Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
This first list is of “mother nature made” Large Macaw Parrots
- Blue & Gold Macaw
- Blue Throat Macaw (endangered)
- Buffon’s Macaw aka Great Green Macaw
- Green Wing Macaw
- Hyacinth Macaw
- Lears Macaw
- Military Macaw
- Scarlet Macaw
- Spinx Macaw
An abbreviated science lesson as to how large hybrid macaws are bred by humans:
(Videos of all macaw species we could gather are below for your visualization, education, and entertainment)
- Buffon’s + Green Wing = Buffwing Macaw
- Blue Gold + Buffons = Bluffons Macaw
- Green Wing + Military = Calico Macaw
- Blue Gold + Hyacinth = Caloshua Macaw (no video available)
- Scarlet + Catalina = Camelot macaw
- Green Wing + Calico = Cameo Macaw
- Scarlet + Camelot = Capri Macaw
- Catalina + Blue and Gold = Catablu Macaw
- Blue Gold + Scarlet = Catalina Macaw
- Catalina + Green Wing = Flame Macaw
- Blue Gold + Harlequin = Harligold Macaw
- Blue Gold + Green Wing = Harlequin Macaw
- Harlequin + Green Wing = Jubilee Macaw
- Harlequin + Catalina = Maui Sunrise Macaw (no video available)
- Blue Gold + Red Front = Maui Sunset Macaw
- Hyacinth + Military = Milicinth Macaw
- Blue Gold + Military = Miligold Macaw
- Buffon’s + Green Wing = Miliffons Macaw (no video available)
- Ruby + Catalina = Rubalina Macaw
- Green Wing + Scarlet – Ruby Macaw
- Scarlet + Military = Shamrock Macaw
- Scarlet + Miligold = Starlight Macaw
- Harlequin + Scarlet = Tropicana Macaw
- Scarlet + Buffon’s = Verde Macaw
Not to be confused with this list of smaller or “Mini Macaws”
(a Mini Macaw blog post can be be found here)
- Hahn’s macaw
- Illigers macaw
- Lears macaw
- Nobel macaw
- Red Fronted macaw
- Severe macaw
- Spix’s macaw
- Yellow-collared macaw
Big Macaws – Some things you might not know
Macaws come in many colors and sizes. 43 species of macaws are listed on this page. So when someone calls Windy City Parrot and begins the conversation with “I have a macaw,” we always ask “What kind of macaw”?
For simplicity, we split Macaws into two groups, large and small (oft-times referred to as mini-macaws). This category and conversation will focus on large-size macaw parrots.
Memo to self – that you must keep in mind when considering the acquisition of a Macaw is that everything’s bigger with large Macaws compared to most other parrot species. Bodies are bigger, feet & beaks are bigger, poop is bigger, vocalization is bigger (louder), and as a rule we – bigger bird, bigger brain.
Cage locks are easily picked. Birdcage screws are removed. Feeding bowls can be easily picked up and tossed.
Bonus “accidental” macaw species
According to Gary of http://www.goldenmacaw.net/index.html, these golden macaws came from a regular normally colored pair of blue and gold macaws that were raised from chicks.
This had nothing to do with tampering with mother nature, they were a surprise and are simply gorgeous to look at. They would not be categorized as hybrid parrots.
The Goldens Macaws appear to be healthy and happy and are kept right along with their normal color siblings.
end bonus
Clearly, a macaw’s body is big, add 2 feet of tail feathers and you have really big.
editor’s note: I know of a 2250-gram Hyacinth macaw. Putting that in perspective, Blue Gold Macaws usually weigh between 900 – 1100 grams.
When looking at birdcages and play stands, A tall birdcage is preferable by the bird to a low one.
A dome or Elegant/Victorian top birdcage is a wise choice. If you can afford the money and the interior real estate, a walk-in aviary is ideal.
I’ve seen Hyacinths almost 4 feet from beak to tail tip. It’s important the bird has room to turn about without knocking his tail feathers against the bars and can spread his or her wings when confined for long periods.
The Bird Food is usually bigger, seed blends contain bigger seeds & nuts, and bird pellets (or sticks) are bigger.
Macaws like to use their feet to hold food when eating, thus bigger is better. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a must to keep your diet balanced.
A small piece of that pizza you’re eating is OK too, just keep things in moderation.
Bird Toys are bigger because all parrots like to use their beak……..a lot. In the wild, a Greenwing Macaw may fly 50 miles a day stopping at dozens of possible feeding sites.
They’ll use their beak to forage or peck at surfaces seeking food.
They typically need a great deal of stimulus to keep their beaks and brains active.
If you can’t afford big bird toys, make your own, or be creative. Slip the local phone book between the bars.
Tie some knots in large-diameter cotton rope. Kabobs are a great way to introduce food and entertainment into a cage.
Birds are on their feet 24/7. Perch size is important so the feet can firmly grab the perch. Ideal perch diameters are from 1-1/4″ to 3″.
Your Macaws Cage should have, to replace the dowel perch that came with the cage, a large natural wood Perch, a rope perch for sleeping, and a grooming perch to help keep the beak and nails well-honed.
In conclusion, we need to think about specific species when we discuss bringing a captive bird into our home.
With hundreds of species to select from I would advocate rather than curating “information from the internet”, to try reaching out to captive bird givers who already have the species you’re seeking.
Use breeders, pet shops, and veterinarians.
Written by Mitch Rezman
Approved by Catherine Tobsing
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