Click to Skip Ahead
The macaw is a bird with few competitors when it comes to the sumptuous beauty of their plumage. There are 19 species in the wild, two of which are unfortunately extinct: the Glaucous macaw and the Spix’s macaw.
Macaws are intelligent, affectionate, and very vocal, but they are not recommended for beginners since they are high-maintenance pets. On the other hand, pet bird owners accustomed to large parrots fall in love with these magnificent and entertaining birds. To provide the optimal care and quality of life, it is essential to give your tropical parrot a healthy and balanced diet consisting of seeds, fruits, vegetables, pellets, and a few nuts. You’ll learn everything you need to know about what food you should feed your precious macaw below.
What Is the Macaw’s Staple Diet?
Macaws are very playful and intelligent. So, don’t give in to the insistent stares and bows your adorable bird might show at first sight of a bag of chips or a piece of chocolate! Macaws, or any other bird, are physiologically not made for these treats. So, what should you choose to feed your bird?
A wholesome diet mainly made of:
- 60-75% of pellets: Choose an appropriate formulation based on your bird’s age and health. If in doubt, seek advice from your veterinarian.
- 20-25% of fresh fruits and veggies cut into small pieces: Apples, bananas, peaches, pears, grapes, pineapples, tomatoes, carrots, beans, peas, corn, broccoli, spinach, and cucumbers are good choices.
- Only a couple of nuts and seeds per day: Avoid commercial seed mixes, as your macaws will likely only choose their favorites, usually the ones with the highest fat, like peanuts and sunflower seeds.
- Offer animal protein to young macaws. Eggs, small pieces of chicken, cooked meat, and sprouted beans can be served in moderation to young macaws.
- Provide fresh and clean water every day.
Good nutrition is essential for a long life. Thus, a healthy macaw whose diet is rich and balanced will increase their chances of living for several decades by your side. It is not recommended to feed your macaw only seeds or nuts. Birds need a complete diet that gives them all the nutrients they need.
A seed diet can lead to deficiencies or infections due to insufficient nutrients and excess fat. However, given in small amounts and in addition to something else, they are not harmful to your bird.
Quick Facts about Macaws
| Scientific Name: | Psittacidae |
| Lifespan: | Up to 60 years in the wild; 35-50 years as pets (see note below) |
| Size: | 12–40 inches; 4.5 ounces to 3.75 pounds |
| Habitat: | Central and South American rain forests |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| IUCN Red List status: | Critically endangered |
Note: Macaws in the wild tend to live longer than their domesticated counterparts, which is unusual since pets generally enjoy better living conditions and live longer. However, most avian vets believe that nutrition is probably to blame for their shorter lives. Nutritional deficiencies, obesity, and fatty liver disease are all commonplace in macaws. Therefore, a diet consisting only of seeds is not suitable for them; they also need fruits, vegetables, pellets, and nuts.
Things to Consider
A recent study investigated whether a diet high in fructose (a sugar found naturally in fruits) could be responsible for atherosclerosis, a cardiovascular disease commonly encountered in pet parrots.
The researchers took the fruits out of the birds’ diet for a month and replaced them with vegetables. Although no significant effect could be demonstrated, more studies are needed to investigate the effect of various fruits on macaws and other parrots kept as pets, which could influence their cardiovascular health. So, until new studies can shed light on the exact causes of this deadly disease, it’s best not to give your macaw too many high-fructose fruits (such as watermelon and grapes).
How Much Food Do Macaws Need?
Adult macaws need to eat about 15% of their body weight every day. So, for example, a macaw that weighs 2 pounds would need around 135 grams of food per day.
How Often Should You Feed Your Macaw?
Macaws eat every day, and they may eat several times throughout the day. As for young macaws, they need food every 4 hours.
What Food Should You Not Feed Macaws?
As with other pets, the macaw is no exception to the rule: some foods should be banned entirely from their diet; otherwise, their health will deteriorate:
- Avocados
- Parsley
- Rhubarb
- Chocolate
- Fruit seeds
- Milk and other dairy products
- Alcohol
Conclusion
Macaws are brilliant animals, and they look for stimulation in almost anything they do. Your pet bird will get bored quickly if you constantly feed him the same foods. This is also why, in addition to making pellets the basis of their diet, you must add fruits, vegetables, and some nuts, such as Brazil nuts, that they will have fun breaking with their powerful beak. Not only will this stimulate your macaw and prevent boredom, but it will also ensure they can enjoy a complete, wholesome diet.
See Also:
Featured Image Credit by Gaston Piccinetti, Shutterstock
