Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Family: Cacatuidae

Scientific name: Cacatua galerita Subspecies - (4) :
Greater Sulphur-crested CockatooCacatua galerita galerita
Triton CockatooCacatua galerita triton
Medium Sulphur-crested Cockatoo(also called: Eleonora Cockatoo)Cacatua galerita eleonora
Cacatua galerita fitzroyi
Distribution: These birds can be found in New Guinea including the offshore islands, Aru islands, and northern and eastern Australia. It has been introduced to other places including New Zealand, the Palau Islands, and Indonesia.
Description: Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are a full-sized cockatoo. They are primarily white with a yellow or "sulphur" colored crest on the top of their head. The underside of the wings and tail is also frequently tinged with yellow. Mature birds are about 48 cm (19 inches) in length. They are among the largest cockatoos. In many respects the Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo resembles the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Technically these two species would be referred to as 'superspecies', meaning two similar species that are geographically separated. Besides size, the Greater Sulphur-crested being a larger bird, there are a few other criteria used to identify them. The Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoos have a heavier, wider, and less protruding beak, their crest is usually narrower, and the bare skin around their eyes is much whiter. Birds that are called the 'Medium Sulphur-crested Cockatoo' are generally the Eleanora Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora, a subspecies of Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, though in earlier writings this term sometimes referred to larger individuals of the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Care and feeding: A roomy cage is required (minimum 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 3 ft. high) unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat. See About Cockatoos: Housing and About Cockatoos: Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors: In the wild Cockatoos are friendly and peaceful. They live together in flocks of 20 or more birds. They enjoy and require a lot of affection and attention. It is often recommended that they be kept in pairs so they will keep each other company. This can help to reduce the amount of time you will have to devote to an individual bird.
Breeding/Reproduction: See About Cockatoos: Breeding for Cockatoo breeding information.
Sexual differences: Hard to tell the sex of young birds. As they get older the iris of the females' eyes will develop a reddish color, the males' eyes will remain black. This is not always completely accurate so other means are necessary if you need to know "for sure" what sex a particular bird is.

Yorkshire Canary

"John Bull canary"

Family: Fringillidae

Scientific Name: Serinus canaria domesticus
Distribution: Research indicates that the the present day Yorkshire Canary has quite a diverse heritage. Its development dates back to the mid 1800's in England. It was first shown in 1870 in Yorkshire, thus its name. In 1894 the Yorkshire Canary Club was formed which approved the initial ideal type for this variety, but it was not until 1935 that the desired standards used today for this "type canary" were reached. The Yorkshire was developed from crossbreeding the common canary with the Lancashire, Norwich, and Belgian canaries to add such qualities as length, improved color and feather quality, vigor and stance. The Yorkshire Canary seen today is a large canary with an attentive bold bearing, excellent feathering, and a graceful distinctive outline.
Description: The "Gentleman of the Fancy" canaries, the Yorkshire Canary is a "type canary" bred for physical appearance rather than color or song. This is one of the largest of the canary types, reaching lengths of over 6 inches (15 cm), with the average being about 6 3/4 inches (17 cm). They are tall, slender and symmetrical; being broad across the upper body with a narrow waist and a bold alert stance The feathers are short, tight and silky. They can be found in colors of green, yellow, buff, cinnamon, and white.
Care and feeding: Like all canaries, the Yorkshire Canary enjoys wide open spaces so provide a roomy cage. Do to their size, they will need an even larger cage and nest box than other canaries, Provide a cage with vertical bars and small perches of different size for foot exercise. Have at least 1 perch set high in the cage for the canary to roost (sleep). The cage should be placed high, so the canary can look down on us so to speak. Canaries eat mainly canary seed and rape seed. Vitamin coated canary seed mixes are readily available at a pet store. Greens are also enjoyed and can be offered daily along with a little calcium in the form of a cuttlebone. They do like to bath, so should be offered a bird bath. Cage cleaning and toe nail trimming is about all the maintenance canaries need. See About Canaries: Housing and About Canaries: Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors: They are good-natured social creatures that do well when kept in cages or in aviaries. They are timid birds though and should not be housed with parakeets, lovebirds, or other hookbills that tend to be more aggressive birds by nature. Male canaries should be kept in a cage by themselves to ensure quality singing. Males can be territorial and pairing up with two male canaries in a cage can cause fights. In a spacious aviary canaries can generally be housed with other canaries, finches, and other hardbills.
Activities: Canaries do not require toys, mirrors or any other form of entertainment, a swing is all they need to keep themselves occupied. Most of the time, canaries are simply enjoyed for their beauty and singing. However, some canaries are allowed out of their cage to perch or are show canaries and therefore require taming or training. See About Canaries: Handling/Training for information on taming and training.
Breeding/Reproduction: Most canaries breed easily and readily if provided with quality food, lighting, secure surroundings, and conditioning. The Yorkshire Canary is relatively easy to breed and will readily rear their young. They are best bred in breeding cages.They lay their eggs in a nest. The female will lay 3 to 6 eggs, one per day. It is best to allow a hen to have only two clutches. See About Canaries: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Waterslager Canary

