Hawaiian Feathered Friends Network
Hawaiis Premiere Parrot & Bird Education, Rescue & Support Organization
MacawThe Giants of the Parrot World
Spectacular, loud, intelligent, and deeply bonded — macaws are not birds you keep. They are birds you live with. For those who understand what that means, there is nothing else quite like them.
The Most Magnificent Birds in Aviculture
A Green-Winged Macaw with a Hybrid companion — HFFN member birds
Macaws are the largest parrots on earth — and among the most visually spectacular birds of any kind. Native to Mexico, Central America, and South America, macaws inhabit rainforest, savanna, woodland, and palm forest across a vast range. Their large curved beaks, long streaming tail feathers, and vivid coloration make them instantly recognizable — and their intelligence, longevity, and capacity for deep bonds make them among the most profoundly rewarding companion birds for those prepared for the commitment they require.
Macaws are divided informally into two groups: the large macaws of the genera Ara, Anodorhynchus, and Primolius, and the much smaller mini macaws of the genera Diopsittaca, Orthopsittaca, and Primolius. The large macaws — Blue-and-Gold, Green-Winged, Scarlet, Military, Hyacinth — are the birds most people picture when they hear the word “macaw.” Mini macaws like the Hahn’s and Severe are considerably smaller but carry the full macaw personality in a more compact form.
Everything about a macaw is big. Their voices are big. Their personalities are big. Their beaks are powerful enough to crack palm nuts and cause serious injury if provoked. Their need for social interaction, mental stimulation, and physical space is immense. For the right owner, in the right situation, a macaw is an incomparable companion. HFFN sees macaws in rescue with some regularity — usually birds whose owners were captivated by their beauty without fully understanding the multi-decade commitment involved.
Macaws Most Commonly Seen in Hawaiʻi
The following species are most frequently encountered in Hawaiʻi — either as companion birds with HFFN members or arriving in rescue situations. Each has its own distinct personality, size, and care requirements.
Hyacinth Macaw
Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
The largest parrot in the world by length — up to 40 inches from beak to tail tip. Hyacinths are entirely cobalt blue with bright yellow eye rings and lower mandible patches. Despite their formidable size and beak strength, they are often described as the “gentle giants” of the macaw world — typically calm, affectionate, and good-natured. They require very large enclosures, a diet rich in palm nuts and appropriate fats, and a keeper who understands their specialized needs. They are Vulnerable in the wild. In the right home, they are extraordinary.
Blue-and-Gold Macaw
Ara ararauna
The most widely kept large macaw in the world — brilliant turquoise-blue above, rich golden yellow below, with a distinctive black throat strap and bare white facial patch that flushes pink when excited. Blue-and-Golds are generally considered one of the more even-tempered large macaws: social, talkative, playful, and capable of forming strong bonds with their families. They are good talkers by macaw standards and tend to adapt well to multi-person households. A Blue-and-Gold can live 60 or more years in captivity.
Green-Winged Macaw
Ara chloropterus
The largest of the Ara macaws — bigger than the Blue-and-Gold. Vivid red with a broad green wing band and deep blue flight feathers, distinguished by bare facial skin lined with rows of tiny red feathers — a characteristic unique to this species. Like Hyacinths, Green-Wings are often surprisingly gentle despite their size. They are deeply affectionate, highly bonded birds that do best with consistent daily attention. Among the most common large macaws seen in Hawaiʻi and well represented in our HFFN community.
Scarlet Macaw
Ara macao
One of the most iconic parrots in the world — vivid scarlet red with yellow and blue wing patches and a long red tail. Stunning to look at and highly intelligent, but generally considered one of the more challenging large macaws in temperament. Scarlets tend to be more intense and less forgiving of handling mistakes than Green-Wings or Blue-and-Golds. They require an experienced keeper who can provide consistent boundaries and rich enrichment. Very common in rescue — the gap between their visual appeal and their actual care requirements catches many first-time owners off guard.
Military Macaw
Ara militaris
A large, predominantly olive-green macaw with a red forehead patch and blue flight feathers. Less flashy than the red or blue macaws, but often praised by experienced keepers for a relatively stable, calm temperament. Military Macaws tend to be social and adaptable, doing reasonably well in busy households if properly socialized from a young age. Listed as Vulnerable in the wild. Less common in Hawaiʻi than the Blue-and-Gold or Green-Wing but occasionally seen in our community and in rescue.
Red-Fronted Macaw
Ara rubrogenys
One of the rarest macaws in aviculture — a medium-sized, predominantly green bird with striking red on the forehead, around the eyes, and on the shoulders. Native only to a small semi-arid valley system in central Bolivia, the Red-Fronted Macaw is Endangered in the wild with a very restricted range. In captivity they are playful, curious, and generally considered one of the sweeter-tempered large macaws. Rarely seen in Hawaiʻi but occasionally encountered in our community. Any captive individual should be verifiably captive-bred.
