I Held a Macaw!!!

[Chickerdoodle13]

Awww, cute little guy!

Holding a large parrot is definitely an experience for sure! I still get giddy when a new bird comes into the sanctuary and allows me to hold them. Not all the larger guys are so cooperative! LOL

 

[BurdBrain]

What a gorgeous bird! Was it your first time holding a Macaw? It's a neat and intimidating experience, isn't it?

I work at an avian rescue and I'm still afraid of holding those beasts. The Blue and Golds mostly tend to have nasty tempers, from what I've experienced so far. Scarlets, Green-winged macaws, and hybrids carrying blood from those species are always very well-behaved.

I can't say I have any experience owning any macaws, but I have lots of cockatiels (Bibi, Sunny, Boo, and a nameless one) and one cockatoo named Luke. As far as big birds go, Cockatoos are my favorite so far, but I'm warning you - they have quite a pair of lungs on them. If something makes Luke upset, he will have no problem letting you know. Just starting out, you should definitely get something small; like a Lovebird, a Parrotlet, a Cockatiel, or a Budgerigar like you stated. Princess parakeets are awesome too, but rarer in the pet trade.

 

[chicken boy sam]

Quote:
Yep, my first time holding one.... I thought it can't be too too much different then holding a chicken, right?!?!? WRONG!!!! Haha! The parrot had learned the words "hello" and "I love you"..... I was wondering, if you get a lovebird, can you just get one?

 

[ODEY587]

we love our macaws here our harley he know over 100 words and many complete songs

 

[Dar]

my friend has a scarlet macaw.. her name is Lulu.... and she is the funniest thing... my friend has worked with her so much and when Lulu hears the word bite... she will growl like a dog and say "I'm gonna bite you!".. and its all because when my friend was playing tug with the dog the dog would growl and then Michelle would growl back and say "I'm gonna bite you".. well Lulu caught on to the game..

dont be fooled by their gentile nature looks though... I have seen Lulu break the welds on her cage because she wanted out and Michelle would not let her out because the house was full of people.... I have watched her unscrew the nut and bolt keeping one of her perches in place.. (lulu was on the outside of the cage)

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
If you find yourself wanting a first parrot, I suggest starting small, like a conure. Tons of personality in a small package! And won't set you back a couple grand (well, after a large, high quality cage, toys, food, the bird itself, and well baby vet appointment, you'll be out about a grand) just for the bird. They are like little macaws. And they can't take off your finger if they have a bad day.

And you have to think to the future. Are you going to college? Who is going to take care of the parrot while you are away? I was personally lucky enough to have parents who adored my Screechy Peachy just as much as I do during those years (Dad even developed through lots of trial and error a delicious, healthy birdie bread recipe that she loves as a treat!).

X2

It is very cool being that close to such a magnificent animal. I love those birds but they will definitely outlive you. What happens then? You become their mate and they mate for life. I've known breeding pairs that were 95 years old.

This facility in Costa Rica rescues birds that have been pets, kept in hotels, etc. They sometimes have huge emotional problems.
They try to breed them and release juveniles once they have found a mate. It takes many years of effort to rehabilitate them. There was a bald one except for its head - it constantly plucked every feather it could reach. Another had been kept as a pet in a cage next to a Hyacinth Macaw which bit its top beak off. It's mate had to feed it the rest of its life.

IMO here is where they belong.

 

[rsepiphyte]

Gorgeous pictures! I love big birds! Ruth

 

[Pretty Birdie]

The first time I got to hold a macaw was about five years ago. There was this guy at a farmers market that had two big green macaws (I dont know what type) and he was talking about them to a little crowd that had gathered around. Something freaked them out, and they both took off. The first one landed on my arm because I had put it in the air (protective reflex) He called them both back, but that was the experience that turned me into a bird brained bird lover. Now Im crazy about birds of any type.