Belgian Waterslager Song Canary, Malinois Canary, Water Singer

Family: Fringillidae

Scientific Name: Serinus canaria domesticus

Distribution: One of the oldest breeds of canary, the Waterslager Canary is also known as the Belgian Waterslager Song Canary, Waterslager Song Canary, Malinois Canary, and Water Singer. Like the term Waterslager, all these common names are different representations of this bird and its characteristics. The term 'water' describes the distinct sound its song is noted for, while 'Belgian' indicates its country of origin, and 'Malinois' is drawn from a French named town in Belgium where dedicated fanciers developed this breed (in English it is Mechelen, Belgium). Originating in Belgium, one of the earliest accounts of this breed were included in a French travelogue in 1713 where the author describes observing this canary while stopping at the town of Malinois, Belgium. It has been most popular throughout its history in Europe, and is growing in popularity in the United States and Canada.
Description: The Waterslager Canary is bred for its song rather than its physical appearance or color, but it is a fair sized bird reaching lengths of about 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm). It has some distinctive traits to its head such as a larger more cone shaped beak and a sharper bite than other canaries, shiny bright black eyes, and when excited the feathers on the back of the head rise up giving it a bit of a crest. This canary has soft feathers and their colors are yellow and white, though in varying shades from pale to quite strong. Dark ticking is common and is usually accepted for show as long as it does not cover over a quarter of its plumage.
Care and feeding: Canaries like wide open spaces so provide a roomy cage. Provide a cage with vertical bars and small perches of different size for foot exercise. Have at least 1 perch set high in the cage for the canary to roost (sleep). The cage should be placed high, so the canary can look down on us so to speak. Canaries eat mainly canary seed and rape seed. Vitamin coated canary seed mixes are readily available at a pet store. Greens are also enjoyed and can be offered daily along with a little calcium in the form of a cuttlebone. They do like to bath, so should be offered a bird bath. Cage cleaning and toe nail trimming is about all the maintenance canaries need. See About Canaries: Housing and About Canaries: Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors: Canaries in general are good-natured social creatures that do well when kept in cages or in aviaries. However, the Waterslager Canary is not prone to being as sociable. They do not like to be handled and they do not particularly like the company of other canaries in the same room. All canaries are timid birds and should not be housed with parakeets, lovebirds, or other hookbills that tend to be more aggressive birds by nature. Male canaries should be kept in a cage by themselves to ensure quality singing. Males can be territorial and pairing up with two male canaries in a cage can cause fights. Older males do not even do well in flight cages or aviaries and are best housed separately.
Activities: Canaries do not require toys, mirrors or any other form of entertainment, a swing is all they need to keep themselves occupied. Most of the time, canaries are simply enjoyed for their beauty and singing. However, some canaries are allowed out of their cage to perch or are show canaries and therefore require taming or training. For singing contests the Waterslager Canary requires training. They are trained to sing well defined song segments, called 'tours. They can be trained either from listening to another perfect adult singer or from a recording. As they are also quite adept at mimicry, If they develop any faults in the song they must immediately be removed from any other birds being trained. See About Canaries: Handling/Training for information on taming and training.
Breeding/Reproduction: Most canaries breed easily and readily if provided with quality food, lighting, secure surroundings, and conditioning. They are best bred in breeding cages.They lay their eggs in a nest. The female will lay 3 to 6 eggs, one per day. It is best to allow a hen to have only two clutches. The Waterslager Canary is a more difficult bird to breed, though the males are often better parents than females. In general these birds have a hard time settling down especially if there are other birds around. They will not always sit the eggs, are not always good feeders, and can be prone to severely plucking their young. See About Canaries: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Spanish Timbrado Canary

