victoria - 2006-09-22 Love my Elvis! She, yes she, was thought to be a male, named and raised for the first half of her life as a male. Second owner, whom I bought her from, (at 5 yrs old)had her sexed after going through her first cycle on things. Originally, thought she was sick. She is beautiful, playful, friendly and outgoing. In my opinion, if you have ever been around a 2 yr old (human) and understand the psychology of that, you can handle a Macaw. Please understand, it is manditory they feel the love. Just as a 2 yr old demands your undivided attention & care. Out smart them, as an example, do not ever feed exactly the same thing at the same time to avoid unnecessary hurt feelings, if you don't keep their schedule. One example would be if you feed your pet 2 to 4 times a day, do not make them the same times each day. Vary your delivery and the food/toy/treat each time. They will become demanding if you allow it. We are suppose to be the smarter species. I question our knowledge of what defines a "greenwing" as mine is dominately green with blues, reds, oranges, yellows through out her feathers. Bright yellow under her blue and green wings, body is orange. Cone area above her mandible now red, was originally green with few feathers red, now about a full inch. 11yrs soon to be 12. Most people of "pure heart" can hold my macaw without threat, she is 28 to 30 in top to tip.
Belinda - 2006-02-25 Hello Greenwing lovers! I have a wonderful boy named Sebastian and he is the light of my day! I have only owned him 8 months, yet he is 4 yrs old. I am his second and last owner! I find it remarkable how smart he is. He not only talks, but sings and dances. If you love birds the greenwing is the way to go! But please remember before you buy...they are a lifetime commitment, not your life only, but theirs too. So stop and think what would happen to them if something happen to you? It's sad to see birds sent from home to home over and over again. So make your choice wisely, and if you choose to own a greenwing.... you won't be sorry. they will be your best friend for life!
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Anonymous - 2012-12-09 Hi, Do you still have your greenwing, Sebastian? Where did you get him? I am thinking of getting a rescue macaw, and am looking into the Greenwings.
Stephanie - 2012-10-10 Hey...I currently have a Jenday Conure (Female - 4 years) and am purchasing a Green Wing Macaw (Male - 3 years)....I was hoping you could give me some insight as to how well these two will get along? Any input is much appreciated!
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Clarice Brough - 2012-10-11 These are two totally different birds, but they can become comfortable with each other. They will need their own cages. Birds are smart and often have their own ideas of how things should be. As a rule of thumb, it takes a new parrot about a month to become accustom to a new home. An existing parrot may be very willing, or may need to be coaxed, to accept a new addition to their space. So depending on them, it can take time for them to become socialized or they may mesh right away. I'd be ready for either scenario.
Gloria - 2012-07-30 We just moved to a new home. Our Green Wing Phoenix (he is 7 years old) is very grumpy. He keeps repeating hello over and over and is very noisey and doesn't seem to know what he wants. We are trying to figure out if it is the change, more traffic, or the fact that our son and his dog are staying with us for awhile. They are staying in the basement. Usually he is a very calm bird. Please comment.
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Charlie Roche - 2012-07-30 Most birds, but I think macaws are great for it, take awhile to adjust to a new surrounding. Sometimes they get aggravated if you just move furniture around. They like the sameness of things. Phoenix will adjust - and they are normally a quiter macaw. He just doesn't like change and he is grumpy. Sure, he is also being the GUARD with a new person and a DOG in the house but willl adjust. It takes about a month though.
Gloria - 2012-07-31 Charlie, Thank you for your comments. We believe Phoenix will adjust. Everything is new and just not familiar.
