Military Macaw General Info

Military Macaw is the ideal choice if you are looking for a loveable, smart parrot to be your new best friend. These lively birds will mesmerize you by the incredible rainbow of exotic colors, the main pride of a Military Macaw. But more importantly, you will fall in love with their friendly, intelligent personality and a variety of their mimics and tricks. These interesting macaws have been a popular pet choice for many years, and are easy to find on the market.

Military Macaw is known for its “blushing”- their white face will turn red when they are excited!

Native Region/Natural Habitat

The high altitude subtropical forests of Mexico, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia, are the home of Military macaws. Their habitat is reserved only to a small set of regions in these South American countries, and they are increasingly vulnerable to trapping and hunting. These parrots love to make their nests in high altitudes, often choosing remote cliff faces as their home.

Overall Description

Like all the other macaws, this is one large parrot. It is just slightly smaller than its cousins, with adults reaching an average length of 31 inches (80 centimeters), and weighing up to 2.4 pounds (1100 grams). One of the most unique traits of these parrots is their “blushing”. Their white face will blush red when they are excited.

When getting a macaw you will need to consider their large size and the special needs for accommodation. A small place or cage will not be beneficial for your pet.

Speech and Sounds

These are very inquisitive and intelligent birds, and they will love to learn new tricks as well as new words to mimic. Like their other cousins, the Military Macaw is a fairly good talker. They can develop a modest vocabulary and repeat certain words continuously throughout the day. Though generally quiet, they can still become loud when excited, signaling with their noisy caws and screams.

Colors

Like a painter’s palette, the Military Macaw’s plumage is filled with a lot of tropical, vibrant colors, guaranteeing a spectacular sight. The body is generally green, but a lot of it is streaked with yellow and lime tones. The underside of the wings and tail are bright yellow, while the top side of both is bright blue. Several tail feathers are purple. A distinguishing trait is their bright red forehead. All of these colors are further accented by a lot of gradients, and mixed together they provide a truly tropical feeling.

The Military Macaw looks like a flying rainbow – their plumage is colored with exciting, tropical hues.

Care and Feeding

To successfully balance a healthy diet, the commercial macaw seed and pellet mixes will need to be supplemented. To do this, add a good amount of fresh fruits, berries, and green vegetables, and occasionally cooked foods, like rice, chicken, and corn. These parrots are also avid bathers, and regular showers will help them keep their feathers shiny, moist and above all healthy. Taking care of their overall hygiene will help maintain a healthy, happy bird.

Health and Common Conditions

These large parrots are naturally healthy and quite enduring. They will reach their amazing lifespan of 60 or more years without many illnesses along the way, provided you take good care of your pet. Apathy, loss of appetite, diarrhea and feather plucking are all important signs to look for, indicating that something is not right. One of the main contributors to a satisfied and healthy macaw is a lot of place for flying, exercise and playing. Don’t keep them locked at all times. To provide an efficient bath compared to their size, the best solution is to take them to the shower with you. Once used to it – they will love it!

With a sixty year lifespan, the Military macaw can become a friend and companion for life.

Personality & Behavior

Amongst the macaws, they have one of the best, well-rounded personalities that make them ideal as a family pet. They have a tendency to create a strong bond with their owner, showing their friendly and gentle nature. On the other hand, these parrots are also quite inquisitive and love to play, showing off their newly learned tricks. To keep them happy you’ll need to provide enough social interaction throughout the day- your cuddly, intelligent feathered friend will certainly appreciate your attention.

Photo credit: Vaclav Volrab/Shutterstock; Ondrej Chvatal/Shutterstock; Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock