Green-winged Macaw

• ExerciseHigh

  Needs hours of out-of-cage activity and mental challenges every day.

• GroomingRegular feather care

  Regular bathing or misting plus nail and beak checks.

• Living spaceLarge cage or aviary

  Best with a large cage or an indoor aviary.

• Owner experienceFor experienced owners

  Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• Commitment40–60 years

  Plan for a long, loving relationship.

Health to watch: Feather plucking · Respiratory issues · Obesity

The Green-winged Macaw (Ara chloropterus) is the second-largest parrot in the world after the Hyacinth, ranging across the forests of northern and central South America. It weighs one to one and a half kilograms with a wingspan of over a metre, and lives forty to sixty years, which makes it a bird you write into a will rather than buy on impulse. Its reputation as the gentlest of the large macaws is deserved, but gentle here means even-tempered, not small or quiet. A bird this size cannot be kept in a parrot cage bought off a shelf. It needs a walk-in aviary or a purpose-built enclosure, hardwood perches it cannot destroy in a week, and several hours daily out with its people. The beak generates enough force to crack a Brazil nut and can crush a finger, so calm consistent handling from a young age and clear boundaries matter more than with any small parrot. Screaming is normal flock behaviour at dawn and dusk and carries for hundreds of metres; a shared apartment wall is not compatible with this species. Diet must be a formulated pellet base with daily vegetables, leafy greens and a controlled portion of nuts, which are essential for the fat this species uses but easy to overfeed. Provide constant destructive foraging material, because an under-stimulated macaw becomes a screamer and a feather-plucker, and both are far easier to prevent than to cure. Find an avian vet before you bring the bird home and budget for annual bloodwork; large macaws hide illness until it is advanced.

• How much activity does a Green-winged Macaw need?

  High. Needs hours of out-of-cage activity and mental challenges every day.

• How much feather care does a Green-winged Macaw need?

  Regular feather care. Regular bathing or misting plus nail and beak checks.

• What cage does a Green-winged Macaw need?

  Large cage or aviary. Best with a large cage or an indoor aviary.

• Is a Green-winged Macaw a good fit for first-time owners?

  For experienced owners. Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• How long do Green-winged Macaw live?

  40–60 years. Plan for a long, loving relationship.

• What health issues affect the Green-winged Macaw?

  Keep an eye out for Feather plucking, Respiratory issues, Obesity. These are worth raising with your vet, along with any screening they recommend.

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