john - 2008-10-26 I have a 16 month old fella (DNA sexed)named Bama that is just the greatest. He and I started out back July of 2007 when he was all beak and feet with just a few feathers on his head. I am a first time GWM owner and had lots of doubts in the beginning. After spending everyday for several hours visiting him in July and August and half way through September I realized he was the perfect bird for me. At the pet shop where I got him there were lots of other birds and none of them were nearly as wonderful. I have always been an animal lover and at 59 and retired I felt that I would have the time to spend with him. Bama is just the best pal in the world and I am so lucky to have found him. I have two chocolate labs and we all get along just great. Bama does require a lot attention. He is out of his cages most of the day. He wants to be with me and follows me around the house. Helps me with what ever task I am trying, ha ha, to accomplish whether I like or not. He says several words like "come back" when I leave the room or "hi there Bama", "Roll Tide", and "hi Bama", plus lots of other sounds that I am not able to decipher just yet. He loves to chew everything and is always trying to get into everything he can reach. I have him clipped so he climbs down his stand and runs across the floor to follow me. He is getting better socialized with others and will let others interact with me most of the time. He has been weened onto a pellet diet from the beginning. I also feed lots of fruits and veggies and nuts for treats. He wants to eat whatever I am eating so dinner time he gets a small sample of my food. He loves to chew up ice from my glass (plastic). He has lots of toys to keep him busy and forage in. I live in New England and the sun light during the winter is not the greatest so I got some natural lite bulbs for his cage so he gets enough. I decided early on to have a roosting (sleeping cage) in another room away from the daily hustle and bustle of the rest of my house and a cage in my family room so if I have to put him up during the day he has a place to go. That has worked out very well he does not fuss at all at night when its bed time. Both he and the dogs have their sleeping cage/crates in the back bedroom. They all go in together and come out together. Less jealousy that way. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to share my life with such a wonderful bird. I will be getting into more training of tricks so he has more things to concentrate on. He steps up regularly with out prompting and even tells me by saying "up up" and putting his foot up when he wants to come to me. He loves to roll over and have his tummy and feet played with and does his throaty macaw style laugh "ha ha ha". Foot toys are also some of his favorite things, usually broken bits of the toys he has chewed to death already. He loves to take a bath in the kitchen sink, it is a divided sink with a center section that he stands on and lets the water run over him. Yes the water goes every where and he has a great time playing in it. Afterwards we go into my bedroom and he has his fun with being blown dry with my hair drier, squaking and laughing and fluffing and shaking the water off. I would only recommend a GWM for someone with lots of time and patience. I have a grown son and Bama is like a new child in the family that will never grow up. If you like having a feathered 3 year old around with a large powerful beak for the rest of your life then have at it. I am sure glad I did.
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macalynn - 2010-09-19 Hi John
My baby girl gw loves the blown dryer after a shower/bath also. I love her dearly and raised her up from nothing but fuzz and some pin feathers. She is just now exploring toys, new giant cage and running the roost around here. She is sitting on my shoulder right now watching me and making those throaty noises; not a question about gw but what is new england like?
Emily Clark - 2012-04-02 I have a 2 year old greenwing macaw who screams everytime that my husband goes upstairs. He can go anywhere else in the house without any problems. I am not sure how to stop this behaviour. Any suggestions please let me know how to handle this situation. Thanks Emily
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Charlie Roche - 2012-04-02 Birds get real funny notions and probably to your feathered friend your husband is dissapearing. A child will cry when they can't see 'MOM' until they learn 'MOM' comes back. Possibly your feathered companion will outgrow this learning your hubby is not 'dissapearing'. He can try and take the bird up stairs with him. Just take the bird and go upstairs show him around and come back down. Do this several times. Yes, your hubby can dissapear into the kitchen - not upstairs but the bird can hear him. I can go anywhere in my home I want except downstairs. I finally just took my bird with me. Seemed to have solved the problem. The first time I took him downstairs - he was scared and flew back up the stairs but finally all was well and now no panic screaming when I go downstairs.
Gaz - 2009-03-06 In life, you get what you give. A green wing does take a lot of work, but the rewards are worth every minute of it. You get a companion like no other. A big red dinosour that loves nothing more than to cuddle up and have its feathers stroked, a friend who loves to play, loyalty like you'd never imagine and an intellegence that challenges yours! Mine is called Dino because my friend who has two Blue & Yellow Macaws said he looked like a big dinosour standing next to them. Many ask about the cage size, well I couldn't afford one I personaly feel would be big enough for him, so he has his own room with branches jammed between the walls. During the day I take him out for hours at a time and plonk him on a chair next to me or let him run around the patio and even take him for walks around town, which he loves. But please, anyone thinking of getting one, they do take a big commitment in time. They do sometimes squalk extremely loud, which may well upset your neighbours, and until you teach them not to bite hard, they can do damage to you and you simply cannot leave them unattended outside of their cage. They bite through everything, including electric cables! Are you REALLY ready for that commitment?
Gina - 2011-11-15 Hi, We were given a green and red macaw and we are trying to get Pepper to stop plucking her feathers. What can we do for our beautiful pet? Thank you Keith & Gina.<><
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Charlie Roche - 2011-11-17 Plucking is probably the worst thing to try and stop - really hard. Things you can try are bathing the bird frequently by spraying it with aloe bird bath or just water. You can try bathing him in the kitchen sink with the sprayer or some even use the shower. Lots of toys and things to chew on. Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, toys made from a 2 X 4 (untreated). Lots of stimulation and out time. TV cartoons or tapes like Happy Feet, Surfs Up, RIO - believe it or not they do watch. Some try a collar which will prevent the bird from plucking. It works for some and just scares the others. I'd do a collar as a last resort- The more attention, stimulation and activity - the less likely he is to pluck. No ones fault - and it is hard to stop.
