5 Types of Macaw

There are 19 recorded macaw species and by understanding more about macaws and what makes them unique, you can decide if these big birds with big personalities will be a good addition to your family flock.

What Is A Macaw?

All macaws belong to the Psittacidae bird family, along with all parrots. Macaws are unique in that they are New World parrots, only found in the Western Hemisphere. Most types of macaws prefer tropical forests and jungle habitats, though some are found in drier regions. The majority of macaw species are found in the Amazon Basin of Brazil and Bolivia, but you can find some as far north as Mexico, while others can be seen as far south as northern Argentina or Chile.

With their large, powerful bills, macaws eat a wide range of seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables and even flowers. In the wild, macaw diets vary by season, depending on what foods are most easily available. These are social birds and are often seen in pairs or flocks.

Macaws were highly sought after for their brilliant feathers by many early civilizations, including the Inca, Nazca, and Wari' peoples. Today, these amazing birds are highly appreciated as pets, as they make fantastic companion animals and can be a welcome member of any family.

5 Types of Macaws That Make Great Pets

While many different macaws can make great companions, understanding some differences between the most popular pet macaws can help you decide which may be best for you and your family.

Hyacinth Macaw
The friendliest of the macaws, the hyacinth macaw is also the largest of these birds, measuring 40 inches long. They are a rich, cobalt blue all over with contrasting yellow around the eyes and at the base of the bill. Despite their size, hyacinth macaws are gentle, affectionate and can grow to be very loyal and docile with their families. They are easy to train with positive reinforcement, but they can become jealous if they are not the center of attention. These birds can live 50 to 60 years, so it is critical to have the whole family dedicated to their pet bird's care and attention needs, including making provisions for the bird in a will or trust if needed.
Scarlet Macaw
The most familiar macaw with its brilliant red, yellow and blue feathers and white face, scarlet macaws are dramatic birds that measure 32-36 inches long. They have lots of energy and require plenty of space, such as a flight cage, to be sure they get enough exercise. Scarlet macaws also have bold personalities and can be spirited and sassy, even rebellious at times. They learn to talk well, are generally friendly and will be amazing members of the family for their 45- to 50-year lifespan.
Green-Winged Macaw
Also called the red-and-green macaw, this bird has a red head, white face and green wings with a touch of blue on the edges and reaches 34-36 inches in length. They are gentle, responsive companions that are tame and easygoing. They can be more talkative than other types of macaws, with various screeches and other noises, but they don't imitate speech like other macaws. They have sensitive, social personalities and bond well with families but must be introduced slowly to avoid getting overwhelmed. Green-winged macaws can live up to 70 years, making a long-term commitment to these birds a must.
Blue-and-Yellow Macaw
This striking bird has the most familiar “pirate parrot" colors with its blue upperparts, yellow underparts, black chin and green forehead, and they are also known as blue and-gold macaws. These friendly, sweet birds measure Their intelligence allows them to mimic speech quite well and form very close bonds with families. Blue-and-yellow macaws live an average of 30-35 years.
Yellow-Collared Macaw
Smaller than most types of macaws, the yellow-collared macaw measures just 15-17 inches and is often considered a miniature macaw. These birds are green all over with a touch of blue on the wings, black around their white face and a bright yellow half-collar on the back of the neck. They are social, crave attention and can learn to mimic speech with more clarity and precision than the larger macaws. However, they are crafty, clever birds, and their curiosity can drive them to be downright mischievous. Also called gold collared macaws, these birds live approximately 50 years.

No matter which bird you consider as a pet, learning more about the different types of macaws can help you choose the best bird for your lifestyle. Macaws tend to require abundant space and plenty of social interaction, but they will return your attention and affection as valued members of your non-human family.

Resources

BirdLife International - Macaw Species List and Endangered Listings

Parrot Website - 19 Types of Macaws —A Comprehensive List With Photos

All About Parrots - What Is the Friendliest Macaw?

