Any idea how long a Severe Macaw lives?

[Lobby]

Does anyone have an idea how long Severe Macaws live? Anna has one that is 40+ yrs old that I want to go see. But I am a little afraid to get attached to a fid that is near the end of its life span. Of course if it were to like me, well every bird deserves a home, even if it would only be for a short while. Of course another issue is macaws and 'toos. But there is always the living room.

 

[Saemma]

Is it Jellybean? I hope it's him. Even if the macaw is that old.. wouldn't it be nice to give it a great loving home instead of a rescue shelter during its final years? I am pretty sure that I'd be tempted.

 

[Holiday]

The World Parrot Trust puts Severe longevity at "30+ years."
Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severus) | Parrot Care

I don't know how much that "+" counts for, but I read somewhere a while back that long-lived individuals may live as long as large macaws (which would be up to 60 years). Since Illiger's (which are smaller) are listed on the same site as living "50-60 years," I wouldn't think another ten would be out of the question for a 40-year-old Severe (of course, that depends on its prior diet and care...).

 

[GlassOnion]

I'd think they live very long, I saw a Senegal who was 42 and was healthy and shiny!

 

[Lobby]

Actually the Macaw and Cockatoo Facebook page mentioned getting a senior Severe named Caesar the other day that was with the same owner for 40 yrs. I want to meet both Jellybean and Caesar I've always thought that Severes were very pretty birds and that was before actually seeing one, now that I've met one in person a few yrs ago I've seen how beautiful they really are.

Neither Severe is listed on their Pet Finder page yet, I'm thinking Jellybean is still too much of a nipper and Caesar is going to the vet today. It would all depend on how a meeting with the fid would go, lately a lot of Anna's rescues do not care for men.

 

[TITANIS]

If HH can live to ~60 (as posted by someone), I expect pretty much the same for Severes. I know of RFMs around 50 and still going strong. The ultimate age of a parrot is many decades, but as in the case of people, stress, insufficient nutrition and illness take a toll to reduce life expectancy considerably. This is the reason figures of '35' that we often see cited on bird sites and published in books are more realistic.

 

[TITANIS]

Neither Severe is listed on their Pet Finder page yet, I'm thinking Jellybean is still too much of a nipper and Caesar is going to the vet today. It would all depend on how a meeting with the fid would go, lately a lot of Anna's rescues do not care for men.

Severes have what I call an understated beauty about them. It's not something that will jump out at you in a photo however flattering the photographer is. When you see one in person, the Severe's subtle coloring really shines but even that is not what impresses me. There is a 'je ne sais quoi' about them that defies description, and it has much to do with the overall balance of their physical features more than the coloring itself. Meaning, size and shape of facial patch, the number and fineness of their facial lines, positioning of the eyes relative to other prominent features, so I guess it's the spatial relationship that is very harmonious about their physical characteristics which pleases - well, at least to me. Then, there's the expressions they display that are very lovable.

 

[Saemma]

Titanis,
It's very interesting thing that you point out what I have observed as well. In photos on the internet the severe macaw is not of the appearance that I would normally be drawn to.

When I look at Mabel I think she is beautiful. Not because she is mine and I care about her but because she really is a beautiful severe macaw even though about 65% of her body feathers aren't in good condition at the moment.

I agree that I haven't always thought that about Mabel but I would have to say that severe macaws in person look far more better than they do in photos. I really hope the videos that I have taken of Mabel portrays what photos don't seem to do very well.

 

[Lobby]

Severes have what I call an understated beauty about them. It's not something that will jump out at you in a photo however flattering the photographer is. When you see one in person, the Severe's subtle coloring really shines but even that is not what impresses me. There is a 'je ne sais quoi' about them that defies description, and it has much to do with the overall balance of their physical features more than the coloring itself. Meaning, size and shape of facial patch, the number and fineness of their facial lines, positioning of the eyes relative to other prominent features, so I guess it's the spatial relationship that is very harmonious about their physical characteristics which pleases - well, at least to me. Then, there's the expressions they display that are very lovable.

Very nicely put, I think this really says it all about them. I am not a fan of the color green so for me to find these birds beautiful is really something.

 

[jmfleish]

My biggest question is, how do you know how old he is...was it a single owner who gave him up and knows where he came from? Possibly two owners...passed down through a family member? I really have a hard time believing claims like that because so many people don't know for sure, especially if the bird has been passed from one person to the next. Also, if this bird can truly be traced all the way back to 40 years ago, that would be 1971 and I'm sure he would have most likely been a wild caught bird rather than domestically bred. In that case, there's no way to know how old he is because they most likely didn't know his age when he was removed from the wild.

