending, having a routine with her.

My boyfriends great about being out of the room when I do this as he has seen she is much more protective of him when he is around.

When I stay at the house I am the one who opens her cage and changes her water and feeds her. She will even take banana chips from my hand. And sit next to her cage so she can get used to me.

Knowing I’ll be caring for her more often now, any more advice on getting her to trust me more? She still won’t let me pet her or step up which I’m not to worried about. Just jealous of all the cuddles and pets my boyfriend gets😂💖

I really want to own one, but Idk where to buy in my native Ireland. Can I please have any suggestions?

Apologies in advance for the long post.

My dad got a blue and gold macaw sometime in the 70s. He took care of her until he moved out, and then my grandma took over. The first ~35 years of her life she was well cared for, but over the last few years, my grandma hasn’t been able to give the bird proper care.

About a month ago I started going to my grandmother’s to help her care for the macaw. I started by improving her diet, getting her a new perch, and trying to diy some new toys for her. The macaw is beginning to trust me (nibbles my hand/ lets me pet her head a little). Even though the last few years haven’t been great for her, she’s still a very sweet bird.

These are a few things I could really use some advice about:

-bath time. She hasn’t had one in quite a while, and from what I remember, she does not like them. Are there any work arounds instead of a shower? She’s only starting to trust me and I don’t want to push it

-expenses. Wow birds are expensive, specifically cages. Her cage is too small, and I can’t afford to get her anything better. She has started coming out again, which is amazing to see, but I don’t think it’s enough exercise time. Any suggestions about how I can get her moving more?

-toys. Are there any specific toys that your bird loves. Are there any inexpensive diy toys that you’ve made at home?

-any other advice. Literally anything else I need to know. I’ve been doing a lot of googling, and since I’ve been around her for so long, I think I have a decent feel for what she needs. I’m still open to any advice I can get.

She is a very sweet bird, and I want to give her the life she used to have. TIA

A prior post of mine was about me worrying about my macaw preferring my mom and boyfriend over me and I know that is exactly the case now.

I am not my birds person and it breaks my heart since I am the one who wanted him in the first place.

He goes out of his way to get to my mom and my bf, follows them wherever they go, will stay on their lap when we are sitting on the couch and it just makes me want to cry because he seems to just tolerate me.

I don't know how to cope with not being my birds person

What kind of fruits and veggies do your macaws like? I swear mine is the pickiest. So far she likes grapes, pineapple for the juice, bananas and sometimes apples not always tho. I have no problem buying her the more expensive exotic fruits but don't really want to waste the money if they don't typical like it. And veggies are just a no. So anything you guys suggest would be great.

Our home was damaged during Hurricane Helene and needs renovated. My brother has a enclosed Florida room where he's allowing us to put the cages of the rest of our flock, but I'm trying to figure out a solution for my Catalina macaw. Her cage is over 7' tall and will not fit in his space. I tried finding a bird boarder but they all require your own cage and hers is just too big. Do you think it would be okay to buy a smaller than ideal cage for a temporary house for her for a week or two, and then she can be kept with the rest of the birds? What would be the minimum size for it?

I don't have a macaw, I just hope to get one someday (a long time from now) and for now I just like to learn.

Do you guys take your macaws outside? I know some people take their macaws to places to free fly and some people take their macaws on walks (or shoulder rides ig) in a harness.

I have a pretty large indoor house where a macaw could free roam and before I ever got one I plan on putting a large net around my back deck so a macaw could get some outside time safely and be able to stretch it's wings. But it's a bird and birds obviously are made to fly, so would I need to do more? Take it out to places to have freedom and freefly?

^(I work 9 to 5 and I plan on rescuing a macaw soon. I don't know if I will have enough time to take are of these amazing birds if I work full time. I watched videos of many ppl online who own macaws and its controversial if you can work full time and keep these birds happy and mentally stimulated. I would appreciate anyone's help please.)

I plan on rescuing a macaw soon. I have researched everything about macaws like what they eat, where they live, how to build an aviary and how destructive they are :). But these are my first birds, and I defiantly don't want to rehome. I would like macaw owners help on things that nobody prepared them for.

I was given this B&G macaw a few months ago because my aunt died and I was chosen to look after the animal because I have a diverse animal background.

