It’s not unusual to see a pet owner talking to a pet. It’s just not everyday that you hear the pet answer back – or have a conversation with another nearby pet.
That’s the wonder of macaw ownership, the largest of the parrots, and probably the most intelligent.
“There has been a lot of study done on macaws, and scientists have found that some have the intelligence of a typical 4-year-old,” says Tulsan Mary Hill. Hill has nine macaws of various species, ages 2-15, and she serves as the publicity chairperson for the Oklahoma Avicultural Society in Tulsa.
Walking into Hill’s bird room is a bit like entering another world. It is a magnificent explosion of avian color. Multicolored birds of various sizes perk up at the sight of visitors in their midst. The room is definitely the domain of the macaw, with large cages lining the walls of this garden-type room attached to the Hill’s home. Mary notices one of her macaws is blushing. Yes, blushing.
“Oh, you see a pretty girl, don’t you?” she says. The noticeably reddish tinge to the macaw’s few white feathers on its face deepens even further. Then he proceeds to hang upside down and squawk loudly.
“They all love to show off,” Hill said. “Bailey (one of her macaws) likes to wrestle.”
Hill took a macaw out of his cage for a closer look and a snack. Macaws have large, extremely strong beaks capable of breaking into a hard-shelled nut with very little difficulty.
“Is it good?” a voice cackles out from a cage across the room.
“It’s very good,” the nut-eating macaw responded.
Welcome to the world of macaws, full of surprise and lots of entertainment. Definitely worth the price of admission. And that price can be steep, Hill says, with baby macaws costing from $1,200-$1,300, and the rarer blue hyacinth macaw going for up to $5,000.
Cages
Each macaw has his or her own large cage, which Hill cleans daily. She lines the cage bottoms with 
custom-cut waxed paper. Large perches, mostly wooden, are the central focus, along with the mass of toys in each cage. “They love their toys,” Hill says. “Macaws are happier when they can be destructive, because they have the urge to chew. Because of these destructive instincts, macaw owners need to figure in a fairly large toy budget for their birds.” “Macaws will chew your furniture,” Hill says. “They have to have a ‘job,’ and that’s why it’s important to have appropriate toys to play with.” Looking at Hill’s macaw cages, they all appear to be very sturdy, secure structures made of metal. But never underestimate a macaw, Hill says. One of her macaws, Picasso, actually spurred a cage manufacturer to redesign their product. “Picasso figured out how to unlatch the cage, got out of the cage, and let all of the other birds out of their cages,” Hill laughs. Hill says that the Oklahoma Avicultural Society offers cage and accessory exchanges and a toy making workshop to help their members save money.
Macaw health
Daily cage cleaning also allows Hill to check on the health of her birds. “You can check their droppings to see if they look OK.” “Weighing birds is important to the health,” Hill adds. “Owners need to get a gram scale.” Hill noted that in addition to weight loss and a change in droppings, behavior changes with illness. “They will hide if they’re not feeling well,” she says. “Macaws don’t want to be perceived as being weak. If they’re not perching, it’s a big sign that they’re sick. “Sometimes macaws will pluck out their feathers if something isn’t right,” Hill says. “It could be boredom, diet, or family discord.”
Hill also recommends finding a veterinarian who specializes in bird care and maintains an avian certification. “They have had additional training with birds,” Hill says.
Creating a safe environment
To create a safe environment for macaws, Hill notes several common household items that can be fatal or cause illness. “You cannot have Teflon [a common non-stick coating for cookware] around. When it’s heated, it creates a gas that can kill a macaw,” Hill says. She also advises against the use of harsh cleaning chemicals, smoking tobacco and even lighting scented candles around the birds. “I clean the floors with water and vinegar,” Hill says. Food also can be deadly for macaws. “They will eat just about anything, but they can’t have chocolate, onions, avocados or carbonated drinks,” Hill says. Insecticides are another category Hill says macaw owners need to investigate before using them around the birds. Even having another type of bird around a macaw can be dangerous. “Some other bird species give off a dust that macaws are allergic to,” Hill says.
Outdoor Time
Hill recommends outdoor exercise time for birds. “My birds have their wings clipped, so that they can’t fly away, but they should never be left outside alone. Hawks are predatory and will attack the macaws,” she said. Hill has an open air aviary for her birds, which includes trees, toys and an overhead netting for protection. Weather permitting, they go outside mid-morning and stay until about 5 p.m. each day. “I never leave while they’re in the aviary, and I keep it padlocked [to avoid theft],” Hill says. She also separates the birds by gender into divided areas of the aviary, since she is not a breeder. While the macaws are outside, Hill says she often gives them a bath with the sprinkler.
What’s for Dinner?
Although parrot-specific pellets are acceptable food for macaws, Hill prefers to give her birds a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. She also gives them a parrot seed mix. “I give them broccoli slaw, sugar snap peas, small amounts of fresh fruit, fresh spinach, and cabbage,” Hill says. “Macaws have very small stomachs, so one grape is enough for them.” Hill also gives her macaws a serving of organic sprouts mixed with a parrot spice mixture. “Everything is washed and fresh or frozen.”
Water needs to be fresh, and not out of the tap, Hill says. She recommends bottled water for the minerals it contains, but says not to use distilled water. All this meal preparation adds up to at least three dishwasher-loads per day, she says.
Training a macaw
“You have to have the patience of 10 Jobs,” Hill said referring to the training of a macaw. “They respond really well to positive reinforcement, though.” Hill recommends taking advantage of advice from other local ‘birdbrains’ who are members of local organizations like the Oklahoma Aviculture Society. The Tulsa group meets the third Sunday of most months, 1:30 p.m., Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. More information on the organization and on bird training and care is available on their Web site, http://www.OKBirds.com. The OAS also sponsors bird fairs periodically, with the next one scheduled in March. The OAS also is a good source of information on reputable breeders, Hill says.
“If a person does have a bird with behavior problems, they can always consult a parrot behaviorist,” Hill says. “They will frequently do phone consults.”
Lifelong companions
Because macaws often live to be 60-80 years old, special considerations need to be undertaken, Hill says. “If you get a young bird, you need to make sure you plan for them, in case you’re not around,” Hill says. “Many people will decide who will take care of the birds after they die, and they even set up a trust for their care.”
Other considerations
With all their beauty, intelligence, and entertaining qualities, macaws may seem like a perfect pet. Hill warns, however, that there are some cases where a macaw may not be the best choice for a family pet. “They are very, very loud,” Hill said. “Macaws absolutely are not suited for an apartment. They have a tendency to scream, especially in the evening.” Hill also doesn’t recommend macaws as a pet for small children, but says that teens usually are able to understand how to properly handle the bird so that they or the bird are not injured. “Macaws need a lot of human contact, for the stimulation,” Hill says. This may make them a better pet for households that have someone home during the day. “Spend some time with a person who has a bird,” Hill recommends. “Read about the different types of macaws—they’re not all alike. “My recommendation for a first-time macaw owner is the Blue and Gold,” Hill says. “They generally are sweeter and easier to handle.”
“They’re a lot of work, but they’re my babies,” Hill says.