I will say that Cookie, MM2 at the Brookfield zoo in Chicago, is at least 78, because they've had him that long. MM2s are generally about the size of a Goffin's, maybe a bit bigger. Severes are bigger than that. I would think that the bigger the bird, the longer it lives but that's just a guess and will definitely depend on diet and exercise throughout its lifetime.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Maybe stress is the real killer and then dietary and enrichment secondary killers. I know of a guy who has a 34y.o mitred conure. Fed only black oily sunflower seeds and "some" scraps. Is flighted but the cage can barelly be call cockatiel cage, no toys(doesn't like them) and this bird is very bright eyed, dull in feathers though, but lively. Has been with this one owner all his life.

 

[Joey]

45+

 

[TITANIS]

It's very interesting thing that you point out what I have observed as well. In photos on the internet the severe macaw is not of the appearance that I would normally be drawn to.

Neither would I, and TBH, I wasn't overly drawn to them years ago before I actually saw one in person, not any more than many other parrot species that I expressed only passing interest in. Then, I saw one in person and I was literally shocked at the difference between photos taken of this species and an individual in real life. I mean, I've seen photos of exotic parrots before, and when I finally saw one in person they were exactly what I had expected, but that wasn't the case with Severes; they really are that much better looking in person.

I agree that I haven't always thought that about Mabel but I would have to say that severe macaws in person look far more better than they do in photos. I really hope the videos that I have taken of Mabel portrays what photos don't seem to do very well.

Yes, absolutely. Every time you post a video of Mable I find myself replaying it over and over again. I think that's a testament to both your video taking and Mabel's beauty.

Very nicely put, I think this really says it all about them. I am not a fan of the color green so for me to find these birds beautiful is really something.

Thank you. I'm actually very attracted to green parrots, especially the green macaws and predominantly green Amazons. I find these species extremely attractive. However, even if I have a liking for the color green that isn't the main reason I'm drawn to Severes.

I will say that Cookie, MM2 at the Brookfield zoo in Chicago, is at least 78, because they've had him that long. MM2s are generally about the size of a Goffin's, maybe a bit bigger. Severes are bigger than that. I would think that the bigger the bird, the longer it lives but that's just a guess and will definitely depend on diet and exercise throughout its lifetime.

There is a definite trend of size and life expectancy with parrots. I would say that among the major families, cockatoos seem to have the greatest longevity. I've heard of long-lived M2s and it doesn't surprise me the zoo you referred to has a MM2 that is approaching 80 despite being a significantly smaller bird than a M2.

Maybe stress is the real killer and then dietary and enrichment secondary killers. I know of a guy who has a 34y.o mitred conure. Fed only black oily sunflower seeds and "some" scraps. Is flighted but the cage can barelly be call cockatiel cage, no toys(doesn't like them) and this bird is very bright eyed, dull in feathers though, but lively. Has been with this one owner all his life.

You could very well be right and I've often thought of this myself in the past. There is so much we just don't know about parrot health and the proper care we should be giving captive parrots. Example: cockatoos in Australia have been witnessed consuming clay, do we feed clay to our 'toos?? Nope.

We have made huge strides in the last couple of decades but big advances still need to be made to have most of the pieces of a very complex puzzle put in their proper place, so to speak. Also, the MC you mentioned may have been blessed by great genetics. Sometimes genes are undervalued but everything plays a role in matters of longevity. Same thing for humans and a predisposition (or lack thereof) towards certain genetic disorders/illnesses.

 

[Lobby]

My biggest question is, how do you know how old he is...was it a single owner who gave him up and knows where he came from? Possibly two owners...passed down through a family member? I really have a hard time believing claims like that because so many people don't know for sure, especially if the bird has been passed from one person to the next. Also, if this bird can truly be traced all the way back to 40 years ago, that would be 1971 and I'm sure he would have most likely been a wild caught bird rather than domestically bred. In that case, there's no way to know how old he is because they most likely didn't know his age when he was removed from the wild.

I will say that Cookie, MM2 at the Brookfield zoo in Chicago, is at least 78, because they've had him that long. MM2s are generally about the size of a Goffin's, maybe a bit bigger. Severes are bigger than that. I would think that the bigger the bird, the longer it lives but that's just a guess and will definitely depend on diet and exercise throughout its lifetime.

His original owner (or so she thought) had him since 1971. So he is 40 + yrs old. And yes he is from the jungle so there is no way to know for sure how old he is. I hope to meet Caesar soon. There is no doubt that he is in his mid-thirties, the daughter that surrendered him to Anna on her mother's death remembers him being in her mother's house as long as she can remember.

Now that you mention Cookie, didn't he have his own Webpage?