The mystery of mini-macaw lifespan

[jb_avenue]

I have seen that some earlier posts have discussed the lifespan of macaws. But I would like to focus on miniature-macaws (hahns, yellow-collars, severe, etc).

My yellow collared mini-macaw (really, I had a YCM) recently passed away at the age of 30 years and 5 months.

Most web sites I've read quote a lifespan for mini-macaws as 20-30 years. My avian veterinarian told me "into the 20s".

BUT, I have found a few web sites which quote 30-50 for mini-macaws. I think these sites may be confusing minis with their larger cousins. But I don't know for sure. And I'd like to know the truth.

So, I'm asking this group whose experience far exceeds my own. Have any of you owned or encountered mini-macaws that lived (or are living) much beyond 30 years?

I appreciate your responses.

 

[Mizzely]

20-30 years is definitely the average from what I've seen. I'm not sure who all has a mini right now!

 

[Zara]

I'm not sure who all has a mini right now!

@zoo mom @flyzipper @TikiMyn

 

[SumitaSinh]

My yellow collared mini-macaw (really, I had a YCM) recently passed away at the age of 30 years and 5 months

I am sorry for your loss... Please feel free to share your memories with us. Yellow collars are so rare!

 

[zoo mom]

Guiseppe is somewhere around 10-12. (I think) I have enough trouble keeping track of my own age.

 

[jb_avenue]

Please feel free to share your memories with us

Well, I wish I was good at telling stories. I'm not really.

She was the most enchanting creature I have ever encountered. An adorable, mischievous little brat.


So, there was this one holiday dinner (I forget which), I took her along.

There was an old man there (87, maybe). He would usually eat with the family, then just fall asleep at the table.

But, this time, they decided to put Chewy on the table. So this old dude starts cutting up tiny pieces of turkey to feed her. She just loved this stuff. She is stuffing herself silly. Her crop is bulged out like a balloon. I'm freaking out, trying to get her to stop. She keeps running up his arm, behind his head, and down the other side to get more turkey.

The old dude stayed wide awake and fully engaged as long as she was there that night.

His family told me that, for the rest of his life, he would tell the story of the night he fed turkey to the little parrot. It became one of his favorite stories.


It was like that.
I miss her every day.

(I'm not sure I'm using this interface right.)

 

[Macawnutz]

@MiniMacaw

 

[Pixiebeak]

Survival on the ark: life history trends in captive parrots

Members of the order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are among the most long-lived and endangered avian species. Comprehensive data on lifespan and breeding are critical to setting conservation priorities, parameterizing population viability models, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Table 2 gives lifespan averages

 

[TikiMyn]

Survival on the ark: life history trends in captive parrots

Members of the order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are among the most long-lived and endangered avian species. Comprehensive data on lifespan and breeding are critical to setting conservation priorities, parameterizing population viability models, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Table 2 gives lifespan averages

Wow, that puts my guy at a very low maximum age I have read so many things, for some reason there are very little stories of mini macs of day above 10 years old. I am a member of some Illigers groups and the oldest bird is 6. It seems very odd to me as for most species you can find stories of individuals in their teens, twenties etc. Not that that says much, but it’s curious to me. I remember reading once of a yellow collared who was 32 but that’s all.

It sounds like your feathered friend got to live a full, happy life.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Wow, that puts my guy at a very low maximum age I have read so many things, for some reason there are very little stories of mini macs of day above 10 years old. I am a member of some Illigers groups and the oldest bird is 6. It seems very odd to me as for most species you can find stories of individuals in their teens, twenties etc. Not that that says much, but it’s curious to me. I remember reading once of a yellow collared who was 32 but that’s all.

It could be something essential is missing from captive diets? I was surprised at the shorter life span averages of some species.

But this study looked back , and hopefully we are seeing longer lives in many

 

[Mizzely]

Interesting. I know of several Jardine's in their 20s and some into their 30s, but this says the max of the 200+ Jardine's they sampled was 20.

 

[TikiMyn]

that’s true. As I rechecked(rather messy to look at on phone) saw the ages stated for lovebirds was not that great either. Then two of my four would be old aged by now and am definitely not seeing that in their behaviour. I hope they get to be with me for a long time still.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Interesting. I know of several Jardine's in their 20s and some into their 30s, but this says the max of the 200+ Jardine's they sampled was 20.

Statistics....not sure what their +/- was given as
This study is over ten years old and it looks back by necessity. Even mention expects life span to increase .

But it's the only scientific and not antidotal study I found. Have you come across any?

 

[Mizzely]

Statistics....not sure what their +/- was given as
This study is over ten years old and it looks back by necessity. Even mention expects life span to increase .

But it's the only scientific and not antidotal study I found. Have you come across any?

No but I also haven't gone looking to be honest. They will live as long as they do

 

[Pixiebeak]

No but I also haven't gone looking to be honest. They will live as long as they do

Darn I'm always interested in finding more parrot studies

 

[flyzipper]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Have any of you owned or encountered mini-macaws that lived (or are living) much beyond 30 years?

My severe is 16, so I don't have the experience you're looking for.

 

[MiniMacaw]

My oldest severe is in his early 20s now. He doesn’t seem “old” to me. His behavior is as fiesty as ever and his yearly check up showed nothing abnormal. My vet thinks severes can get up to their 50s potentially, but that since care hasn’t been optimal in the past, we’re used to seeing lower average max ages. As avian medicine and our knowledge of their dietary and exercise needs advance so should their lifespans. We’re not far enough into keeping mini macaws to have anything other than anecdotal stories of longer lived minis unfortunately. I personally believe for severes (since that’s the only mini species I’m familiar with) they can get up to the 40-50s. I know the emergency avian clinic I’ve had to go to is currently treating a 44 year old severe patient.

 

[jb_avenue]

Survival on the ark: life history trends in captive parrots

Members of the order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are among the most long-lived and endangered avian species. Comprehensive data on lifespan and breeding are critical to setting conservation priorities, parameterizing population viability models, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Table 2 gives lifespan averages

So, if I read this report right, of 153 birds, none got over 25 yoa. I guess that sounds conclusive.

Thanks. This was helpful.

 

[zoo mom]

When I got Guiseppe as a 9 month old the breeders breeding pairs were in their late teens and early 20's. She had 2 pairs. Unfortunately she was an older woman and sold off her breeders 4 or 5 years after that. So I have no way of checking if they are still alive. But I would assume if they were still producing at that age that the life expectancy must be at least 30-40.

 

[zoo mom]

She did only allow them to produce 1 clutch a year. And they usually had 3-4 eggs.