Annie - 2011-11-29 I think they usually do that when they are bored. How long have you had her? You have to provide a lot of stimulating toys, safe for parrots, of course. You have to spend a lot of time with them too. We were just practically given a Green Winged named Salsa with an injured foot this past week. She gets bored being in the cage so we let her out and spend time petting her and hand feeding her. Remember in the wild they spend the day looking for food and exploring so they really need to be stimulated. I have only had parakeets and Jenday/Black Capped Conures before so I am kind of new to the Mccaws and learning like you. You might want to join a parrot group online. One group I love is http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/conure-lovers/ I joined a while ago and I have gained so much knowledge from the members. Much more knowledge then I have. It isn't just for Conures. Anyone who has a love for parrots can join or even if you just want to research owning a bird. I am also looking for a parrot group where I live also to look for more info on vet care, feeding, etc. My vet is good but I am looking for a specialist to look at her foot. She seems to get around fine but want to see what else we can do for her. The foot was broken before and never set so it has healed weird. Just having Salsa for a few days, we can't believe how calm and affectionate she is. She loves to be petted and played with. One thing she loves are the nuts in the shells instead having the nuts served. I hide them around the house and she hunts for them. Kind of messy but worth the effort because it's fun to watch her. She loves to walk on the floor which amazed me.
Rebeca Bachur - 2005-03-22 hey everyone, i love this website. im in love with birds, and i cant wait until i get one. my favorite type of bird is the scarlet macaw. well i hope you guys keep up the good work, i mean you all have such great tips and information, im loving it. ;)
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michelle - 2010-12-04 Please research the various breeds of macaws & each ones temperament & personality before buying one for a pet. doing this will ensure buying one that best suits your environment & the amount of time you can commit to this bird. You should buy a bird by what best suits your time, availability & commitment to the bird, rather than buying one because of the way it looks & thinking its so beautiful. Don't go by the birds beauty. Go by the birds temperament, needs, personality traits & whether or not you can accommodate the need for such a large space, expensive food & toys, & how much time you are able to commit to the bird on a daily basis. Please, please, please do your research before choosing a bird for a companion. You want to get the bird that would best suit you, your home & your surroundings. Including how it may affect any neighbors you have due to how loud & boisterous they can be. You want to get what's best for you, not what is the prettiest to you.
The large Green-winged Macaw is one of the sweetest tempered of all the large Macaws!
I have my Lorenzo, he is a three years old beautiful bird
Love my Elvis! She, yes she, was thought to be a male, named and raised for the first half of her life as a male. Second owner, whom I bought her from, (at 5 yrs old)had her sexed after going through her first cycle on things. Originally, thought she was sick. She is beautiful, playful, friendly and outgoing. In my opinion, if you have ever been around a 2 yr old (human) and understand the psychology of that, you can handle a Macaw. Please understand, it is manditory they feel the love. Just as a 2 yr old demands your undivided attention & care. Out smart them, as an example, do not ever feed exactly the same thing at the same time to avoid unnecessary hurt feelings, if you don't keep their schedule. One example would be if you feed your pet 2 to 4 times a day, do not make them the same times each day. Vary your delivery and the food/toy/treat each time. They will become demanding if you allow it. We are suppose to be the smarter species. I question our knowledge of what defines a "greenwing" as mine is dominately green with blues, reds, oranges, yellows through out her feathers. Bright yellow under her blue and green wings, body is orange. Cone area above her mandible now red, was originally green with few feathers red, now about a full inch. 11yrs soon to be 12. Most people of "pure heart" can hold my macaw without threat, she is 28 to 30 in top to tip.
Hello Greenwing lovers! I have a wonderful boy named Sebastian and he is the light of my day! I have only owned him 8 months, yet he is 4 yrs old. I am his second and last owner! I find it remarkable how smart he is. He not only talks, but sings and dances. If you love birds the greenwing is the way to go! But please remember before you buy...they are a lifetime commitment, not your life only, but theirs too. So stop and think what would happen to them if something happen to you? It's sad to see birds sent from home to home over and over again. So make your choice wisely, and if you choose to own a greenwing.... you won't be sorry. they will be your best friend for life!
Hi, Do you still have your greenwing, Sebastian? Where did you get him? I am thinking of getting a rescue macaw, and am looking into the Greenwings.