Family: Fringillidae

Name: Serinus canaria domesticus

Distribution: One of the newest breeds, the Spanish Timbrado Canary began to be bred by an organized breeders' association in the 1940's and 1950's in Spain. Being bred for a very loud very clear metallic sound with bell tones, the most common meaning of the name 'timbrado' is the ringing of an old-fashioned doorbell. The first rules of standard for this bird were established in about 1963, but have been updated at least three times since then.
Description: Though the Spanish Timbrado Canary is classified as a "song canary", it is also bred for appearance which can vary widely depending on where an individual bird is from.
Most Timbrados will reach a length of just over 5 inches (12.7 cm). As they are judged in shows for their appearance as well as their song, they need to be compact and robust looking, the chest must be wide, and the feet very short. The feathers need to be tight and the tail v-shaped but not too long. Their coloring is often closer to that of the wild canary, being greenish, but they are also found in yellow, white, cinnamon, and variegated. There can be no frilling or red coloring in its plumage.
Care and feeding: Canaries like wide open spaces so provide a roomy cage. Provide a cage with vertical bars and small perches of different size for foot exercise. Have at least 1 perch set high in the cage for the canary to roost (sleep). The cage should be placed high, so the canary can look down on us so to speak. Canaries eat mainly canary seed and rape seed. Vitamin coated canary seed mixes are readily available at a pet store. Greens are also enjoyed and can be offered daily along with a little calcium in the form of a cuttlebone. They do like to bath, so should be offered a bird bath. Cage cleaning and toe nail trimming is about all the maintenance canaries need. See About Canaries: Housing and About Canaries: Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors: Canaries are good-natured social creatures that do well when kept in cages or in aviaries. They are timid birds though and should not be housed with parakeets, lovebirds, or other hookbills that tend to be more aggressive birds by nature. Male canaries should be kept in a cage by themselves to ensure quality singing. Males can be territorial and pairing up with two male canaries in a cage can cause fights. In a spacious aviary canaries can generally be housed with other canaries, finches, and other hardbills.
Activities: Canaries do not require toys, mirrors or any other form of entertainment, a swing is all they need to keep themselves occupied. Most of the time, canaries are simply enjoyed for their beauty and singing. However, some canaries are allowed out of their cage to perch or are show canaries and therefore require taming or training. For singing contests the Spanish Timbrado Canary requires training. They are trained to sing well defined song segments called 'tours, and Timbrados can be taught to sing on cue. They can be trained either from listening to another perfect adult singer or from a recording. As they are also quite adept at mimicry, If they develop any faults in the song they must immediately be removed from any other birds being trained. See About Canaries: Handling/Training for information on taming and training.
Breeding/Reproduction: The Spanish Timbrado Canary is generally easy to breed. Most canaries breed easily and readily if provided with quality food, lighting, secure surroundings, and conditioning. Breeding season for most canaries is usually from December to April. They are best bred in breeding cages.They lay their eggs in a nest. The female will lay 3 to 6 eggs, one per day. It is best to allow a hen to have only two clutches. See About Canaries: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Lizard Canary

Family: Fringillidae
Scientific Name: Serinus canaria domesticus

Distribution: The Lizard Canary originated in France in the 1700's. Though never extremely popular in Europe they were in no danger of disappearing, until the 1900's. Severely threatened with the advent of two world wars along with disease epidemics, their numbers were reduced to about only 40 birds. In 1945 the Lizard Canary Association of Great Britain was formed with the intent of re-establishing these birds, serious breeders selling birds only to other serious breeders. Today the Lizard Canary thrives and is one of most popular "type canaries" available.
Description: The Lizard Canary reaches about 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) in length. The characteristic scale pattern of the Lizard, known as 'spangling, is the most important aspect of these birds for show. Spangling consists of a series of black crescent-shaped spots running in even uniform rows down their backs. Besides their characteristic feather pattern, the Lizard Canary is distinguished by a yellow 'cap' of color on its head. The cap is also very important for show. A nice oval full-cap starts at the beak and extends to the base of the head. A broken-cap is irregularly interspersed with dark feathers and if there is a predominance of dark feathers it is referred to as a non-cap. These birds are available with either a ground color of yellow known as a 'gold', a ground of buff known as a 'silver', or with a red ground.
Care and feeding: Canaries like wide open spaces so provide a roomy cage. Provide a cage with vertical bars and small perches of different size for foot exercise. Have at least 1 perch set high in the cage for the canary to roost (sleep). The cage should be placed high, so the canary can look down on us so to speak. Canaries eat mainly canary seed and rape seed. Vitamin coated canary seed mixes are readily available at a pet store. Greens are also enjoyed and can be offered daily along with a little calcium in the form of a cuttlebone. They do like to bath, so should be offered a bird bath. Cage cleaning and toe nail trimming is about all the maintenance canaries need. See About Canaries: Housing and About Canaries: Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors: They are good-natured social creatures that do well when kept in cages or in aviaries. They are timid birds though and should not be housed with parakeets, lovebirds, or other hookbills that tend to be more aggressive birds by nature. Male canaries should be kept in a cage by themselves to ensure quality singing. Males can be territorial and pairing up with two male canaries in a cage can cause fights. In a spacious aviary canaries can generally be housed with other canaries, finches, and other hardbills.
Activities: Canaries do not require toys, mirrors or any other form of entertainment, a swing is all they need to keep themselves occupied. Most of the time, canaries are simply enjoyed for their beauty and singing. However, some canaries are allowed out of their cage to perch or are show canaries and therefore require taming or training. See About Canaries: Handling/Training for information on taming and training.
Breeding/Reproduction: The Lizard Canary is a very free breeder. Most canaries breed easily and readily if provided with quality food, lighting, secure surroundings, and conditioning. Breeding season for most canaries is usually from December to April. They are best bred in breeding cages.They lay their eggs in a nest. The female will lay 3 to 6 eggs, one per day. It is best to allow a hen to have only two clutches. Breeders will normally breed a full-cap Lizard Canary to a broken-cap. See About Canaries: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Queen of Bavaria Conure