Pet Comments - Popular Macaw Species That Make Excellent Pets

Before you can bring a bird into your home, you must purchase everything you will require for his care. Fortunately, all the items your pet will need should be available from your local pet store. The following are the basic must-have supplies.

Habitat

The size of the habitat you need will depend on the bird (or birds) you plan to keep, but a good rule of thumb is to house your bird in the largest habitat that you can afford and have room for in your home. (If you can't purchase or place a very large habitat, you shouldn't acquire a large bird.)

Your habitat should be square or rectangular rather than round to provide your pet with more room to fly and move. Also, the bars should be evenly spaced, not tapered toward the top. In a habitat with tapered bars, a bird can get his toe, wing, or even his head caught where the bars come together, causing serious injury. The habitat should also have a removable grate at the bottom (usually made of metal) above the habitat tray that catches the bird's waste and prevents him from getting to it.

The habitat itself should be made of metal or a combination of metal and plastic (combo habitats for small birds only). Stainless steel (best), powder-coated steel (better), and galvanized after weld (good) suitable habitat materials—other metals may contain harmful toxins that your bird could ingest. Acrylic habitats can also work well for smaller birds because the solid walls prevent mess, but moisture can build up in the habitat if it doesn't have adequate ventilation.

Bedding/Habitat Lining

A variety of materials can be used to line your bird's habitat, but the best options are newspaper or commercial bird litters such as Kaytee Walnut Litter. Both are safe, inexpensive, easy to replace, and clearly show a bird's droppings, which can be important for monitoring his health. (A change in droppings may indicate a potential health problem.) If you suspect health issues due to dropping appearance, place wax paper down as a liner to get a really good look at the droppings.

Food and Water

Stainless steel is the ideal material for food & water cups because it's easy to scrub and disinfect. Although your habitat may come with a couple plastic cups, these can become scratched, allowing bacteria to grow in the crevices. Birds can also be taught to use a water bottle, ensuring they cannot reach it and chew through it.

Food

For long-term good health provide a balanced diet, preferably a pelleted of extruded diet. Supplement with fresh vegetables and fruits depending on the species. High value items like high fat seed and nuts make excellent training treats. A seed mix diet may be deficient in minerals, especially calcium, as well as vitamins and amino acids, so mineral block or cuttlebone should be provided. This should not be necessary if the bird is eating primarily a pelleted or extruded diet.

A breeding female may need additional calcium to form eggs.

Perches

Perches can be made of natural branches, wood, plastic or PVC, rope, concrete, or pumice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Offer your bird perches of assorted materials which vary in diameter. A bird who stands on the same perch consistently may develop foot disorders, especially if it is hard and abrasive or too large for its feet. Ideally the foot should wrap approximately ¾ of the way around the perch. Change out the perches, as you do bird toys this way a bird that likes to stand in the exact same spot will be forced to stand on a different perch.

Bird Bath

Birds bathe in a variety of ways. Some birds love to be misted with fine mist from a bottle of warm water, others love to bathe in a shallow bowl while others still will like to join you in the shower! That’s right, you can purchase a shower perch and let your bird spend quality time with you. Baths are very important to a birds’ health, remember many birds come from a tropical climate that is very humid and wet. Play with bathing to find out which way your bird likes best, you want bathing to be enjoyable – not stressful! Bathing supplies can be purchased at your local pet store or department store.

Toys and Enrichment

Most birds benefit from having items in their habitat to keep them active and entertained. A wide variety of toys are available, and different birds enjoy different types of toys.

Provide a variety of toy types for your bird in the habitat setup: thinking toys (items that stimulate his mind); action toys (items that make a lot of noise or require your bird to move); comfort toys (items that your bird can enjoy calmly and quietly); and toys to destroy (items he can chew to keep his beak in good condition). You’ll quickly see which toys your bird prefers and this will allow you to keep him well entertained. A bored bird can quickly pick up bad, remember birds in the wild are very active and are ever moving and foraging.

There are other ways to enrich your bird’s life than just toys, although toys are a necessary item! You can purchase or play video’s for your birds with other bird sounds or just interesting audio. A more current approach is to enrich your bird by providing foraging opportunities, treats hidden within toys or homemade items such as a cardboard tube and coffee filters. Be creative, but safe!

