THE GENTLE GIANTS

Many bird owners start out with smaller parrots, such as budgerigars or cockatiels, but soon find that they want a larger and larger bird. This is usually due to the fact that the larger the parrot, the more intelligent it tends to be.

The macaws are the largest parrots that can be found in the world. Their intelligence and personality make them second to none for a customer who wants a playful and loving pet that has a willingness to cuddle and is afraid of almost nothing.

In the wild, macaws have few enemies, as they are one of the largest birds in the forest. In captivity this gives them a fearlessness that makes them a great pet for customers who have lots of things, including people, going in and out of their lives. Unlike the Amazon parrots, which will generally love only one person, macaws are usually willing to go and play with people other than their owners.

Macaws are not sensitive to changes in their environment and, in fact, will most likely dive right in to any new adventure with almost a reckless abandon.

Macaws are great pets to teach tricks to and seem to enjoy showing off for their owners. Their willingness to learn makes them a wonderful bird that is a favorite in many parrot shows. Certainly many of us have seen them ride bikes on wires and put a ball in a hoop. One customer, who took his bird everywhere with him, had taught his green-winged macaw a great trick that: the bird was willing to do on command. The owner would say to the bird, "Do Dracula," and the bird would spread his wing out and then fold it over in front of his body and face just like a cape - with just his eyes peeping over the top of the wing. After the trick was over, the bird would appear very pleased with it8elf. Macaws seem to love performing tricks, and owners who wish to have a great student can find one in these gentle and sweet parrots.

REMEDYING RELUCTANCE

Customers may sometimes be reluctant to buy a macaw instead of a smaller parrot, such as an Amazon or Cockatoo, because of the bird's size. Admittedly, their bill itself is very large and powerful. Macaws can split many nuts that other birds just cannot open in the wild. However, they rarely use the full strength of their bill on anyone unless they feel greatly threatened.

There are very few birds that are willing to wrestle with children or adults the way a large macaw will. One game a macaw at my father's store loved to play was "roll-over." You would sit on the floor with your legs far apart and the macaw would walk up the middle with his head low and then turn sideways and lay down. That was the cue to literally roll the bird quite hard away from you. He would roll over three to four times, get up, and waddle back to have it done over and over again.

If a customer is reluctant about the size of the bird when considering buying me, but is interested in the personality of a macaw, then there is one great alternative: the mini-macaws. These macaws are slightly smaller in body size than most Amazons, yet they have the sweet disposition of their larger counterparts. The smaller macaws, such as the Hahn's and Yellow-collared, are more popular than the larger ones because many people live in smaller places and can't have the larger birds.

SPOKEN FOR

Macaws seem to have a voice that reflects their large size. Like all of the birds in the parrot group, macaws can learn to talk. They are not the best talkers, but they are willing and certainly can learn some funny noises if exposed to them. One young macaw being hand fed was not able to talk yet, but was obviously listening as the employee would say, "Umm good" to the bird before feeding it from a spoon. A few months later the employee was eating ice cream with a spoon next to the macaw's cage and, without any hesitation, the bird said, "Umm good" in the very low and slightly gritty sounding voice that can be associated with macaws. Macaws can also be quite loud when they talk, and when they yell it can be almost deafening. Any customer interested in a macaw must be warned that these are not quiet and dainty birds and should not be purchased if the owner lives in a place where noise can be a problem.

If a customer is looking for a family pet that doesn't mind some chaos, a lot of cuddling and the occasional wrestle, then they should look no further than a macaw. Although some parrots are very sensitive and others will only bond with one person, macaws will give as good as they get. A young macaw makes a great pet for anyone looking for a creature that loves to entertain. Given lots of attention and love, there is hardly anything that can compare with the intelligence and fearlessness of a macaw. Some great things do come in large packages, and macaws are certainly one of them.

Reprinted by Pretty Birds from Pet Business by Robyn Bright

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