Birds Playing

Macaws, and conures too, are generally very playful birds. Peekaboo is a cult macaw favorite I have found and friends as well. With Merlin, I will take my hands and cover his eyes and then peekaboo! There is a reason macaws are a very popular companion in the parrot world.

You always have to remember that the playfulness is only about 5% of caring for a parrot. Though Merlin, my blue and gold macaw, let’s me do pretty much anything to him without complaint, he does still lunge at me occasionally. He is terribly antisocial with anyone but me, though he has started to calm down around my mom after a year of work. He has bit people who then needed stitches. These birds have the power to take off fingers. Macaws are incredibly loud and messy and destructive of everything. They’re also very large with about a 4ft wing span depending on the species, which means a cage that allows for full flapping without hitting a perch or toy minimum. I think Merlin’s 4ft by 8ft and 6ft high aviary is too small for him at times, and I can’t wait to give him more space.

Macaws are all fun and games till you have to take care of them fully. They’re not for a first time bird owner. If you’re a first time owner and want a macaw personality, try conures! They’re very closely related and have very similar personalities. They’re much easier to manage and don’t live 80 plus years. There are also mini macaws like the yellow collard, blue headed, Hahn’s macaw (smallest macaw), and severe macaws, though severes have a very intense personality generally where either you like it or you don’t