Not in birds, I have reptiles & dogs

So I spent about 500 on getting her a cage, stick for the cage, food, and toys.

I live with my ma and the Gaylord, the girl’s name, hates on her, and basically any other female and man that enters the house.

She only goes on my shoulders and she won’t take weekly showers, nor will she even tolerate a light mist, nor will she go in a water tray.

She also pecks at her feathers apparently from the stress of being around these women (I’m convinced she’s a misogynist)

She scrawls a lot, but we’re used to it.

When we first got her, we brought her to the exotic in town to help her talons and beak, she seems to have scissor beak syndrome.

She got a review saying she was the nicest macaw they’ve ever met, but this was months ago and I think Gaylord is unhappy now.

So any advice yall have would be greatly appreciated!

Problems I want to solve/address/get info on:

She hates women

Her beak

Her losing feathers

The healthiness of the feathers

She doesn’t fly

She won’t bath

She only chills with me

My macaw has a habit of gently hitting her open beak up and down. Like barely hitting what she's doing it do. She even has done it to my face and it's not hard at all. It didn't hurt at all. Anyone know why she does this?

Hey guys! I will be adopting a 3 year old macaw, Jaiden. Pic posted for more attention! I’m curious about a completely ‘raw’ diet. As in, no pellet or very minimal pellet. Probably -55% fresh vegetables- and sprouts, -5% fruits, -10% bugs (I own reptiles. So this would consist of ‘freshly killed’ crickets and mealworms- not freeze dried. As well as other proteins like egg on occasion -10% flowers -10% nuts -10% extra vitamin supplements and very minimal pellets I was also made aware she is hormonal and lays eggs at random, and I’m wondering if a completely natural diet may help her, as well as preventing measures. My Quaker currently is on a 20% pellets, the rest fresh veg, sprouts, and crickets. She never has a bad day, and is never grumpy, or hormonal. I kind of want to go 100% for her too. I currently use the pellets for foraging ‘treats’. I also make her work for most of her food, and try to replicate wild foraging techniques as best as possible. She is very alert and active, compared to my previous birds who were quite lazy. My Macaw I’ll be adopting is also free flight trained, so she will have great opportunity to exercise and be active. I honestly just don’t trust pellets, and see them more as being a supplement along with powder supplements. Opinions on this?

I'm considering adopting a macaw who is about 20 years old. Supposedly at some point he broke his wing and is unable to fly per the sanctuary vet. They have yet to even see him glide. However, he does climb up and down stuff with no issue.

This would be my first macaw (though not first big parrot). Is this something I should be concerned about or think twice about? We do have dogs and, while I wouldn't leave them alone with him, accidents happen and I do worry about his inability to escape. At the same time, this may make him less inclined to experiment and may stay on a higher surface (stand or whatever) more consistently. And I worry a bit about him falling off something. We have a large outdoor aviary he could use when the weather is nice, but he may not get as much use out of it as a flighted bird.

Otherwise, from everything I've been told, he seems like a great, well behaved macaw (as much as that exists) and he's stunning to me. I haven't met him yet, but am planning to soon. Is there anything I should check, questions I should ask, etc?

I am dog sitting my friends dog, the dogs hygiene is really good, his teeth are brushed every night etc. Well he's very excited about the birds and jumped up and licked my macaws face beak, nose everything so worried!!!

Hello everyone! I was wondering if there are any legit bird breeder websites out there? I saw one that was literally called “Legit Bird Breeders” but had a hyacinth for $900…. No way.

Hi! This is slogs, he’s a 34 year old scarlet macaw that has been living with my grandad since he was a chick. Unfortunately my grandad has gotten to an age where he can no longer care for slogs so he has come to stay with my parents.

Slogs loves my dad and tolerates me as he’s known me my whole life (he’s learned I’m a good provider of the snacks he wants) however he despises my partner.

Everytime my partner is in slogs’ sight he becomes very angry; he screams, growls and will fly at my partner with the intention of biting. It’s gotten to the point now where when he comes in the house slogs has to go sit in his cage as he will fly straight for him and spends the whole time once in his cage rocking his head back and forth

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to at least get slogs to tolerate being out of his cage in the same room as my partner?