Macaws as Pets
Macaws are one of the favourite pets which people want to own. Their captivating plumage, acrobatic capers, avian charisma and sometimes inane personalities are unavoidable. They make incredibly wonderful fluffy companions. Keeping a macaw might not be quite easy as they require a lot of care and patience. Their loyal nature makes them a great bird to grow old with. But how old do they grow to? And just how loyal are they?
Welcome to Thera Planet
Hi everybody, Welcome to Thera Planet. Discover 10 interesting facts about macaw parrot, what makes them so special.
1. Largest Parrot
There are more than 350 types of parrots and macaws are the largest of them all. The largest Macaw can measure up to 3.5 feet long from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail. They can weigh around 2-4 pounds and their wingspan can be up to 60 inches. The largest macaw is hyacinth macaw which measures about three and half feet from beak to the tip of its tail. Their wings spread up to 4.6 feet or 1.4 meters.
2. World’s Most Colorful Birds
Macaws are one of the world’s most colorful birds. A macaw’s unique appearance is akin to a human fingerprint. Ranging in color from the brightest red through to turquoise, yellow and bright indigo, these birds are a sight to be seen. What’s amazing is that each bird’s coloring is distinct to where they live and their vibrant colors actually blend quite well with the Amazon’s rainbow-colored plants and foliage.
3. Long-Distance Flyers
Macaws can fly up to 15 miles. Macaws put their wings to good use and they can fly up to 15 miles each day in search of food. It has been observed in the wild that Macaws has quite a large are of scouting. They go on long morning flights to search for food.
4. Powerful Beaks
Their beaks are extremely strong. They have powerful beaks which can crack into seeds and hard nuts. Or your fingers if you are not careful, don’t go petting a macaw parrot that you don’t know or if the owner isn’t around. They can bite really, really hard. Some macaws can even use their beaks to crack coconut shells, which if you have ever tried to do with a hammer, you will understand how impressive that is.
5. Mating for Life
They take just one mate for their entire life time. These love birds are certainly the romantic type. In captivity the owner of the bird often is thought of by the bird as the mate. They get attached to the owner and can be quite jealous.
6. Mimicking Human Speech
They can mimic human speech. Not to be confused with talking per say, but macaws are celebrated worldwide for their ability to copy their human counterparts. These amazing creatures can be taught words and encouraged to practice until they can repeat them perfectly. Even wild macaws use very specific clicks to communicate with one another, and they are very advanced in terms of their vocal learning centre.
7. Strong Vocalists
Macaws are intelligent, social birds. In the wild, Macaws are programmed to create specific sounds for each family member. A parent will give each chick there own sound and the chick will know how to reproduce these calls. This natural instinct is what encourages pet birds to reproduce human words and sounds.
8. Zygodactyl Toes
The toes of macaws are zygodactyl, which means they are designed to have perfect grip to latch on to the fruits they eat and hang on to the branches. They do look pretty goofy when they try to walk on a flat surface, not their thing.
9. Long Lifespan
Macaws can live for a long time. By animal kingdom standards, macaws are a long-lived bird. While living in the wild, their average lifespan is around 60 years. However, under the right conditions, they can live up to 100 years. Domesticated macaws often have to be put in their owner’s will because they may outlive them!
10. Threatened, Endangered, and Extinct Species
These playful birds are popular pets, and many are illegally trapped for that trade. Scientists have now identified 5 are extinct, 4 are listed as endangered, and 3 are critically endangered. The rest are considered as under threat. So be sure to buy your bird from a reputable breeder.
