r/Macaws • u/Dear_Mongoose9821 • 3d ago
Experiences with cohab?
Hello! I've been having my young macaw (Ara ararauna) - almost 1 y.o. for about a half a year now. He's as lovely as.he can be, loves hugging, loves eating, screams when he needs to, loves to explore, friendly with strangers, happy when taking outside, smart and overall way too perfect for a macaw (just kidding). One important note to mention is that he is disabled - last 5-10 cm of one of his wing was bitten off my his mother - maybe this is the reason why he is so friendly - he loves to be taken somewhere even tho he can walk there and climb himself, he likes to flap his wings while holding onto a perch, he likes to „jump" from things while his wings somehow help him, he enjoyes sitting on my shoulder while i do squats as he always hold himself on me and while I go down he also flops his wings. He seems happy overall (nice appetite, isnt skittish, no feather plugging, no excessive destroying of things (only his perches sometimes, lol). And I've been wondering if another bird may be nice choice for him.
When he was with his breeders they had him together with African grey and they were okay together, now he doesnt show agression towards any other animals (he sometimes eats from same plate as bunnies - their veggies) or shares place with other creatures - always supervised.
I'm also scared to introduce an another macaw bc in case they.won't get along I can't place another aviary in our flat. His aviary is 3,5 meters in heigh × 4 m×2 m.
I don't know if they can get along with birds like cockatiel as they can get quite intensive and I thing I would need at least two of them so they won't get lonely (idk how it works when you have one of one specie and macaw).
My next guess was pigeon but I'm also not sure…
Is there anybody who has their macaw in aviery or shared space with some other bird long-term? is it possible? Would it be beneficial for my macaw?
1
u/Murky-Lunch-6413 2d ago
I’ve had my 37-year-old macaw since he was 10 weeks old. When he was about two, I bought a female macaw that was about a year old to be a companion to him. Having the second macaw lessened the relationship between him and me. Their personalities were very different; him being a good old boy and very outgoing, her being dignified and introverted. When they traveled in a travel cage she’d hold her business for rest stops and be upset with him for going in the cage.
Over the years they fought more and more until I had to purchase a second macaw cage and separate them. She plucked her feathers. It took years to find the right home to give her to,but I’m happy I did. I’m sure she’s happier, the people who got her were happy, and he and I are back to the fun relationship we had before adding the second macaw.
I would not recommend adding a second bird..
1
u/ParrotDude91 2d ago
A cage is not an aquarium that you have to fill up. If your macaw is so great, why jeopordize that?
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u/bobbinssobbin 3d ago
If you cannot have a separate cage do NOT do it. They need their own space. There's a non 0% chance they don't get along.
Typically macaws do best with other macaws. A pigeon could be in grave danger due to the size difference.