Travel Carrier

A travel carrier is necessary for taking your bird to the vet's office and other places. Soft fabric carriers are popular, but if your bird is ill they are difficult to disinfect. Plastic airline kennels are also practical and easy to disinfect if needed. It should also have adequate ventilation and a place to put food and water dishes. If you plan to travel with your pet, select a model which will fit under the seat of an airplane.

It’s important to make the carrier a safe and desirable destination, this can be done by using it as a place to offer treats and allow your bird to walk in on its own to fetch those treats. If a bird is caught up and placed aggressively in the carrier, it will quickly become a scary place they don’t want to go and each time will become harder and harder to get your bird into it.

Before you can bring a bird into your home, you must purchase everything you will require for his care. Fortunately, all the items your pet will need should be available from your local pet store. The following are the basic must-have supplies.

Habitat

The size of the habitat you need will depend on the bird (or birds) you plan to keep, but a good rule of thumb is to house your bird in the largest habitat that you can afford and have room for in your home. (If you can't purchase or place a very large habitat, you shouldn't acquire a large bird.)

Your habitat should be square or rectangular rather than round to provide your pet with more room to fly and move. Also, the bars should be evenly spaced, not tapered toward the top. In a habitat with tapered bars, a bird can get his toe, wing, or even his head caught where the bars come together, causing serious injury. The habitat should also have a removable grate at the bottom (usually made of metal) above the habitat tray that catches the bird's waste and prevents him from getting to it.

The habitat itself should be made of metal or a combination of metal and plastic (combo habitats for small birds only). Stainless steel (best), powder-coated steel (better), and galvanized after weld (good) suitable habitat materials—other metals may contain harmful toxins that your bird could ingest. Acrylic habitats can also work well for smaller birds because the solid walls prevent mess, but moisture can build up in the habitat if it doesn't have adequate ventilation.

Bedding/Habitat Lining

A variety of materials can be used to line your bird's habitat, but the best options are newspaper or commercial bird litters such as Kaytee Walnut Litter. Both are safe, inexpensive, easy to replace, and clearly show a bird's droppings, which can be important for monitoring his health. (A change in droppings may indicate a potential health problem.) If you suspect health issues due to dropping appearance, place wax paper down as a liner to get a really good look at the droppings.

Food and Water

Stainless steel is the ideal material for food & water cups because it's easy to scrub and disinfect. Although your habitat may come with a couple plastic cups, these can become scratched, allowing bacteria to grow in the crevices. Birds can also be taught to use a water bottle, ensuring they cannot reach it and chew through it.

Food

For long-term good health provide a balanced diet, preferably a pelleted of extruded diet. Supplement with fresh vegetables and fruits depending on the species. High value items like high fat seed and nuts make excellent training treats. A seed mix diet may be deficient in minerals, especially calcium, as well as vitamins and amino acids, so mineral block or cuttlebone should be provided. This should not be necessary if the bird is eating primarily a pelleted or extruded diet.

A breeding female may need additional calcium to form eggs.

Perches

Perches can be made of natural branches, wood, plastic or PVC, rope, concrete, or pumice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Offer your bird perches of assorted materials which vary in diameter. A bird who stands on the same perch consistently may develop foot disorders, especially if it is hard and abrasive or too large for its feet. Ideally the foot should wrap approximately ¾ of the way around the perch. Change out the perches, as you do bird toys this way a bird that likes to stand in the exact same spot will be forced to stand on a different perch.

Bird Bath

Birds bathe in a variety of ways. Some birds love to be misted with fine mist from a bottle of warm water, others love to bathe in a shallow bowl while others still will like to join you in the shower! That’s right, you can purchase a shower perch and let your bird spend quality time with you. Baths are very important to a birds’ health, remember many birds come from a tropical climate that is very humid and wet. Play with bathing to find out which way your bird likes best, you want bathing to be enjoyable – not stressful! Bathing supplies can be purchased at your local pet store or department store.

