I can't decide...

[Jim S.]

Hello human beings.
Can you tell me the personality and the differences that each of the following species have?
- Blue and Gold Macaw
- Scarlet Macaw
and the aboves' hybrid - Catalina Macaw

 

[Birdbabe]

Bump!

 

[Macawnutz]

Welcome.

Are you looking for a baby or adopting an older bird? Do you have any bird experience? Macaw experience?

It's very difficult to put a personality label on a species like your asking. I would first make sure a parrot is right for you and then make sure a macaw is right for you.

I find its best to look at all the worst case scenario's and imagine life with your bird that way. If your bird yells often, is that okay? If they bite you and draw blood, is that okay? If they chew your couch, hate your wife, don't like to be touched... is that okay with you?

Macaws are dramatic. They have mood swings and are very intelligent. They are sensitive and require patience. They like routine and usually you live around them rather than them living with you.

I'm a butler, a chef, the maid. I'm the entertainment and the chauffeur. They require a ton of time and want to be part of most everything. They give as much trouble as they do love.

What do you imagine your life to be like with a macaw? What makes you want one? What is your home like?

 

[Jim S.]

Welcome.

Are you looking for a baby or adopting an older bird? Do you have any bird experience? Macaw experience?

It's very difficult to put a personality label on a species like your asking. I would first make sure a parrot is right for you and then make sure a macaw is right for you.

I find its best to look at all the worst case scenario's and imagine life with your bird that way. If your bird yells often, is that okay? If they bite you and draw blood, is that okay? If they chew your couch, hate your wife, don't like to be touched... is that okay with you?

Macaws are dramatic. They have mood swings and are very intelligent. They are sensitive and require patience. They like routine and usually you live around them rather than them living with you.

I'm a butler, a chef, the maid. I'm the entertainment and the chauffeur. They require a ton of time and want to be part of most everything. They give as much trouble as they do love.

What do you imagine your life to be like with a macaw? What makes you want one? What is your home like?

I like animals that require all these as you already mentioned. It encourages me to continue caring for the bird and makes me exctited.. I 've never had a parrot of my own.. But I have been bird sitting sometimes my cousins macaw. He has a blue and gold one, as scarlet and their hybrids are quite of illegal to have here in Greece. Unless you have the ways.. I mean some breeder that knows you well or things like that.. So that he can give you a baby one with a closed ring.
To my cousin's macaw again.. I don't really mind his screams, although they are quite loud. Neither his bites. I have been bitten a couple of times leading to nasty injuries but I'm keen on them, so I don't mind.. I know how to protect my fingers, eyes, ears etc. ... I don't really have any other experience.

I want a baby bird so that I will be able to train him my way, socialise him properly and provide him the best one can provide.
I shall take him after a year or so, so that I will be able to draw some more experience on them and buy all the things needed for his comfort. I shall built him a huge strong cage in my room so that he can sleep in that.. I am not willing to let him in there for any other reason. I am thining of just adjusting ropes, nets, games and swings in my room so that he won't even need a cage. My other animals live in my huge yard so I won't have a problem with him flying around the house. I said flying just because the next thing I'll say is about training. I will train him to fly with the glorious gift nature gave him, taking him with me in any walk I will be going as it will be a great way of socialisation. (all these with a harness of course) The other training issues are a lot more easier as I have seen many videos and asked my cousin.

I live in a 2 floor house, with a small yard in the back and a 730 square meters area, 465 of which are just yard with some trees, grass and flowers. I can train him flying there as well as in other large field areas we have near us or even go to the big mountain some kilometers away from here, or even in large parks, I mean huge.. 3000sq. meters... And have fun there.

The thing that make me want a macaw so bad, is that I can surely see in their exotic wild nature my andventurous and wild desires. I absolutely love exotic birds and the macaw is the one that , I believe, matches my attitude and nature.

Thank you for your time
Ι'm looking forward to answering more questions

 

[Garet]

Reading through your second post, @Jim S. I don't have any macaw experience, but birds do need to either have their own room or a cage to sleep in. Even big birds can get hurt or killed if a person rolls over ontop of them in their sleep.

And free flight training can be dangerous, especially if you try it on your own. Even experienced people lose their birds constantly.

 

[aooratrix]

The vast majority of parrots at least need a sleeping cage.

You say you're keen on bites? There must be a translation issue. Can you explain more?

Without an accomplished free flyer as a mentor, there is a good chance you'll lose the bird. I don't recommend it

 

[Jim S.]

The vast majority of parrots at least need a sleeping cage.

You say you're keen on bites? There must be a translation issue. Can you explain more?

Without an accomplished free flyer as a mentor, there is a good chance you'll lose the bird. I don't recommend it

I mean harness training. my cousin has trained his macaw, he could help me learn how to do it myself. Or I'll go to an accomlished free flyer as you said.
When I say I'm keen on bites I mean that I've been bitten a lot of times from my cousins macaw. And he's a strong one. I mean I don't mind neither the blood nor the injury.

 

[Jim S.]

Reading through your second post, @Jim S. I don't have any macaw experience, but birds do need to either have their own room or a cage to sleep in. Even big birds can get hurt or killed if a person rolls over ontop of them in their sleep.

And free flight training can be dangerous, especially if you try it on your own. Even experienced people lose their birds constantly.

Yeah, I said "no cage" just to show that I will let him be free most of the time.. Of course I will put him in his cage to sleep.
My cousin has been training his parrot to fly. It's dangerous of you do it with the parrot free. I mean, everyone could do it with a harness A very long one.
Thank you for the piece of advice

 

[BirdManDan]

I am a proponent of free flight training with excellent recall and desensitization.

If you work on indoor flight training and your bird has good recall then outside freeflying should not be a problem. It's important to have good ascending flights and descending flights well established indoors before going outside as its more difficult than just flying from point A to point B on a level flight. Also when your bird screws up inside and crashes, apart from seeing that he/she is okay you do not want to go to your bird you want the bird to come to you. The reason being is if your bird gets somewhere you can't reach it you don't want them being accustomed to you rescuing them but rather them learning and used to coming back to you. Then a harness really isn't necessary. It's probably more of a mental state for you thinking it is safer. But training is the safest for your bird without any potential dangers of getting hung up by the leash if there is a problem. Better to have your bird microchipped for that what if situation.

I personally am not a big fan of flight harnesses/suits. But here are some links to check out if you decide to use a harness or suit. Hope it helps.

Pros & Cons of flight harness

Indoor flight training basics

The next 3 are from the parrotwizzard. He's not my first choice but to might help you out if you want to desensitize your bird to the flight suit.

Flight harness desensitization day 1
Parrot Wizard Youtube Video Browser

Flight harness desensitization day 2
Parrot Wizard Youtube Video Browser

Flight harness desensitization day 3
Parrot Wizard Youtube Video Browser