The Military Macaw, also
known as Ara militaris, is a
large sized parrot. They are native
to the regions of Mexico and South America. They are officially listed as
endangered, mostly due to deforestation.
Although endangered, they are still available in the pet trade industry.
Our resident Military Macaw, Murdock (photo: Erica O'Donnell)
Military Macaws can be
identified by their bright green feathers and blue flight feathers, along with
a red patch around the beak area.
These birds can reach up to 30 inches in length. In the wild, they can be found in large
flocks. Their diet consists mostly
of fruits, seeds, and nuts. The
sounds they make are identified as loud shrieks.
If you are thinking about
adding a Military Macaw to your family, there are many different facts about
this bird that you should take into consideration. These birds are very intelligent and easy to train, as long
as you have experience in training birds.
They are even capable of learning how to mimic a few words if you take
the time to work with them.
Ideally, however, these beautiful birds are suited for experienced bird owners, as they can be
stubborn and crabby. Military
Macaws are social and animated birds.
This means they require a great deal of attention. If they do not receive the attention
they crave, they can become difficult and destructive pets. It is suggested to always have a large
parrot toy in their cage, along with old papers for them to chew on as a way to
keep their lives enriched. These
birds are very vocal. They are
capable of making extremely loud, crackling, shrieking sounds. It can sometimes be ear piercing. Military Macaws require regular
exercise outside of their cage.
Daily exercise is recommended.
There is one last matter
to consider before making one of these birds a part of your family. Military Macaws can live 50+
years. This means they may outlive
you. I highly recommend you create
a backup plan of someone that can adopt your macaw from you if the day comes
that you are unable to physically care for it.
To learn more about Military
Macaws, visit our resident macaw, Murdock, in the World Bird Sanctuary Nature
Center. He loves entertaining the
visitors and playing peek-a-boo as well.
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