kryptoniteqhs
I share your interest in macaws, and have two rescue blue and golds. I want to let you know that macaws are VERY bonded to their caretakers, and the idea of "testing out" and hookbill may cause emotional harm to the bird if you have to take it back, and I know that is not your intent.
Please forgive the length of my note - I want to provide you with information that you may find helpful in making your decision.
I like the ideas other BYCers have put forth - you might want to go visit a macaw at a local rescue -- keep visiting a few times a week for a few months and if you find your interest remains constant, then maybe it is right for you.
Macaws require a significant amount of your time, and become self destructive when not given adequate attention. This is especially true if there are no other large hookbills for them to interact with. I spend 3 hrs per day MINIMUM interacting with my macaws.
Macaws require a significant investment in money and time for their vet care and food. On food, I make a birdie salad each week that contains many fresh vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, green pepper, spinach, corn, peas) and fruits (apples, oranges, grapes, pears, etc). Each of my birds gets a fresh birdiesalad each morning. In addition, each month I make and freeze a pasta/bean salad in an ince cube tray. They get one of these ice cubes melted each day on top of their fresh salad. This is in ADDITION to their pellets, nuts, dried fruits/vegetables/grains that are in their parrot mix.
Each week my parrots get a birdie shower where I supervise their time in a shower with water directed away from them, and at room temp - this left them groom their feathers as they would in the wild - clean them - they get regular mistings throughout the week.
In terms of vet care, I can't walk out of my avian veterinarian's office for less than 150 dollars when a macaw is the patient - they don't often have to go - but one once had pneumonia and the totals added up FAST.
I make my own bird toys to save money, and this takes time (to make them) and money to get the basic supplies (chain, rope, blocks, beads, birdie bagels, etc). macaws need to have their toys rotated to avoid boredom. And they go through toys quickly.
I suppose to sum up I would say that they require much more attention than my cockatiels ask - and having helped place many macaws, I can tell you that they really need a permanent home - too many are shuffled among different homes because people do not realize how loud they are, how much space their require, how much time they require, how much money they require. And I've seen the result - adolescent (3-5 yr old) macaws that bite, scream, are frightened, and almost impossible to rehabilitate and place into loving homes.
One of my current rescues was dropped off by a family that had to evacuate from hurricane Katrina 3 times - he had clearly been teased, had poor nutrition and what is it - 3 years later? He is starting to show signs of being able to bond with humans, inhibit his biting and may some day be an adoptable pet.
I am sure you are a responsible pet owner, and it is clear that you love your birds. I just wanted to write this so you would know that scaling up to the largest hookbill is really more than, say, getting 10 cockatiels - it requires many more years of commitment and so much more investment from you emotionally, fiscally, and in terms of time.
best wishes with your decision. If you have any other questions I can answer for you, pelase do not hesitate to PM me.