Golden Conure ~ Golden Parakeet
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: Aratinga guarouba, (recently renamed to:Guaruba guarouba)

Distribution:
The Queen of Bavaria Conure or Golden Conure is found in a remote area of northeastern Brazil. They have long been known to naturalists. A Dr. Greene is said to have described this bird as the Golden Parrot in a writing in 1887, and he advises that there was a specimen in the London Zoo since 1871. They were first bred in Sri Lanka in 1939, and in the United States in 1945.
Due to the destruction of thousands of acres of jungle, their native habitat has been drastically reduced. Today they are extremely rare and are protected. Even in captivity there are limited numbers and their status is very fragile. Keeping them in captive breeding programs has taken precedence hopefully with the aim of precluding any further need to collect them from the wild.

Description:
The Queen of Bavaria Conure or Golden Conure, a small member of the parrot family, is considered the most beautiful of the conures. They are a brilliant golden yellow with only the lower portion of the wings being green. They rather resemble a small macaw with a beak and head that is quite large, though they have a relatively short tail. The eye is brown surrounded by a naked white eye ring. The beak is a pale horn color and the legs are a light pink.
The young have green feathers in the plumage and the yellow is duller. They are fully feathered by 18 months of age.

Size - Weight:
The Queen of Bavaria Conure or Golden Conure will reach up to 14 inches (35.5 cm) and weigh 8.8 ozs (249 g).

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of sprouts, seeds, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.
See About Conures: Housing and About Conures: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
In the wild they were at one time seen in pairs or small groups of up to about 60 birds, though today fewer birds are seen. They love to play, especially climbing and chewing. They can also be rather noisy.

Breeding/Reproduction:
They breed readily in captivity and are not overly fussy about their nest, though they get quite aggressive to their keeper while breeding. If they lose their mate they are unlikely to pair with another.
The female lays 3 to 4 eggs which are incubated for about 25 days. The young fledge (leave the nest) after about 10 weeks though the parents continue to feed them for some time after that.

Nanday Conure

Black-hooded Parakeet - Aratinga nenday or Nandayus nenday
Family: Psittacidae

Scientific Name: Nandayus nenday
Syn: Aratinga nenday

Distribution:
The Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet is native to southeastern Bolivia, southern Mato Grosso, northern Argentina, Chaco Formosa, and Paraguay. It is also been introduced in North America with colonies reported in the southern and eastern parts of the United States.

Description:
The head is black, along with the cheeks and throat, which looks like a cap. The rest of the body is green, the throat and breast are blue, and the feet are red.

Size - Weight:
Mature birds are about 11-12 inches long and weigh 5.2 ounces.

Care and feeding:
The main diet of the Nanday Conure or Black-hooded Parakeet should primarily be nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. A commercially prepared pelleted diet can also be beneficial.

See About Conures: Housing and About Conures: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
Wild conures are friendly and peaceful. They live together in large flocks, often with monk parakeets.

Activities: Loves to climb and play. Provide lots of toys

Breeding/Reproduction:

Nanday Conures are sexually mature at three years of age. The hen will lay two to six eggs which incubate for 24-26 days. The cock usually sits on or near the nesting box. The parents should be fed food that is enriched with calcium and mineral supplements.

Half-Moon Conure

Orange-fronted Conure
Family: Psittacidae

Scientific Name: Aratinga canicularis

Orange-fronted Conure Subspecies (3):

• Petz' Conure
  Aratinga canicularis canicularis
• Half-Moon Conure
  Aratinga canicularis eburnirostrum
• Aratinga canicularis clarae

Distribution:
Though Half-Moon Conure is native to southwestern Mexico, the other two species of Orange-fronted Conure range in western Central America from Sinaloa, Mexico, south to western Costa Rico.

Description:
The Half-Moon Conure has a narrow frontal orange band that extends down to the lores and a forecrown that is blue. They look very much like the other Orange-fronted Conures though a tad bit larger than the Petz' Conure, and they have a brown spot on each side of the base of the lower mandible. They are also similar in appearance to the Peach-fronted Conure but have a macaw-like beak that is horn colored.
They have a generally green plumage with a greenish-yellow underside and yellow to olive-yellow under the wings and tail. The outer parts of the wings are blue. Like the macaws they have a naked eye ring. Their eye ring is a dull orange-yellow and the iris is pale yellow. Juveniles have a brown iris and the orange frontal band is narrower. Females also have a narrower frontal band.
Like most conures of this size, they have an average life span of about 30 years and possible longer.

Size - Weight:
These birds get up to 9.5" (24 cm) and 2.6 ozs. (74 g). Generally a little larger than the Petz' Conure which is about 2.5 ozs. (71 g).