Toys and Enrichment

Most birds benefit from having items in their habitat to keep them active and entertained. A wide variety of toys are available, and different birds enjoy different types of toys.

Provide a variety of toy types for your bird in the habitat setup: thinking toys (items that stimulate his mind); action toys (items that make a lot of noise or require your bird to move); comfort toys (items that your bird can enjoy calmly and quietly); and toys to destroy (items he can chew to keep his beak in good condition). You’ll quickly see which toys your bird prefers and this will allow you to keep him well entertained. A bored bird can quickly pick up bad, remember birds in the wild are very active and are ever moving and foraging.

There are other ways to enrich your bird’s life than just toys, although toys are a necessary item! You can purchase or play video’s for your birds with other bird sounds or just interesting audio. A more current approach is to enrich your bird by providing foraging opportunities, treats hidden within toys or homemade items such as a cardboard tube and coffee filters. Be creative, but safe!

Travel Carrier

A travel carrier is necessary for taking your bird to the vet's office and other places. Soft fabric carriers are popular, but if your bird is ill they are difficult to disinfect. Plastic airline kennels are also practical and easy to disinfect if needed. It should also have adequate ventilation and a place to put food and water dishes. If you plan to travel with your pet, select a model which will fit under the seat of an airplane.

It’s important to make the carrier a safe and desirable destination, this can be done by using it as a place to offer treats and allow your bird to walk in on its own to fetch those treats. If a bird is caught up and placed aggressively in the carrier, it will quickly become a scary place they don’t want to go and each time will become harder and harder to get your bird into it.

Before you can bring a bird into your home, you must purchase everything you will require for his care. Fortunately, all the items your pet will need should be available from your local pet store. The following are the basic must-have supplies.

Habitat

The size of the habitat you need will depend on the bird (or birds) you plan to keep, but a good rule of thumb is to house your bird in the largest habitat that you can afford and have room for in your home. (If you can't purchase or place a very large habitat, you shouldn't acquire a large bird.)

Your habitat should be square or rectangular rather than round to provide your pet with more room to fly and move. Also, the bars should be evenly spaced, not tapered toward the top. In a habitat with tapered bars, a bird can get his toe, wing, or even his head caught where the bars come together, causing serious injury. The habitat should also have a removable grate at the bottom (usually made of metal) above the habitat tray that catches the bird's waste and prevents him from getting to it.

The habitat itself should be made of metal or a combination of metal and plastic (combo habitats for small birds only). Stainless steel (best), powder-coated steel (better), and galvanized after weld (good) suitable habitat materials—other metals may contain harmful toxins that your bird could ingest. Acrylic habitats can also work well for smaller birds because the solid walls prevent mess, but moisture can build up in the habitat if it doesn't have adequate ventilation.

Bedding/Habitat Lining

A variety of materials can be used to line your bird's habitat, but the best options are newspaper or commercial bird litters such as Kaytee Walnut Litter. Both are safe, inexpensive, easy to replace, and clearly show a bird's droppings, which can be important for monitoring his health. (A change in droppings may indicate a potential health problem.) If you suspect health issues due to dropping appearance, place wax paper down as a liner to get a really good look at the droppings.

Food and Water

Stainless steel is the ideal material for food & water cups because it's easy to scrub and disinfect. Although your habitat may come with a couple plastic cups, these can become scratched, allowing bacteria to grow in the crevices. Birds can also be taught to use a water bottle, ensuring they cannot reach it and chew through it.

Food

For long-term good health provide a balanced diet, preferably a pelleted of extruded diet. Supplement with fresh vegetables and fruits depending on the species. High value items like high fat seed and nuts make excellent training treats. A seed mix diet may be deficient in minerals, especially calcium, as well as vitamins and amino acids, so mineral block or cuttlebone should be provided. This should not be necessary if the bird is eating primarily a pelleted or extruded diet.

A breeding female may need additional calcium to form eggs.

