Could i get opinoins on macaws as pets please?

[ninny]

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Where do you live if you see them in the wild and where are the pics!!!!

 

[ninny]

Frist i want to thank you everyone! My hubby is okay with the idea but very worried about the noise factor. I guess that needs to be covered more. Can you train a bird not to scream? Or if we did get a baby can we teach it from the get go that screaming is not ok?

I am leaning more towards a baby as every time we adopt something goes off or bad. But if its the right bird then i sure will.

We would not be getting the bird for a couple years as i want to wait till my two little dogs pass. But I guess if we had a baby before we had the bird would you still think gettin gone would be okay or should i just stay drooling over pictures.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Lovebirds are great pets and they are small. They aren't near as loud as the bigger parrots but they do alot of chattering. I like it and they are, IMO, the best for someone to start out with. They are very loveable!

 

[ninny]

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I like lovebirds but the hubby is agaisnt little birds

 

[Eduardo]

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Where do you live if you see them in the wild and where are the pics!!!!

I live in Puerto Rico, I think there's just tons that are released by people who own them and let them circle around, I've seen them in groups of 8 and more. Blue and Golds, and Scarlets. The go to the palm tress and eat the lberries. Huge birds and quite a spectacle to watch.

 

[seriousbill]

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Sorry, but screaming or calling is a natural behavior for macaws. Just your question about wanting to train it out tells me you don't know half what you'd need to know to own one. NO offense meant. I'm just trying to be honest. Macaws scream; some more, some less, but you can count on it happening and need to be prepared (a lot of macaws lose their homes for this reason). They also need to chew a TON of wood, and they won't necessarily differentiate between a toy and your furniture, although training along these lines might help some. They also bite on occasion, especially when hormonal in the spring time. You need to understand that they are WILD animals only a generation or two from the jungle, and they can't be counted on for loyalty and tameness like a dog or cat. Sure, some are basically sweet, and I'm not saying they can't be wonderful (I love mine very much), but they are not for most people. They are louder than you can imagine; they are messier than you can imagine (mine likes to grab a handfull of food with her foot and throw it outside her cage onto the floor

She gets a huge kick out of it and laughs her fool head off.

I don't recommend macaws to people who are not experienced large bird owners. JMHO.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Well I have not read every page of this so some of what I am going to say may have already been covered.
I have had several birds and yes they are a huge commitment. However they can be very fun and loving too. I would not recommend a "BIG" bird for a first timer.

Here is a very good source of info and if anybody ever has a chance to see one of his shows trust me you will love it !!!

http://www.thepiratesparrot.com/

 

[legacyln]

I have worked with a variety of small to large exotic birds and IMHO scarlets are one of the more aggressive macaws. Agree w/one of the posters that greenwings tend to be the mildest macaws.

That said, they are wild animals. They are big, messy, loud, will damage your stuff and most likely hurt you or others in your household. While parrots can be tame, they are centuries away from being "domesticated. " Training away their natural behviors is not possible. Folks who own these birds (and I am not among them) and have successful and rewarding relationships tend to be the people who spend hours every day with their birds, don't get upset about the behaviors that result from the bird's native instincts.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

One type of bird I am growing to love is the rose breasted cockatoo. I had never seen one until a few years ago when we got one in at the sanctuary. His name is Reggie and he is such a sweety. He seemed to really like me and allowed me to pick him up. He says a few words, but is never very loud, doesn't make too much of a mess, and is much smaller than a macaw. They are not the smallest of the cockatoos, more of a medium-small bird I would say.

We got another rose breasted in recently and he is the same way. Very sweet. Then I saw a few in a bird store and they were also the same way...so I'm thinking they are just generally docile birds. I've never heard either of the two we have scream and their voices sound very much like little robots. Its actually kind of funny.

Before you get a parrot, make sure you research all the different kinds out there. There really are so many that even I have never seen before. Another one we have at the sanctuary is called a citrine cockatoo. She is pretty small and sooo sweet. She is not terribly loud either.

However, if noise bothers you, one bird I would definitely stay away from are the conures. They can be incredibly sweet birds and I love them to death, but I don't think I could ever personally own one due to the volume of their screaming!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Give a look at the QUAKER parrot also called Quaker parakeet or monk parrot. I had one that just passed away and I am still torn. Buddy was only 7. The Quaker is claimed to be the second best for talking. Of course the African Grey is #1 but the Quaker is a much calmer bird. Buddy had a vocabulary of about 200 words and phrases. Also IF you have the experience and can get a very young bird and hand feed it the bond is unbeatable. Just make sure before you decide to hand feed that youknow what you are doing and have the time it is a fairly big commitment but the REWARDS are endless.
A parrot is not a pet it is a chosen family member !!!! And the love they gve is beyond explanation .