Care and feeding:
Half-Moon Conures are not as destructive as many of the others conures, and can easily be housed is a lighter weight cage such as a cockatiel cage. A roomy cage is appreciated unless the bird is to be let out for periods of exercise and play.
In the wild many of the Orange-fronted Conures eat figs, seeds, nuts, berries, and blossoms, but the Half-Moon Conure has been observed to feed mostly on fruits, so much so that their feathers are often found to be sticky. In captivity these birds will eat an avian pelleted diet as well as a wide variety of fruits. They are not as quick to bathe as most conures. Offer them a bath, or if they are not interested in that give them a misting of warm water with a spray bottle or in the shower or sink about every other week.

See About Conures: Housing and About Conures: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:

All Orange-fronted Conures are social birds and live in fairly large flocks in the wild (up to about 80 birds) for a good part of the year. During mating season however, they pair up and live alone or with a few other pairs. They love to play and will preen each other during resting periods.

Activities:
They love to climb and play. Provide lots of toys. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch.

Breeding/Reproduction:
In their natural environment these birds nest in termite mounds, digging out a long upward climbing entry that then makes a sharp turn into a cavity dug out in the middle of the mound. They have been observed to use the natural hollow of a tree when termite mounds are not available, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Captive breeding is a bit more difficult than with other conures because of their preferred natural nesting place, but they are being successfully bred.
Though these birds will need to be either DNA or surgically sexed for a certain determination, the females will generally have a narrower frontal band.
The hen lays three to five eggs, one every other day, which are then incubated for about 30 days. The female broods the eggs and does the Initial feeding when the hatchlings are first born. The male then gradually takes over the feeding. The young fledge (leave the nest) after about six weeks. A nest box size should be 13" x 10" x 10" with an entrance hole about 3.25" in diameter.

Austral Conure

Magellan Conure
Family: Psittacidae

Scientific Name: Enicognathus ferrugineus ferrugineus

Subspecies:

• Austral Conure/ Magellan Conure
  Enicognathus ferrugineus ferrugineus
• Chilean Conure
  Enicognathus ferrugineus minor
  The Chilean Conure E. ferrugineus minor, is also from southwestern Argentina and Chili, though is generally found farther north.
  It is better known and a more readily available conure than the Austral Conure. It is a bit smaller than the Austral Conure, being 13 1/5" (34 cm), and is somewhat darker. It also has a darker head band and the belly patch often times disappears in the darker birds. The Chilean Conure also lays smaller clutches of eggs than its larger cousin.

Distribution:
They originate from southern South America in lower Argentina and Chile. The Austral Conure is one of only two species in the Ericognatus genus. Along with the Slender-billed Conure Enicognathus leptorhynchus they are the most southerly distributed of all parrots.

Description:
Also known as the Magellan Conure, the Austral Conure belongs to the parrot family. The plumage is mainly green with darkly edged feathers giving it a barred appearance. They have a forehead and eye stripe that are a dull reddish brown and the crown is slightly tinged with blue, There is a reddish brown patch on the belly and the outer wings are green tinged with blue along the edge.The tail is brownish red tipped with green. The beak is brown/black and the iris is reddish brown. On juveniles, the red markings on the forehead and the abdomen are duller and less extensive.

Size - Weight:
A mature Austral Conure is about 13 3/4 " (37 cm) long and weighs 4.9 ounces (139 g). The slightly smaller Chilean Conure is about 13 1/3" (34 cm).

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. A night shelter is recommended for this conure and will be greatly appreciated. A good sleeping box size is 24" x 19 1/2" x 17 34" (60x50x45 cm). The Austral Conure is also sensitive to drafts and drops in temperature.
In the wild Austral Conures eat seed, fruits, berries, leaf buds, bulbous roots, grass seed, and acorns. They are seen in farmer's fields when the crops are ripening and have been know to cause considerable damage to farmlands from their feeding on the ripened grains.
The Austral's main diet should primarily be seeds, fruits, and vegetables. A commercially prepared avian pelleted diet can also be beneficial. Because they like to forage seed on the ground, sprinkling additional seed on the cage bottom or the aviary floor is pleasing to them.

See About Conures: Housing and About Conures: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
Wild conures are friendly and peaceful. They live together in groups of 20 or more birds and seldom fight with each other. The Austral Conure is no exception and can be seen in flocks from as few as 10 birds to flocks of over 100 birds.

Breeding/Reproduction:
In their natural environment, the Austral Conure nests in a tree hollow. The female lays quite a large clutch of four to seven eggs which are incubated for 21 to 27 days. The young leave the nest at six to eight weeks.
The Chilean Conure has a smaller clutch and will lay between two to six eggs.