Perches

Perches can be made of natural branches, wood, plastic or PVC, rope, concrete, or pumice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Offer your bird perches of assorted materials which vary in diameter. A bird who stands on the same perch consistently may develop foot disorders, especially if it is hard and abrasive or too large for its feet. Ideally the foot should wrap approximately ¾ of the way around the perch. Change out the perches, as you do bird toys this way a bird that likes to stand in the exact same spot will be forced to stand on a different perch.

Bird Bath

Birds bathe in a variety of ways. Some birds love to be misted with fine mist from a bottle of warm water, others love to bathe in a shallow bowl while others still will like to join you in the shower! That’s right, you can purchase a shower perch and let your bird spend quality time with you. Baths are very important to a birds’ health, remember many birds come from a tropical climate that is very humid and wet. Play with bathing to find out which way your bird likes best, you want bathing to be enjoyable – not stressful! Bathing supplies can be purchased at your local pet store or department store.

Toys and Enrichment

Most birds benefit from having items in their habitat to keep them active and entertained. A wide variety of toys are available, and different birds enjoy different types of toys.

Provide a variety of toy types for your bird in the habitat setup: thinking toys (items that stimulate his mind); action toys (items that make a lot of noise or require your bird to move); comfort toys (items that your bird can enjoy calmly and quietly); and toys to destroy (items he can chew to keep his beak in good condition). You’ll quickly see which toys your bird prefers and this will allow you to keep him well entertained. A bored bird can quickly pick up bad, remember birds in the wild are very active and are ever moving and foraging.

There are other ways to enrich your bird’s life than just toys, although toys are a necessary item! You can purchase or play video’s for your birds with other bird sounds or just interesting audio. A more current approach is to enrich your bird by providing foraging opportunities, treats hidden within toys or homemade items such as a cardboard tube and coffee filters. Be creative, but safe!

Travel Carrier

A travel carrier is necessary for taking your bird to the vet's office and other places. Soft fabric carriers are popular, but if your bird is ill they are difficult to disinfect. Plastic airline kennels are also practical and easy to disinfect if needed. It should also have adequate ventilation and a place to put food and water dishes. If you plan to travel with your pet, select a model which will fit under the seat of an airplane.

It’s important to make the carrier a safe and desirable destination, this can be done by using it as a place to offer treats and allow your bird to walk in on its own to fetch those treats. If a bird is caught up and placed aggressively in the carrier, it will quickly become a scary place they don’t want to go and each time will become harder and harder to get your bird into it.

Before you can bring a bird into your home, you must purchase everything you will require for his care. Fortunately, all the items your pet will need should be available from your local pet store. The following are the basic must-have supplies.

Habitat

The size of the habitat you need will depend on the bird (or birds) you plan to keep, but a good rule of thumb is to house your bird in the largest habitat that you can afford and have room for in your home. (If you can't purchase or place a very large habitat, you shouldn't acquire a large bird.)

Your habitat should be square or rectangular rather than round to provide your pet with more room to fly and move. Also, the bars should be evenly spaced, not tapered toward the top. In a habitat with tapered bars, a bird can get his toe, wing, or even his head caught where the bars come together, causing serious injury. The habitat should also have a removable grate at the bottom (usually made of metal) above the habitat tray that catches the bird's waste and prevents him from getting to it.

The habitat itself should be made of metal or a combination of metal and plastic (combo habitats for small birds only). Stainless steel (best), powder-coated steel (better), and galvanized after weld (good) suitable habitat materials—other metals may contain harmful toxins that your bird could ingest. Acrylic habitats can also work well for smaller birds because the solid walls prevent mess, but moisture can build up in the habitat if it doesn't have adequate ventilation.

Bedding/Habitat Lining

A variety of materials can be used to line your bird's habitat, but the best options are newspaper or commercial bird litters such as Kaytee Walnut Litter. Both are safe, inexpensive, easy to replace, and clearly show a bird's droppings, which can be important for monitoring his health. (A change in droppings may indicate a potential health problem.) If you suspect health issues due to dropping appearance, place wax paper down as a liner to get a really good look at the droppings.

