Sunday, April 12, 2009

Macaw







The macaw is first known as an exotic bird and known secondly as a parrot। The Macaw has a sweet personality and a vibrant presence which separates the species from mere “birds”। This brilliant and astonishing bird will become the prize pet or focus of any bird watcher’s fascination। Macaws come in many different types, including the kakapo. The Macaw proper displays a slightly “wizened” face and neck bunching. Patterned layers of feathers feature wing detail that exploits coloration differentiation.


Macaws are native to Mexico, Central America, South America, and formerly the Caribbean. Most species are associated with forest, especially rainforest, but others prefer brushy woodland or savanna imitative semitropical wild habitats. Macaws are high up on the threatened bird list and extinction may endanger most of the species without preservation and zoological efforts.

Visually, macaws are blessed with colorful trim. Macaws in the wild keeps the treetops bright with blue throats and green wings. Terms for the special colorations are borrowed from human filicoutrements. Blue and gold macaws sport stylized yellow and blue colorations, which are almost reversed in the more clean-lined Hyacinth macaw. Some macaws have white patches on the face.

A macaw may be said to be possessed of a golden “collar”, a stripe of yellow lacing a macaw parrot where a shirt collar might be. Red shoulder macaws wear mostly red feathered cover on the wing tips head and breast and upper body. Elbow patches, or wing accentuated curving colorations may also be present in multicolored tropical macaws. Macaws have two mandibles curving in opposite direction, not meeting in a hooked bill closure shape.

Pet macaws make glorious birds and fascinating and stimulating companions। But aside from their value as home entertainment a macaw may be a theft temptation and a smuggling hazard। Macaws can be taught tricks but this requires time, training and trust। The vocal intelligence operates within trust barriers established over time.


Macaw cages should allow elbow room and flight area. Twigs and branch perches should allow the pet macaw some choices about how and where he will conduct his activities. Macaws “kiss” each other, shrug their “shoulder” where wings meet body, and head bob and neck shake. Head cocking and eye facing to see what is happening will signal response to stimulation and surroundings.

Macaw caged interaction must leave room for multiple area perch responses, like climbing to a new height, negotiating boulders and rocks, and attempting to hang onto cage wire or mounted aviary toys. Give pet macaws some beak business by hanging a keychain or something for them to gnaw on. Macaw beaks are built to take some tough going, macaws want something to pull and press with their opposing bill mandibles.

However, world trade sanctions and controls for macaws mean that not every macaw may be legal। Macaws and their brilliant plumage and disposition make excellent pets for criminal and illegal sale। For all their admirable characteristics macaws must be caged as pets as their beaks can damage furnishings and humans. Aviaries should have adequate security and protection from suburban predators. Avian diseases will be of particular concern to macaw owners for these reasons.


Domesticated pet macaws should be given baths as they receive similar washing from rain, pond water, and fountain or waterfall mist in the wild. Pet macaw owners can even shower with their macaws. Overly dry skin and feather loss may result in lack of macaw hygiene. Kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks can function as macaw showers with the nozzle set on medium.

Macaws can “manage” their own baths, they need no coaching. The macaw will step to the stream of water at their own pace, brushing tail feathers and flapping wings to govern water levels. Make sure the bath area is large enough and far enough away from threats the bird feels comfortable focusing on the bath chores. A shower perch dowel can let the macaw rest while cage is being cleaned or avian allergic guests are present in the home.

If the macaw is very large, set some rocks or boulders in a bathtub and leave the water running at a medium trickle to full pour. The macaw parrots will adopt this bath method. Some owners mount dowels in cages and mist the birds, or bring them into shower areas. Allow macaws to flap wings, absorb moisture and set their own pace getting near the water.

Macaws eat nuts, seeds, fruit, and sometimes insects. Macaws are large enough to catch their own small bugs and their beaks are shaped enough to tug easily at fruit on trees, branches, or in bushes. Seeds on the forest floor can be poisonous but nature aids the bird. Clay licks or ingested clay allows a macaw to digestively pass over seeds that might otherwise cause harm.

Their seed diet inside domesticated living will vary as the exercise quotient is reduced. Macaws make excellent animals for seniors and stay at homes because they require constant stimulation and have inquiring minds. But macaws can indicate displeasure with caging existence. Screaming, sullen withdrawal, dim eyes, and feather plucking can reveal stress in macaw parrots in captivity.

Common types of macaw include: Blue and Gold Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Hyacinth Macaw, Ruby Macaw, Blue and Yellow Macaw, Camelot Macaw, Green Wing Macaw, and Military Macaw.







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