Ringneck Dove

Family: Columbidae
Scientific Name: Streptopelia risoria

Distribution:
There are seven species of 'ringnecks' and they are members of a group commonly called the Turtle Doves.
This domestic ringneck is classified as Streptopelia risoria. Although its true origin is unknown, the ringneck is generally thought to be descended from the African Ring Dove or African Collared Dove Streptopelia roseogrisea.
It had been kept for over 2000 years, brought to Europe in the second half of the sixteenth century from Sudan. Described by Linnaeus in 1756 as Columba risoria, it is only known to exist as a domesticated bird.

Description:
The Ringneck Dove is a small bird, about 12" from head to tail. They will live an average 10 - 15 years, though some may live over 25 years.
Originally whites and blonds (fawns) were the only two known colors of Ringneck Doves in the United States. In the 1960's breeders began experimenting and through selective breeding have developed a large number of varieties. Today there are over 40 color mutations/combinations acknowledged by Dove Associations and new color variations are emerging constantly. The first dominant gene caused color mutation was the tangerine.

Care and feeding:
Suitable housing for a Ringneck Dove would be a large cockatiel cage along with some flight time outside the cage. A pair can be kept and bred in a cage as small as 2 feet square. Cages that are longer and wider are more important than tall cages, as these birds flutter around and do not climb. Males tend to be quarrelsome with other males so keep pairs housed alone.
They are quite hardy. If they are kept outdoors and are accustomed to cold weather, they can take below freezing temperatures for a short period of time.
Ringneck Doves are very clean birds and love to bathe. They will enjoy either a bath in a large bowl of water or a shower, a misting with a light spray of clean water.
A commercial dove and pigeon mix or a regular parakeet seed mix supplemented with greens rich in minerals, vitamins, and calcium is a fine diet. Ringneck Doves love treats. They not only enjoy their greens, but will also enjoy spray millet and such things as crumbled cornmeal and bread. Grit is essential as Ringneck Doves swallow their food whole, and it helps grind up the food. Oyster shell or even cuttlebone can be added for calcium and is important for egg layers.
See About Doves & Pigeons: Housing and About Doves & Pigeons: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
They are good-natured social creatures that do well when kept in cages or in aviaries. They can be rather territorial however, and will need plenty of personal space. They can be easily tamed with very little effort. They form permanent pairs and mates do well if kept together.
See About Doves & Pigeons: Social Behaviors for more information on social behaviors of doves and pigeons.

Activities:
If kept in a cage, they should be let out daily for some free time to exercise. They are not known to be strong fliers and will be content to just flutter here and there and then will quickly settle down.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Ringneck Doves are easy to breed, but are not usually community breeders unless there is a lot of room. They will do best in their own cage and it can be relatively small. They are rather flimsy nest builders so it is best to provide them with an open nesting container.
They can be bred as early as 6 months of age. They will lay two eggs which hatch after about 14 days. The young will stay in the nest for about 4 weeks or so. The parents can lay a new clutch of eggs every six weeks but this is very unhealthy for the birds. It is recommended that they only produce 3 to 5 clutches a year. You can remove the nesting materials or separate the birds to control this.
See About Doves & Pigeons: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Zebra Finches

Family: Estrildidae
Scientific name: Poephila guttata castanotis
Learn more about the Zebra "Family", the Estrildidae Finches here: Finch Families

Description:
Zebra Finches reach a size of 4" (10 cm). Their normal, or "wild" color contains quite a lot of distinctly colored areas. Males have a light gray crown and neck, Their lores and cheeks are white set off with two black vertical lines and they have a rusty red patch on the sides of their head. The crop and throat are silvery with black cross barring, and just below that is a black breast front. The lower body is white while the side is reddish with white round dots.
The female is similar, though not quite as colorful as the male, The sides of her head, throat, crop and upper breast are gray, and the sides of her body are mouse gray. A male's beak is a reddish orange and the female's is usually lighter.
Today, with selective breeding, you can find Zebra Finches in a variety of colors and patterns that include pied, fawn and white.

Distribution:
Zebra Finches are naturally wild in over 90% of Australia.

Care and Feeding:
Fresh food and water must be provided daily. A good finch seed mix will provide their everyday need of grass seeds and millets and is readily available at a pet store. In a treat cup you can occasionally offer supplements of bread moistened with milk, oranges, diced hard boiled eggs, even seed moistened with cod liver oil and powdered with yeast to provide a high fat protein and vitamin D. Some green foods you can offer sparingly include lettuce, spinach, and celery tops. Finch treats of seed with honey, fruits and vegetables are fun for your bird too, as well as nutritious!
Grit with charcoal is essential to aid in digestion and it contains valuable minerals and trace elements. Grit should be provided in a special cup or sprinkled over the bottom of the cage floor. Provide a cuttlebone because the calcium it provides will give your bird a firm beak, strong eggshells when breeding, and will prevent egg binding. The lime in the cuttlebone also aids in digestion.
Give your Zebra Finch a bath daily or as often as possible. A bath dish that is 1" deep with a 1/2" of water, or a clip on bath house is also very important as they love to bathe.
Their nails will occasionally need to be trimmed, but be careful never to clip into the vein as the bird can quickly bleed to death. Bird nail trimmers and styptic powder to stop the bleeding are available at pet shops.

