I have two male blue and gold macaws that I need to rehome, due to unforeseen personal circumstances. This breaks my heart, but it is best for them. Please read this whole post prior to responding.
Their names are Ben and Clyde, who are approximately 8 and 12 years old, respectively. They are incredibly bonded and cannot be separated. I rescued them 4-5 years ago from a pretty bad situation. Their diet was terrible, they were kept in a basement with no sunlight, and very little interaction with people. Since then, I’ve got them switched to Zupreem fruit blend (not the greatest but better than nothing but peanuts), fresh fruit and veggies, and a variety of nuts. Ben will eat more of a variety than Clyde will. Clyde is a bit of a junk food junkie and loves the occasional French fry or potato chip.
They have both been vet checked and dna sexed. They are both healthy and their feathers are in great condition. They are not pluckers. They aren’t super fond of bathing, but I’ve at least gotten them to the point where they enjoy getting sprayed while on their perch or the top of their cage. They could both use a nail trim. I highly recommend having a vet do this. I’ve been able to to Ben’s nails, but not without stress, and I would not recommend attempting Clyde’s. That being said, they have incredibly different personalities.
Ben is pure mischief. He is the smaller of the two, has darker eyes, and a band on his leg. He is curious, quite the attention hog, and far less cautious or apprehensive than Clyde is. He is handleable, with time and patience. Sometimes he takes a bit to warm up to new people. He is great at that macaw ‘bluffing’ and loves to get a reaction. He does well with both men and women, as long as whoever it is is ready to play.
Clyde, on the other hand, is much more of a hands-off bird. He is quite large for a blue and gold, has lighter eyes, and no band. You can tell them apart by their demeanor as well. He greatly prefers women. He loves being talked to like a baby, and you can get him to do a lot of things with the promise of food. A good rule of thumb- if you want Clyde to step up, make sure that Ben does first. Clyde will follow if he feels like Ben is leaving him. He will step up on his own if he gets stuck, and for the occasional walnut. Other than that, he does not like to be handled, and he will let you know that, in no uncertain terms. He can absolutely be aggressive at times, but learning his cues will save many bites. He tends to be a floor dweller and will hide under the cage and run at feet. He thinks it’s hilarious, but I highly advise wearing a good pair of sturdy shoes while he roams. I have been bitten on the foot. No serious damage, but it hurt enough to ensure that I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
That being said, I will not let them go to a house with young children. This is non-negotiable. They would do best in a home where they are either the only pets, or they’re kept separately from other pets in the home. I do not know how they would react to other birds of the same size, but for safety reasons, I would not place them where they have access to smaller animals. Ben would likely be fine, but Clyde is very territorial. Also, it is worth remembering that with macaws, it’s more of a matter of when you’ll get bitten, rather than if.
They’re loud, messy, destructive, and super stubborn, but for the right people and a good amount of patience, their quirks will be the very things you love about them. They both love to dance, make all kinds of funny little noises, and do speak a bit as well. They both say hi and hello, laugh like humans and copy your dancing/ head bobbing. Ben has been testing other words but nothing has stuck quite like ‘hi.’ With them, I will include their cage, perches, any food, toys, or nuts we have left, as well as two dog carriers that I use to transport them. I also have a pvc play gym that I made, as well as a store bought stand. I have large ropes and ceiling hooks that Ben loves to climb, if you’d like those as well.
A few notes on the cage- it is a double cage with a divider. I tend to leave the middle open, unless they’re getting on each others nerves. They bicker like an old married couple and can do with a little separation. It has four dishes, and a door for a nesting box. Ben has an obsession with unscrewing everything he sees, so some of the knobs and latches had to be modified after he did this repeatedly and the pieces have gone missing. We did not do anything with the nesting box knob, as it isn’t necessary, but the other three knobs have been repeatedly replaced with screws. One door of the cage itself is missing some hardware on the latch. I have it closed with a chain and toy clasp. It’s not the greatest, but it is functional. You may be able to find replacement parts, the brand is MCage, purchased on Amazon. I haven’t looked into it.