Harlequin Macaw
Ara ararauna × Ara chloropterus
The Harlequin is one of the most popular and striking macaw hybrids — a cross between a Blue-and-Gold and a Green-Winged Macaw. The result is typically a large bird with vivid orange-red undersides from the Green-Wing parent and blue-green upper parts from the Blue-and-Gold, with coloration that varies dramatically between individuals. Harlequins do not occur in the wild — they are produced intentionally in captivity. They present the same size, noise, and care requirements as their large macaw parents and should never be considered simpler birds simply because they are hybrids.
Shamrock Macaw
Ara militaris × Ara macao
The Shamrock is a cross between a Military Macaw and a Scarlet Macaw. The result typically combines the Military’s olive-green tones with the Scarlet’s vivid red, producing a bird with rich, complex coloration — often deeper and more muted than a pure Scarlet but with striking red accents throughout. Shamrocks tend to be somewhat less intense in temperament than a pure Scarlet, potentially inheriting some of the Military’s calmer disposition, though individual personality varies widely. Like all large macaw hybrids, they do not occur in the wild and present the same size, noise, and care requirements as their parent species.
Catalina Macaw
Ara macao × Ara ararauna
The Catalina is one of the most common macaw hybrids — a cross between a Scarlet and a Blue-and-Gold. The result is typically a vivid bird with orange, red, green, and blue coloration that blends elements of both parent species in ways that vary dramatically from individual to individual. Catalinas tend to be somewhat more even-tempered than a pure Scarlet, but still very much a macaw in all the ways that matter: loud, powerful, intelligent, and requiring experienced handling. Pictured here alongside a Blue-and-Gold — both HFFN member birds.
F2 & F3 Hybrid Macaws
Multi-generation captive crosses
Second and third generation hybrid macaws result from crossing two hybrids, or a hybrid back to a pure species. Their coloration is often the most complex and unpredictable of any macaw — each bird is essentially unique. F2 and F3 birds are sometimes erroneously presented as rare or exotic “new species.” They are not — they are captive-bred hybrids with the same care requirements as any large macaw. What they often do have is spectacular, truly one-of-a-kind plumage, as this stunning HFFN member bird demonstrates beautifully.
Severe (Chestnut-Fronted) Macaw
Ara severus
The largest of the mini macaws — about 18–20 inches, putting it between the Hahn’s and the full-size large macaws. Predominantly green with a dark chestnut-brown forehead, red and blue highlights on the wings, and the characteristic bare facial patch of the macaw family. Severe Macaws have a reputation for being feisty and opinionated — very much macaws in personality despite their smaller size. Intelligent, playful, and deeply engaging, but tend to be nippy and require confident, experienced handling.
Hahn’s Macaw
Diopsittaca nobilis
The smallest macaw species — roughly the size of a large conure at about 12 inches. Predominantly green with a red shoulder patch, blue forehead, and the distinctive bare facial patch of the macaw family. Hahn’s Macaws pack a full macaw personality into a compact body: bold, playful, vocal, and highly intelligent. Their smaller size makes them considerably more practical for apartment living than large macaws, though they are still macaws — still loud relative to smaller parrots and still requiring significant enrichment and interaction. An excellent entry point for someone drawn to macaws but not yet ready for a large bird.
Everything About Them Is Big
A Blue-and-Gold with a Catalina Hybrid — the contrast shows how dramatically hybrids can vary
Macaws are a force of nature. Their voices carry across city blocks. Their beaks can exert hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch. Their mood swings — from cuddly and affectionate to suddenly nippy — can catch even experienced keepers off guard. And yet, for those who invest in understanding them, macaws offer a depth of relationship that few other animals can match.
Macaws are deeply social in the wild, living in flocks and forming lifelong pair bonds. In captivity, their keeper becomes their flock. A well-bonded macaw will preen its person, seek physical contact, follow them from room to room, and respond to their emotional state with remarkable sensitivity.
A macaw might lunge and bluster at a stranger, then turn around and lay its head against its person’s cheek. That contrast — drama and tenderness in equal measure — is the heart of what it means to live with one of these birds.
The bare facial patches on species like the Blue-and-Gold, Green-Wing, and Scarlet flush visibly pink when the bird is excited, alarmed, or overstimulated — a useful and honest emotional display that experienced keepers learn to read quickly. A flushing facial patch combined with raised feathers and a slightly crouched posture is a clear signal to de-escalate and give the bird space.
Macaws love to chew, and they will chew everything within reach if given the opportunity. A steady supply of appropriate chew items — raw softwood, palm fronds, cork, leather — is not optional. It is essential for the bird’s physical and psychological wellbeing, and for the survival of your furniture.
Macaws in Our Community
These are real birds belonging to real HFFN members — photographed at our gatherings on Oʻahu. The diversity of species and coloration in our community reflects how widely macaws are kept across the islands.