Zebra Finches With Albino Coloration

Photo: Exotic Tropicals

Housing:
Zebra Finches have a great need for movement. A cage with horizontal space for flight is better than a vertical cage, 28" (70 cm) long and 20" (50 cm) high is ideal. Place the cage where it is well ventilated though free from drafts, and against a wall at eye level. It should have good light but be away from doors and windows where direct exposure to sunlight can make it overly warm.
Provide two or three good softwood perches about 3/8" to 3/4" in diameter. Tree branches of a similar size also make good perches and will help to wear the claws down naturally. Provide separate dishes for food, water, treats, and grit. Place paper on the cage bottom that can be sprinkled with grit, or use a grit paper. Zebra Finches prefer a closed place to sleep at night. Hollow coconuts or enclosed wicker nests work nicely.
Zebra Finches also do very well in aviaries or bird rooms. The screening should be 3/8" square mesh. Dishes for food, water, grit and bathing water must be included along with perches and nests. Zebra Finches will roost in nest boxes even when they are not breeding. Plants that are not poisonous, such as fruit trees, privet, forsythia, and honeysuckle bushes will make the space more enjoyable for the finches.

Maintenance:
Although finches require very little time, a clean environment as well as fresh food and water daily is a must to prevent disease and illness. The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Every two to three days change the paper on the bottom of the cage and sprinkle it with about 1/8" of fresh grit. Weekly wash and dry the entire cage, including the perches.

Social Behaviors:
Zebra Finches will come to know you and trust you, but they will not become intimate. Because Zebra Finches naturally live in flocks they are very social and should be kept in pairs, not singly. However if you keep several pairs, they will pluck each other if they are overcrowded. If you wish to mix bird types, they are best kept with other finches from the Estrildidae family with similar requirements.

Handling/Training:
Finches are simply enjoyed for their antics and play rather than training. When you need to handle your finch to examine it or clip it's nails, place your palm on it's back and wrap your fingers around the bird with your thumb and forefinger on either side of it's head. Finches rarely bite, and even if they do, they do not have a harmful or dangerous bite.

Activities:
Zebra Finches are active, flittering around and twittering most of the day with a few short quiet periods. They love to bathe and then preen themselves and others.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Zebra Finches breed readily, even in small cages. They will display mating behaviors all year long, such as selecting nesting sites, collecting materials, and courting.The size of a breeding cage should be at least one square foot of floor space per bird. Nest boxes should be about 4"x 4"x 4" (10 x 10 x 10 cm). Provide two nest boxes per pair of birds mounted as high as possible and separated from the next two pair of boxes. Also provide lots of soft nesting materials. The male does most of the nest building.
Breeders must be at least 9 months old to prevent eggbinding and immature parents. They can be bred as single pairs or with three or more pairs and no odd birds without a mate. Two pairs will fight for dominance.
The female will lay a clutch of 4 to 6 eggs. The male and female will alternate sitting on the eggs and they will hatch in 12 to 14 days. Both parents will feed the hatchlings. At this time provide fresh sprouts daily, and soft foods such as bread soaked in milk, hard boiled egg, or grated carrot. Banding should be done on the 12th day.
The young leave the nest about 4 weeks after they hatch and in 5 to 6 weeks will be on their own.

Green-naped Rainbow Lorikeet

Family: Psittacidae Subamily: Loriinae
Scientific name: Trichoglossus haematodus

Description:
The Green-naped Rainbow Lorikeet is one of the most colorful members of the parrot family. It is almost impossible to tell the difference between a lorikeet and a lory although some say the lorikeet has a longer tail than the lori. Also, the lorikeet has a pointed tail while the lori's tail is rounded. The lorikeets and the lorys have a "brushlike" tongue that is used for eating fruits, flowers, nectars, and pollens. There are at least 21 different kinds of Green-naped Lorikeets.

Care and feeding:
The lorikeet's main diet consists of nectar and fruit. They can eat some greens and some seed. Special diets which can be purchased at most pet stores have been formulated to feed the bird in either a wet form as a nectar or in a dry form as a powder. Make sure you have water near the powder, if that is what you are feeding, so the bird can take drinks while eating. Fresh fruit or unsweetened canned fruit should be fed regularly.

Distribution:
Northern and eastern parts of Australia, and also the islands north and east of Australia.

Size - Weight:
Reaches up to 10 inches in length including the tail.

Social Behaviors:
In the wild they spend most of their time in flocks.

Physical characteristics:
Very colorful, from 6-11 inches including the tail. The sub-adults have a dark brown beak and brown irises. The beak turns red as they mature. Life span is 15 or more years, they mature at 1-2 years.