If you are interested in giving them a good home, please reach out with a bit of your living situation, people in the home, and big bird care experience. The price is negotiable for the right home. $3500 for everything.
Their names are Ben and Clyde, who are approximately 8 and 12 years old, respectively. They are incredibly bonded and cannot be separated. I rescued them 4-5 years ago from a pretty bad situation. Their diet was terrible, they were kept in a basement with no sunlight, and very little interaction with people. Since then, I’ve got them switched to Zupreem fruit blend (not the greatest but better than nothing but peanuts), fresh fruit and veggies, and a variety of nuts. Ben will eat more of a variety than Clyde will. Clyde is a bit of a junk food junkie and loves the occasional French fry or potato chip.
They have both been vet checked and dna sexed. They are both healthy and their feathers are in great condition. They are not pluckers. They aren’t super fond of bathing, but I’ve at least gotten them to the point where they enjoy getting sprayed while on their perch or the top of their cage. They could both use a nail trim. I highly recommend having a vet do this. I’ve been able to to Ben’s nails, but not without stress, and I would not recommend attempting Clyde’s. That being said, they have incredibly different personalities.
Ben is pure mischief. He is the smaller of the two, has darker eyes, and a band on his leg. He is curious, quite the attention hog, and far less cautious or apprehensive than Clyde is. He is handleable, with time and patience. Sometimes he takes a bit to warm up to new people. He is great at that macaw ‘bluffing’ and loves to get a reaction. He does well with both men and women, as long as whoever it is is ready to play.
Clyde, on the other hand, is much more of a hands-off bird. He is quite large for a blue and gold, has lighter eyes, and no band. You can tell them apart by their demeanor as well. He greatly prefers women. He loves being talked to like a baby, and you can get him to do a lot of things with the promise of food. A good rule of thumb- if you want Clyde to step up, make sure that Ben does first. Clyde will follow if he feels like Ben is leaving him. He will step up on his own if he gets stuck, and for the occasional walnut. Other than that, he does not like to be handled, and he will let you know that, in no uncertain terms. He can absolutely be aggressive at times, but learning his cues will save many bites. He tends to be a floor dweller and will hide under the cage and run at feet. He thinks it’s hilarious, but I highly advise wearing a good pair of sturdy shoes while he roams. I have been bitten on the foot. No serious damage, but it hurt enough to ensure that I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
That being said, I will not let them go to a house with young children. This is non-negotiable. They would do best in a home where they are either the only pets, or they’re kept separately from other pets in the home. I do not know how they would react to other birds of the same size, but for safety reasons, I would not place them where they have access to smaller animals. Ben would likely be fine, but Clyde is very territorial. Also, it is worth remembering that with macaws, it’s more of a matter of when you’ll get bitten, rather than if.
They’re loud, messy, destructive, and super stubborn, but for the right people and a good amount of patience, their quirks will be the very things you love about them. They both love to dance, make all kinds of funny little noises, and do speak a bit as well. They both say hi and hello, laugh like humans and copy your dancing/ head bobbing. Ben has been testing other words but nothing has stuck quite like ‘hi.’ With them, I will include their cage, perches, any food, toys, or nuts we have left, as well as two dog carriers that I use to transport them. I also have a pvc play gym that I made, as well as a store bought stand. I have large ropes and ceiling hooks that Ben loves to climb, if you’d like those as well.
A few notes on the cage- it is a double cage with a divider. I tend to leave the middle open, unless they’re getting on each others nerves. They bicker like an old married couple and can do with a little separation. It has four dishes, and a door for a nesting box. Ben has an obsession with unscrewing everything he sees, so some of the knobs and latches had to be modified after he did this repeatedly and the pieces have gone missing. We did not do anything with the nesting box knob, as it isn’t necessary, but the other three knobs have been repeatedly replaced with screws. One door of the cage itself is missing some hardware on the latch. I have it closed with a chain and toy clasp. It’s not the greatest, but it is functional. You may be able to find replacement parts, the brand is MCage, purchased on Amazon. I haven’t looked into it.
If you are interested in giving them a good home, please reach out with a bit of your living situation, people in the home, and big bird care experience. The price is negotiable for the right home. $3500 for everything.
