THE FASCINATION WITH THE HYACINTH MACAW

For most of us owning birds becomes a passion that our non-bird friends just do not understand. They do not understand why we devote so much time and effort to an animal that makes such a mess and controls our lives, such as "I’ll never take another vacation because I will worry too much about my bird"!

 

When we then tell our non-bird friends that we are getting ready to purchase a Hyacinth Macaw that can cost upwards of $l0,000.00 they are certain that we have finally lost all our marbles.

 

So why this fascination with the Hyacinth Macaw when we finally bring it home? The beauty and gentleness of the hyacinth entrances even non-bird people. The enormous size of the hyacinth beak conjures up stories of fear of having your hand bitten off when in fact these birds are considered the "gentle giants" of all parrot species and truly are.

 

Having a hyacinth macaw living with you takes some pre-planning prior to the purchase.

The largest size parrot cage manufactured by leading cage makers still isn’t large enough for the hyacinth and their four foot plus wing span. Not to mention the wear and tear on the paint since hyacinth macaws have a 1,000 lbs. per square inch pressure bearing with their beaks and can easily take the paint off of most cages on the market. Opting for the stainless steel cage can run you on the low end of $2,500.00. So you’re not thwarted yet! You sell everything you own to get this wonderful parrot in your life. Then you find out you have to feed it macadamia nuts in the shell as part of its daily diet!

 

Your hyacinth macaw comes home and you realize that this is not a normal macaw. In fact his personality is similar to a cockatoo only he’s in a macaw body. He loves to cuddle and play with you and is a master carpenter. When you come home he is anxious to see you and demands to be with you, content to just sit quietly with you while you caress his head and beak.

 

Oh that beak! It takes 5 years for the beak of a hyacinth to reach its mature size. During that time his beak will sometimes have a fever in it, much like a human baby teething, causing him to chew on everything including your hands.

 

These gentle giants maintain the best disposition of any macaw species throughout their lives when they are raised with loving care. Your friends that witness this and are able to handle the largest parrot species in existence today are amazed and in awe of them. They finally understand……………..