Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
A follow-up to
The Ultimate List Of 43 Macaw Species With A Focus On Large Macaws
Not a day goes by that we don’t get a call at the Birdie Boutique beginning with, “Hi, I have a Macaw”, which for us always begs the question “What kind of Macaw”?
Granted the majority of Macaw calls that we get are for the larger variety of macaws, but the Mini Macaws are great birds and their popularity is growing.
The counterpoint to this is highlighted in the range of Macaw sizes. The largest Macaws are Hyacinths which can be as long as 44 inches (112 cm) and can weigh as much as 5 pounds (2268 gm).
Conversely a Hahn’s Macaw (the smallest is typically 12 to 14 inches long (30 – 36 cm) and only weighs about 150 gm or about 5 ounces.
To those not totally indoctrinated with birds, it may seem odd that we specialize in just bird supplies, so why not be a generalist in pet supplies? Birds are just another category of pets, right?
I don’t want to overstate the importance of our jobs but we try to help you make the artificial environments that you provide for caged birds as comfortable as we can because of the much different environment that they instinctually expect.
What they do get is a great deal of time spent in usually less than 10 square feet with time out of the cage to socialize and interact with two-legged animals that don’t even have wings – tough gig. So we try to be very specific in identifying the needs of each and every species.
The Mini Macaws come in six flavors. Severe Macaw, Yellow-collared Macaw, Illiger’s Macaw, Blue-headed Macaw, Red-bellied Macaw, and Hahn’s Macaw.
Let’s start with the smallest of the group the Hahn’s Macaw –
With a lifespan of 30 or more years, these small parrots make great pets. They are easy-going, social, and intelligent. They can be trained quite easily and tend to form close bonds with their owners.
Hahns Macaw Smart birds may sing, but bad birds may bark The Red-belly Macaw can usually be found in Amazonian South America from Columbia to Trinidad, south to Peru, Bolivia, and central Brazil.
We generally don’t see a lot of these birds in captivity. On average they weigh about 300 gram (about 10 ounces) and are about 18 inches (46 cm) in length including their long tail.
They are notable for their cere and most of their face is covered with bare-like yellow skin and a bluish feathered forehead.
Young birds are duller in color than adults and have gray beaks with a white racing stripe down the center of the beak.
(Spix’s Macaws are the only other Macaws that have similar white stripes on youngsters’ beaks) Red bellies tend to be shy but can mimic sounds with a childlike voice.
These birds can easily get fat on a limited diet.
They may bond closely to a single individual so if you do have one as a pet is important that they be socialized with other humans in order to keep them friendly.
They like to chew and unless their beak is kept quite busy it can easily get overgrown. Hardwood bird toys should be primarily represented in their bird cage repertoire of toys, Nutritionally they have a vitamin-A sensitivity.
Red-bellied Macaws – Orthopsittaca manilata from our balcony – Mitu Blue-headed Macaws (a.k.a. Coulon’s Macaws) hang out in eastern Peru, parts of Bolivia, and Brazil.
These Mini Macaws are about 2 feet long and generally have green feathers in the upper tail, narrow green down the center ending in a blue tip.
Their beaks are pale green with a black base and they have a slightly visible eye ring.
Although most Macaws have light-colored faces, the Blue-headed Macaw has a dark face.
Because they are rare, you usually do not see them as pets. They are on the CITES list which is an endangered species list. You can easily find them living in small groups of two or three and are usually only seen in flight in the wild.
Blue-Headed Macaw Babies Illiger Macaws a.k.a. Blue-wing Macaws are anywhere from 15 to 17 inches (38 – 43 cm) long from the beak to the end of the tail and can live for 40 or 50 years.
They enjoy being with people and can be quite playful. This is why they make great pets. They’re very smart and respond well to training.
So smart that you really need to devote a lot of time to this breed. They are basically bright green with a notable splash of red on their foreheads.
From the neck to the top of their head feathers, is a lovely iridescent blue. Their orange eyes are accented by the typical bare-skin facial patches that identify most Macaws.
It is possible to identify the males vs. females as males usually have a smidge more red color overall in their feathers than the females.
Illiger Macaws require more fat in their diet than most other Macaws species so it’s okay to feed them high-quality seeds along with whatever other foods you use to introduce protein.
They tend to mirror your moods so if you are agitated they can easily get agitated. They socialize well and get along with other birds easily and enjoy the company of the flock or of a mate and will probably be much happier kept as a pair.
Illiger Macaw – Aviary Gym Golden-collared Macaws a.k.a. Yellow-collared Macaws come from central South America. They are about 15 inches (38 cm) long overall with beautiful green feathers and a distinct patch of yellow giving them their name.
The yellow collar develops and gets brighter as a bird gets older. The bird’s face is a light bare skin around its eyes typical of Macaws.
They can live 50 years or more. Like most Macaws they are affectionate, highly intelligent, and very resourceful. This is especially true when trying to keep them inside of their cage because they can be Houdini’s. They offer a large Macaw personality in a Small Macaw’s body. We would not classify them as noisy per se but they are able to be quite loud.
If you are in an apartment, this bird should not be on your list of potential pet birds. They have the ability to be great talkers and many owners swear that they speak with better clarity than many other species.
They respond well to training and if you work with them consistently you can have a great companion bird. Alex, Yellow Collared Macaw click, speak, tap Severe Macaws a.k.a. Chestnut-fronted Macaw is probably one of the largest of the Mini-Macaws coming in at about 18 inches (46 cm) long.
They are primarily green with bright patches of red and blue on the wings.
The black beak stands out below the chestnut brown patch on their forehead and is surrounded by a white patch that continues up around the eyes, a signature Macaw trait.
It’s said their name comes from being quite aggressive starting at puberty. The aggressiveness can be held in check with a great deal of training and interaction.
They have a life span of 30 years or more and have a great personality allowing them to bond with their owners and have a propensity for impressive speech. They also like to be petted which is more than can be said about all of the Macaw species.
When it comes to eating they’re not all that finicky. It’s said that Severe Macaws are the best talkers out of all of the Macaws which means they can also be quite noisy, just like a Macaw.
We’d love to hear what you think about our overview of Mini-Macaws.
Although the Noble Macaw is closely related to the Hahn’s Macaw they are both two distinct subspecies of the Red-shoulder Macaw. Hahn’s Macaws are approximately 12 inches (30 cm) long and have long narrow tails and large heads.
Basically green with darker green-blue feathers on their foreheads and a splash of bright red under their wings. Their Beaks and feet are black and are easy to pick out as a Macaw because of the bare eye rings.
Written by Mitch Rezman
Approved by Catherine Tobsing
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debfrantz
21 Jul 2024I really enjoyed this article. I have a severe macaw who will turn 35 in August & have had her since she was 3 months old. You are so right about the (potential?) aggressiveness of these mini macaws. I eventually decided I would take being bitten in order to get back some control. It worked & she did settle down & remains sweet to this day. She will now give me a gentle nip to let me know I should leave her alone. They can be very sensitive, too but at this point she’s used me & nothing rattles her. I love her to pieces!!!!
However I thought that the name severe came from their Latin name, Ara Severus.
She loves cherries & pistachio nuts (I have heard cherry pits aren’t healthy for birds but she’s been eating them for 30+ years). Within the last few years she started removing the cherry pit & replacing it with a pistachio nut. Sometimes she leaves the shell on & other times it’s just the meat. Most often the nut ends up on the floor. I find this interesting & thought I would share this behavior with you.
I do have a video of this.
Thanks for your articles!
Deb Frantz