F3 Hybrid — no two alike
Green-Wing at an HFFN gathering
Scarlet Macaw · April 2016
Neighbors Will Know You Have a Macaw
Large macaws are among the loudest companion animals kept in captivity. Their contact calls — the scream a macaw produces when separated from its flock or alarmed — are designed to carry across rainforest canopy. In a residential neighborhood in Hawaiʻi, they carry across several city blocks.
Contact calls are instinctive and cannot be entirely eliminated. They can be managed through consistent routine, appropriate training, and ensuring the bird’s social needs are met — but not removed from the bird’s behavioral repertoire. Twice-daily vocalizations at dawn and dusk are essentially hardwired. Mini macaws like the Hahn’s and Severe are significantly quieter than large macaws and may be a more practical option for tighter living situations.
⚠️ Renters: A Critical Consideration
A large macaw in a rental unit is a serious tenancy risk in Hawaiʻi. Most landlords are already skeptical of any birds; a macaw’s call volume makes that skepticism entirely reasonable. HFFN requires written landlord permission before placing any macaw in a rental property. If your landlord has any hesitation, a large macaw is not the right bird for your current living situation.
Space, Diet, and Destruction Management
A Severe Macaw — large macaw personality in a more compact package
Macaws need the largest cages in aviculture. The cage must be tall enough that the bird’s tail feathers do not touch the bottom — for a large macaw, this typically means a cage five or six feet tall. Bar spacing of 1 to 1.5 inches is appropriate for large species; stainless steel is strongly preferred as powder-coated cages can be stripped by a determined large macaw over time. A large play stand outside the cage is equally important — macaws need significant out-of-cage time daily.
Diet should be based on a high-quality pelleted food comprising roughly 50–60% of intake, supplemented with a wide variety of fresh vegetables, limited fruit, and species-appropriate nuts. Macaws from the Anodorhynchus genus — particularly the Hyacinth — have specialized dietary needs and require significantly more fat than other macaws, primarily from palm nuts. A Hyacinth on the same diet as a Blue-and-Gold will not thrive. Species-specific dietary research is essential before acquiring any macaw.
Wild macaws in the Amazon basin ingest mineral-rich clay at exposed riverbanks, which is believed to help neutralize dietary toxins. Some keepers offer mineral supplements to replicate this. Consult an avian veterinarian familiar with psittacines for guidance specific to your species.
Chew enrichment — raw softwood blocks, palm fronds, cork, leather, and foraging toys — must be provided in rotation and replenished constantly. A macaw that runs out of appropriate items to destroy will find inappropriate ones with remarkable efficiency.
Common Conditions to Watch For
A well-cared-for large macaw can live 50–60 years in captivity. Acquiring a macaw is a commitment that outlasts most other companion animals and should be reflected in your estate planning — who will care for this bird if something happens to you? The following conditions appear most frequently in this genus:
- Feather-destructive behavior
- Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD)
- Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD)
- Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci)
- Fatty liver disease (diet-related)
- Heavy metal toxicity (zinc, lead)
- Respiratory infections
- Papillomatosis
- Cloacal prolapse
- Obesity (seed-heavy diets)
- Aspergillosis (fungal infection)
- Polyomavirus
Macaws are particularly prone to heavy metal toxicity — zinc from galvanized hardware and lead from old paint are the most common sources. Any new cage, hardware, or toy should be verified as zinc-free. Annual or biannual avian veterinary examinations with bloodwork are strongly recommended. Establish a relationship with an avian vet in Hawaiʻi before you need one urgently — our resources are limited.
A Genus Under Serious Pressure
Macaws as a group face significant conservation threats. Habitat destruction across Central and South America has reduced wild populations of nearly every large macaw species. The Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) is extinct in the wild, surviving only in a carefully managed captive breeding program. Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) numbers fewer than 2,000 wild individuals. The Red-Fronted Macaw is Endangered with one of the smallest ranges of any macaw species.
The Hyacinth Macaw, once severely impacted by the pet trade, has recovered somewhat under CITES protections and conservation programs in Brazil’s Pantanal — a genuine conservation success story, though the species remains Vulnerable.
All macaws sold in the United States are required by law to be captive-bred. Wild-caught importation has been prohibited since the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992. Ensure any macaw you acquire comes with clear, verifiable captive-bred documentation.
Macaws in Rescue — What to Expect
Macaws come into rescue for many of the same reasons other large parrots do — owner illness, divorce, relocation, financial hardship, and most commonly: the owner was not prepared for what a macaw actually is. A bird that looked magnificent in a pet store is a very different animal when it screams at full volume, takes a chunk out of a visitor’s finger, or dismantles a piece of furniture in fifteen minutes.
HFFN places macaws carefully and honestly. We will tell you everything we know about a bird’s history, temperament, and any behavioral challenges before a placement moves forward. We will ask hard questions about your housing, your experience level, your noise tolerance, and your ability to provide the space and enrichment a macaw requires.
If a macaw is right for you, come to a meeting first. Spend time around members who keep them. There is no substitute for that experience before making a commitment of this magnitude.