Hey...I currently have a Jenday Conure (Female - 4 years) and am purchasing a Green Wing Macaw (Male - 3 years)....I was hoping you could give me some insight as to how well these two will get along? Any input is much appreciated!
These are two totally different birds, but they can become comfortable with each other. They will need their own cages. Birds are smart and often have their own ideas of how things should be. As a rule of thumb, it takes a new parrot about a month to become accustom to a new home. An existing parrot may be very willing, or may need to be coaxed, to accept a new addition to their space. So depending on them, it can take time for them to become socialized or they may mesh right away. I'd be ready for either scenario.
We just moved to a new home. Our Green Wing Phoenix (he is 7 years old) is very grumpy. He keeps repeating hello over and over and is very noisey and doesn't seem to know what he wants. We are trying to figure out if it is the change, more traffic, or the fact that our son and his dog are staying with us for awhile. They are staying in the basement. Usually he is a very calm bird. Please comment.
Most birds, but I think macaws are great for it, take awhile to adjust to a new surrounding. Sometimes they get aggravated if you just move furniture around. They like the sameness of things. Phoenix will adjust - and they are normally a quiter macaw. He just doesn't like change and he is grumpy. Sure, he is also being the GUARD with a new person and a DOG in the house but willl adjust. It takes about a month though.
Charlie, Thank you for your comments. We believe Phoenix will adjust. Everything is new and just not familiar.
I have a 16 month old fella (DNA sexed)named Bama that is just the greatest. He and I started out back July of 2007 when he was all beak and feet with just a few feathers on his head. I am a first time GWM owner and had lots of doubts in the beginning. After spending everyday for several hours visiting him in July and August and half way through September I realized he was the perfect bird for me. At the pet shop where I got him there were lots of other birds and none of them were nearly as wonderful. I have always been an animal lover and at 59 and retired I felt that I would have the time to spend with him. Bama is just the best pal in the world and I am so lucky to have found him. I have two chocolate labs and we all get along just great. Bama does require a lot attention. He is out of his cages most of the day. He wants to be with me and follows me around the house. Helps me with what ever task I am trying, ha ha, to accomplish whether I like or not. He says several words like "come back" when I leave the room or "hi there Bama", "Roll Tide", and "hi Bama", plus lots of other sounds that I am not able to decipher just yet. He loves to chew everything and is always trying to get into everything he can reach. I have him clipped so he climbs down his stand and runs across the floor to follow me. He is getting better socialized with others and will let others interact with me most of the time. He has been weened onto a pellet diet from the beginning. I also feed lots of fruits and veggies and nuts for treats. He wants to eat whatever I am eating so dinner time he gets a small sample of my food. He loves to chew up ice from my glass (plastic). He has lots of toys to keep him busy and forage in. I live in New England and the sun light during the winter is not the greatest so I got some natural lite bulbs for his cage so he gets enough. I decided early on to have a roosting (sleeping cage) in another room away from the daily hustle and bustle of the rest of my house and a cage in my family room so if I have to put him up during the day he has a place to go. That has worked out very well he does not fuss at all at night when its bed time. Both he and the dogs have their sleeping cage/crates in the back bedroom. They all go in together and come out together. Less jealousy that way. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to share my life with such a wonderful bird. I will be getting into more training of tricks so he has more things to concentrate on. He steps up regularly with out prompting and even tells me by saying "up up" and putting his foot up when he wants to come to me. He loves to roll over and have his tummy and feet played with and does his throaty macaw style laugh "ha ha ha". Foot toys are also some of his favorite things, usually broken bits of the toys he has chewed to death already. He loves to take a bath in the kitchen sink, it is a divided sink with a center section that he stands on and lets the water run over him. Yes the water goes every where and he has a great time playing in it. Afterwards we go into my bedroom and he has his fun with being blown dry with my hair drier, squaking and laughing and fluffing and shaking the water off. I would only recommend a GWM for someone with lots of time and patience. I have a grown son and Bama is like a new child in the family that will never grow up. If you like having a feathered 3 year old around with a large powerful beak for the rest of your life then have at it. I am sure glad I did.
Hi John
My baby girl gw loves the blown dryer after a shower/bath also.
I love her dearly and raised her up from nothing but fuzz and some pin feathers. She is just now exploring toys, new giant cage and running the roost around here. She is sitting on my shoulder right now watching me and making those throaty noises; not a question about gw but what is new england like?
I have a 2 year old greenwing macaw who screams everytime that my husband goes upstairs. He can go anywhere else in the house without any problems. I am not sure how to stop this behaviour. Any suggestions please let me know how to handle this situation.
