Are macaws good pets? Which Macaw Breeds Are Most Friendly?

Last Updated on February 7, 2022

Macaws always attract many people because of their attractive and vibrant colors. Do you like macaws? Before buying, you need to know if it is possible to have a macaw as a pet? Which type of macaw should be selected as a pet? Are they friendly or aggressive?

Macaws are very popular as pet birds. They are good pets but very challenging; only experienced persons can breed these macaws. Hahn’s (Red-shouldered macaw), Yellow Coloured macaw, Scarlet macaw, Hyacinth macaw, and Blue macaws are good pets. Almost all of these breeds are very friendly. But the Hyacinth macaws are the most pleasant among all other macaws.

Choosing birds as pets is not as simple as it seems. Many other things are there to be discussed to understand their viability. In recent years, aviculture has become a good source of bird conservation. Different species suitable for keeping as pets can be reserved to be used as companion birds. Macaws are also raised in captivity as a business for profit.

Why should macaws be pets?

Macaws can be kept as pets because of their prominent characteristics such as:

• Colorful, attractive appearance
• A friendly relationship with humans in the past
• Popular in pet birds
• Long lifespan
• Source of happiness as they interact, mimic, and follow the words
• Intelligent birds
• Good companions

What should be kept in mind while buying macaws?

Raising macaws is standard practice if you want to have companion birds. Do not pay blindly. First, check whether it is suitable for you or not. Following are the points that must be considered while selecting macaws as your favorite pet.

Owner’s personality

Macaws are very loud. So pick the macaw only if you can bear its high-pitched sound. Its vocals are powerful and can produce a voice that one can hear from a distance. They are very friendly and interactive. Even if they are in captive conditions, they interact with their companions and their caretakers. 

It can be managed to teach your macaw to talk with you. Some macaws are quick learners. Their loudness will be lessened with time.

Attention & Time

If you have enough time to spend with your macaws, then it’s good to have them as a pet. Macaws are highly engaging birds. They need attention and interaction. If you spend time with your macaws, they participate in every activity with other macaws and the owner. They become companions and want to go everywhere with you. The main reason behind this is their living behavior. They love to live in groups.

They develop strong bonding with their owner. They want to play and go everywhere with their owner. Spending a few hours a day is not enough for them. Give them proper time while playing, especially when they play with toys.

They become more aggressive and loud when not attended adequately.

Experience

Experience in handling pet birds can help immensely. If you are experienced, you can buy and raise these macaws. Because of their proper routine, they can be managed efficiently by an experienced owner. You can identify reliable macaws, manage their housing, feeding, and vaccination. For an inexperienced person, It is not recommended to start with macaws.

Expenses

Keeping macaws is very expensive. So keep in mind your pocket. If you bear all of their expenses along with your time and attention, then go for buying them. All breeds of macaws are expensive. Some of them are very expensive because of their rarity. Their cost ranges from $1000-  $10,000. 

Above is the initial cost of macaw; there are more ongoing expenses like the price of cages, feed, toys, and vaccination. The average cost of a meal for a macaw is around $250 per year, while the vaccination cost is more. A macaw needs vaccination ranges from $100- $700 per year.

Which species of macaws are good pets?

About 17 macaw species can be pets, but few species are preferred over others because of their friendly nature. These are the species that people like to keep as pets. They are social and bond with each other. Among all species, the Hyacinth macaw is most familiar. They make friends once and remain friends forever. If you are not experienced, go for hyacinth macaw, green-winged, blue and gold, blue-throated macaws. They are good companions. Some of the species like hyacinth, red-fronted, and blue-throated are endangered now. So, they are difficult to find or highly priced. 

Blue macaws

They are very demanding because of their beauty. But most of the blue species like Spix’s macaw are critically endangered nowadays. They can talk like humans. They learn fast and after training can speak a sentence. Because of their rarity, they are costly.

Blue and gold macaws

These are very loud birds, and their vocals are strong enough to be heard from long distances. They chew things and make strong bonds with their owner.

Greenwing macaws

They give an excellent response to training and need more attention from their owner. They are highly interactive. But they need time to train and make bonding with their owner.

Hahn’s Red-shouldered macaw

Smaller in size, quick learners, and considered excellent pets. They can talk and learn different tricks in less time. They make strong bonds with their owners.

Yellow-collared Macaw

This macaw is also very intelligent, learns words, and can talk. They are also good pets and love their owner. It can be available in pet stores and breeders at the cost of $1500- $ 2500. It is easily manageable.

Illiger’s macaw

It is playful and remains busy all the time. It needs a lot of attention to develop affection and make bonds with its owner.

Military macaw

Loud and social macaws are pleasant and even-tempered birds. Respond well to training and interact with humans easily But need much patience for their maintenance.

Scarlet macaw

They need socialization and get bored if not interacted and attended. To avoid any disturbance, give proper attention and engage in playing with toys. They are noisy but affectionate.

Hyacinth macaw

It is the largest macaw and needs to be owned by an experienced and devoted owner. It needs more attention and time from its owner. 

Hybrid macaws

Many hybrid macaws are kept as pets. They have mixed characters of parent species. Only an experienced owner who is familiar with managing other macaws can handle them.

Severe macaws

They are affectionate and become perfect companions. Large macaws can talk, and if a good environment is provided, they are trained well. They are too talkative.

Why is Hyacinth macaw most friendly?

Hyacinth macaw is a loud but excellent bird. Even in unfavorable conditions, it could not get aggressive. If it receives proper housing and nutritional care, it can be a good companion. They remain loyal to their owners and live a long life.

So, they are excellent to be owned and do not respond as harshly as other macaws do in unpleasant situations.

What challenges are there for keeping macaws as pets?

Keeping macaws as pets is good, but it is very challenging. Even an experienced person can manage it very carefully. Different aspects make it difficult for new people to manage these macaws as pets.

1. Due to their size, pet macaws require a variety of cage sizes as well as an outdoor and indoor environment. They grow well in their favorite environment, spend time out of the cell, play with toys and become more competent.
2. The habit of chewing and nipping may disturb the people around the pet area when they spend time out of their cage. When macaws are allowed to play out of their cells, they chew everything that comes in contact. Sometimes, it is destroyed as they chew wooden materials. It can be minimized by training and providing chewing toys to macaws.
3. Biting and aggressiveness; some species of macaws show hostility when coming into an unpleasant situation. They start biting if they seek no attention and time or in unfavored conditions. The problem may arise where children’s influence is more because children make mistakes.
4. Expensive birds; macaws are expensive pet birds. The price of an average macaw is between $1000- $10,000. In addition, there are other running expenses. 
5. Companionship; Macaws develop strong bonding with humans as well as their companions. So dedication from both sides is required for the better survival of macaws.

Finally, the macaws are good pets because they are colorful, intelligent, friendly, and long-lived. Besides that, they can mimic words and even talk well after training. They make strong bonds with their owners if provided proper attention, nutrition, and housing. All macaws can be pets, but some of them like hyacinth macaw, blue and gold macaw, green-winged macaw, military macaw, Hahn’s macaw, and illiger’s macaw can be good pets.

If you like keeping macaws you may also want to read about: Are macaws Hypoallergenic?