Food and Water

Stainless steel is the ideal material for food & water cups because it's easy to scrub and disinfect. Although your habitat may come with a couple plastic cups, these can become scratched, allowing bacteria to grow in the crevices. Birds can also be taught to use a water bottle, ensuring they cannot reach it and chew through it.

Food

For long-term good health provide a balanced diet, preferably a pelleted of extruded diet. Supplement with fresh vegetables and fruits depending on the species. High value items like high fat seed and nuts make excellent training treats. A seed mix diet may be deficient in minerals, especially calcium, as well as vitamins and amino acids, so mineral block or cuttlebone should be provided. This should not be necessary if the bird is eating primarily a pelleted or extruded diet.

A breeding female may need additional calcium to form eggs.

Perches

Perches can be made of natural branches, wood, plastic or PVC, rope, concrete, or pumice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Offer your bird perches of assorted materials which vary in diameter. A bird who stands on the same perch consistently may develop foot disorders, especially if it is hard and abrasive or too large for its feet. Ideally the foot should wrap approximately ¾ of the way around the perch. Change out the perches, as you do bird toys this way a bird that likes to stand in the exact same spot will be forced to stand on a different perch.

Bird Bath

Birds bathe in a variety of ways. Some birds love to be misted with fine mist from a bottle of warm water, others love to bathe in a shallow bowl while others still will like to join you in the shower! That’s right, you can purchase a shower perch and let your bird spend quality time with you. Baths are very important to a birds’ health, remember many birds come from a tropical climate that is very humid and wet. Play with bathing to find out which way your bird likes best, you want bathing to be enjoyable – not stressful! Bathing supplies can be purchased at your local pet store or department store.

Toys and Enrichment

Most birds benefit from having items in their habitat to keep them active and entertained. A wide variety of toys are available, and different birds enjoy different types of toys.

Provide a variety of toy types for your bird in the habitat setup: thinking toys (items that stimulate his mind); action toys (items that make a lot of noise or require your bird to move); comfort toys (items that your bird can enjoy calmly and quietly); and toys to destroy (items he can chew to keep his beak in good condition). You’ll quickly see which toys your bird prefers and this will allow you to keep him well entertained. A bored bird can quickly pick up bad, remember birds in the wild are very active and are ever moving and foraging.

There are other ways to enrich your bird’s life than just toys, although toys are a necessary item! You can purchase or play video’s for your birds with other bird sounds or just interesting audio. A more current approach is to enrich your bird by providing foraging opportunities, treats hidden within toys or homemade items such as a cardboard tube and coffee filters. Be creative, but safe!

Travel Carrier

A travel carrier is necessary for taking your bird to the vet's office and other places. Soft fabric carriers are popular, but if your bird is ill they are difficult to disinfect. Plastic airline kennels are also practical and easy to disinfect if needed. It should also have adequate ventilation and a place to put food and water dishes. If you plan to travel with your pet, select a model which will fit under the seat of an airplane.

It’s important to make the carrier a safe and desirable destination, this can be done by using it as a place to offer treats and allow your bird to walk in on its own to fetch those treats. If a bird is caught up and placed aggressively in the carrier, it will quickly become a scary place they don’t want to go and each time will become harder and harder to get your bird into it.

Before you can bring a bird into your home, you must purchase everything you will require for his care. Fortunately, all the items your pet will need should be available from your local pet store. The following are the basic must-have supplies.

Habitat

The size of the habitat you need will depend on the bird (or birds) you plan to keep, but a good rule of thumb is to house your bird in the largest habitat that you can afford and have room for in your home. (If you can't purchase or place a very large habitat, you shouldn't acquire a large bird.)

Your habitat should be square or rectangular rather than round to provide your pet with more room to fly and move. Also, the bars should be evenly spaced, not tapered toward the top. In a habitat with tapered bars, a bird can get his toe, wing, or even his head caught where the bars come together, causing serious injury. The habitat should also have a removable grate at the bottom (usually made of metal) above the habitat tray that catches the bird's waste and prevents him from getting to it.