Thanks
Emily
Birds get real funny notions and probably to your feathered friend your husband is dissapearing. A child will cry when they can't see 'MOM' until they learn 'MOM' comes back. Possibly your feathered companion will outgrow this learning your hubby is not 'dissapearing'. He can try and take the bird up stairs with him. Just take the bird and go upstairs show him around and come back down. Do this several times. Yes, your hubby can dissapear into the kitchen - not upstairs but the bird can hear him. I can go anywhere in my home I want except downstairs. I finally just took my bird with me. Seemed to have solved the problem. The first time I took him downstairs - he was scared and flew back up the stairs but finally all was well and now no panic screaming when I go downstairs.
In life, you get what you give. A green wing does take a lot of work, but the rewards are worth every minute of it. You get a companion like no other. A big red dinosour that loves nothing more than to cuddle up and have its feathers stroked, a friend who loves to play, loyalty like you'd never imagine and an intellegence that challenges yours!
Mine is called Dino because my friend who has two Blue & Yellow Macaws said he looked like a big dinosour standing next to them. Many ask about the cage size, well I couldn't afford one I personaly feel would be big enough for him, so he has his own room with branches jammed between the walls. During the day I take him out for hours at a time and plonk him on a chair next to me or let him run around the patio and even take him for walks around town, which he loves. But please, anyone thinking of getting one, they do take a big commitment in time. They do sometimes squalk extremely loud, which may well upset your neighbours, and until you teach them not to bite hard, they can do damage to you and you simply cannot leave them unattended outside of their cage. They bite through everything, including electric cables! Are you REALLY ready for that commitment?
Hi, We were given a green and red macaw and we are trying to get Pepper to stop plucking her feathers. What can we do for our beautiful pet? Thank you Keith & Gina.<><
Plucking is probably the worst thing to try and stop - really hard. Things you can try are bathing the bird frequently by spraying it with aloe bird bath or just water. You can try bathing him in the kitchen sink with the sprayer or some even use the shower. Lots of toys and things to chew on. Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, toys made from a 2 X 4 (untreated). Lots of stimulation and out time. TV cartoons or tapes like Happy Feet, Surfs Up, RIO - believe it or not they do watch. Some try a collar which will prevent the bird from plucking. It works for some and just scares the others. I'd do a collar as a last resort- The more attention, stimulation and activity - the less likely he is to pluck. No ones fault - and it is hard to stop.
I think they usually do that when they are bored. How long have you had her? You have to provide a lot of stimulating toys, safe for parrots, of course. You have to spend a lot of time with them too. We were just practically given a Green Winged named Salsa with an injured foot this past week. She gets bored being in the cage so we let her out and spend time petting her and hand feeding her. Remember in the wild they spend the day looking for food and exploring so they really need to be stimulated. I have only had parakeets and Jenday/Black Capped Conures before so I am kind of new to the Mccaws and learning like you. You might want to join a parrot group online. One group I love is http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/conure-lovers/
I joined a while ago and I have gained so much knowledge from the members. Much more knowledge then I have. It isn't just for Conures. Anyone who has a love for parrots can join or even if you just want to research owning a bird. I am also looking for a parrot group where I live also to look for more info on vet care, feeding, etc. My vet is good but I am looking for a specialist to look at her foot. She seems to get around fine but want to see what else we can do for her. The foot was broken before and never set so it has healed weird. Just having Salsa for a few days, we can't believe how calm and affectionate she is. She loves to be petted and played with. One thing she loves are the nuts in the shells instead having the nuts served. I hide them around the house and she hunts for them. Kind of messy but worth the effort because it's fun to watch her. She loves to walk on the floor which amazed me.
hey everyone, i love this website. im in love with birds, and i cant wait until i get one. my favorite type of bird is the scarlet macaw. well i hope you guys keep up the good work, i mean you all have such great tips and information, im loving it. ;)
Please research the various breeds of macaws & each ones temperament & personality before buying one for a pet. doing this will ensure buying one that best suits your environment & the amount of time you can commit to this bird. You should buy a bird by what best suits your time, availability & commitment to the bird, rather than buying one because of the way it looks & thinking its so beautiful. Don't go by the birds beauty. Go by the birds temperament, needs, personality traits & whether or not you can accommodate the need for such a large space, expensive food & toys, & how much time you are able to commit to the bird on a daily basis. Please, please, please do your research before choosing a bird for a companion. You want to get the bird that would best suit you, your home & your surroundings. Including how it may affect any neighbors you have due to how loud & boisterous they can be. You want to get what's best for you, not what is the prettiest to you.