The habitat itself should be made of metal or a combination of metal and plastic (combo habitats for small birds only). Stainless steel (best), powder-coated steel (better), and galvanized after weld (good) suitable habitat materials—other metals may contain harmful toxins that your bird could ingest. Acrylic habitats can also work well for smaller birds because the solid walls prevent mess, but moisture can build up in the habitat if it doesn't have adequate ventilation.

Bedding/Habitat Lining

A variety of materials can be used to line your bird's habitat, but the best options are newspaper or commercial bird litters such as Kaytee Walnut Litter. Both are safe, inexpensive, easy to replace, and clearly show a bird's droppings, which can be important for monitoring his health. (A change in droppings may indicate a potential health problem.) If you suspect health issues due to dropping appearance, place wax paper down as a liner to get a really good look at the droppings.

Food and Water

Stainless steel is the ideal material for food & water cups because it's easy to scrub and disinfect. Although your habitat may come with a couple plastic cups, these can become scratched, allowing bacteria to grow in the crevices. Birds can also be taught to use a water bottle, ensuring they cannot reach it and chew through it.

Food

For long-term good health provide a balanced diet, preferably a pelleted of extruded diet. Supplement with fresh vegetables and fruits depending on the species. High value items like high fat seed and nuts make excellent training treats. A seed mix diet may be deficient in minerals, especially calcium, as well as vitamins and amino acids, so mineral block or cuttlebone should be provided. This should not be necessary if the bird is eating primarily a pelleted or extruded diet.

A breeding female may need additional calcium to form eggs.

Perches

Perches can be made of natural branches, wood, plastic or PVC, rope, concrete, or pumice. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Offer your bird perches of assorted materials which vary in diameter. A bird who stands on the same perch consistently may develop foot disorders, especially if it is hard and abrasive or too large for its feet. Ideally the foot should wrap approximately ¾ of the way around the perch. Change out the perches, as you do bird toys this way a bird that likes to stand in the exact same spot will be forced to stand on a different perch.

Bird Bath

Birds bathe in a variety of ways. Some birds love to be misted with fine mist from a bottle of warm water, others love to bathe in a shallow bowl while others still will like to join you in the shower! That’s right, you can purchase a shower perch and let your bird spend quality time with you. Baths are very important to a birds’ health, remember many birds come from a tropical climate that is very humid and wet. Play with bathing to find out which way your bird likes best, you want bathing to be enjoyable – not stressful! Bathing supplies can be purchased at your local pet store or department store.

Toys and Enrichment

Most birds benefit from having items in their habitat to keep them active and entertained. A wide variety of toys are available, and different birds enjoy different types of toys.

Provide a variety of toy types for your bird in the habitat setup: thinking toys (items that stimulate his mind); action toys (items that make a lot of noise or require your bird to move); comfort toys (items that your bird can enjoy calmly and quietly); and toys to destroy (items he can chew to keep his beak in good condition). You’ll quickly see which toys your bird prefers and this will allow you to keep him well entertained. A bored bird can quickly pick up bad, remember birds in the wild are very active and are ever moving and foraging.

There are other ways to enrich your bird’s life than just toys, although toys are a necessary item! You can purchase or play video’s for your birds with other bird sounds or just interesting audio. A more current approach is to enrich your bird by providing foraging opportunities, treats hidden within toys or homemade items such as a cardboard tube and coffee filters. Be creative, but safe!

Travel Carrier

A travel carrier is necessary for taking your bird to the vet's office and other places. Soft fabric carriers are popular, but if your bird is ill they are difficult to disinfect. Plastic airline kennels are also practical and easy to disinfect if needed. It should also have adequate ventilation and a place to put food and water dishes. If you plan to travel with your pet, select a model which will fit under the seat of an airplane.

It’s important to make the carrier a safe and desirable destination, this can be done by using it as a place to offer treats and allow your bird to walk in on its own to fetch those treats. If a bird is caught up and placed aggressively in the carrier, it will quickly become a scary place they don’t want to go and each time will become harder and harder to get your bird into it.