Housing:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. A cage guard is a good idea since their droppings are a sticky fluid which ends up outside the cage.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Lorikeets are easily bred. Although they are not easy to sex, once they are established, they nest freely.

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: Ara macao

Description:
Scarlet Macaws are a full sized macaw that are very colorful. They look like a rainbow starting with the head and shoulders a deep red changing to yellow about mid body, and finally blue and green on the lower part of the body and wings. The tail turns back to the deep red.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution:
The Scarlets' natural habitat runs from eastern Panama in Central America south across northern South America, east of the Andes, to Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

Size - Weight:
A full sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Lengths up to 85 cm (33.5 inches).

Social Behaviors:
They are a typical macaw. Can be cranky at times and may be a one person bird or somtimes develop a liking for only men or women.

Breeding/Reproduction:
The usual clutch consists of two or three eggs which incubate for about 28 days. The babies will fledge after about 3 months in the nest. Feed the parents plenty of greenstuffs, corn-on-the-cob, carrots, and fruit laced with food supplement while they are rearing the youngsters.

Sexual differences: No visible differences.

Shamrock Macaw

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: hybrid, (Cross between Ara macao and Ara militaris).

Description:
Shamrock Macaws are a very colorful hybrid Macaw. A Shamrock macaw is a cross between a Military and a Scarlet macaw. Otono is a full size Macaw and has learned to speak several phrases including: hello, hello love, goodbye, pretty bird, and "how are ya".

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution: These birds are not found in the wild.

Size - Weight:
A full sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Otono weighs 1.75 lbs.

Social Behaviors:
They don't exist in the wild. In captivity they socialize and bond closely with one person but do well in a family situation also.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Because it is a hybrid it is generally not bred

Miligold Macaw

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: hybrid, (Cross between Ara ararauna and Ara militaris).

Description:
Miligold Macaws, being a cross between a Blue and Gold Macaw and a Military Macaw, can have a very pleasing coloration. Both parents of the Miligold Macaw contribute to the striking colors of their offspring, though the father's have the dominant gene and this will influence their final appearance.
Some of the characteristics seen in this bird are the blues of the Blue and Gold being tempered on the Miligold to a more greener aquamarine, with the outer wings retaining blue flight feathers. The head can resemble the coloring of the blue and gold, though with more greens. It can also have the the red lore of the Military Macaw.
The best way to be certain which bird is the father, however, is to ask at the time you obtain your bird.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution: These birds are not found in the wild.

Size - Weight:
The Miligold Macaw is a full sized macaw, however they will tend to be on the smaller side due to their Military Macaw parentage. Lengths can range from 27" up to 34" (70 - 86 cm).

Social Behaviors:
They don't exist in the wild. In captivity they socialize and bond closely with one person but do well in a family situation also

Breeding/Reproduction:
This is a hybrid and it use to be that they were generally not bred, however the breeding of hybrids is becoming more common.

Milicinth Macaw

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: hybrid
Cross between: Ara militaris and Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus).

Description:
Milicinth Macaws are a beautiful blue-green macaw, pulling these beautiful colors from their parentage. The Hyacinth Macaw contributes the rich blues and they pick up the greens from the handsome Military Macaw. In the mating pair, the Male has the dominate gene.
They are a full size Macaw. From their heritage they can be very loving and gentle, have the potential to learn to perform tricks, and may even say a few words or expressions.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch.
In the wild, their parent species eat a variety of palm nuts, fruits, and seeds. A Hyacinth Macaw will eat mainly raw nuts. Provide your Milicinth Macaw with nuts and a good parrot mix which includes; formulated diets, seeds, dried fruits and nuts. Nuts you can provide them include Brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias, filberts, almonds, and hazel nuts. They will also like fresh coconut. They may also be offered fruits and vegetables. For good strong development, babies will need a high fat content in the hand-feeding formula.

See About Macaws: Housing and About Macaws: Care and Feeding for more information.

Distribution:
This is a hybrid not found in the wilds.

Size - Weight:
The Milicinth Macaw is a full sized macaw. With the smaller Military Macaw reaching up to 27" (75 cm) and the Hyacinth Macaw at 39" (100 cm), they will reach a size somewhere in the middle.

Social Behaviors:
They are a typical macaw. Can be cranky at times and may even be a one person bird or only like men or women unless well socialized with lots or folks.

See About Macaws: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded friendly macaw. (Also information on handling and activities)

Breeding/Reproduction:
Because it is a hybrid it is generally not bred.

Sexual differences: No visible differences.

Maui Sunset Macaw

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: hybrid - (Cross between Ara ararauna and Ara rubrogenys).

Description:
Maui Sunset Macaws look just like their name, as if colored by a soft sunset. A Maui Sunset Macaw is a cross between a Blue and Gold Macaw and a Red-fronted Macaw.
Both parents of the Maui Sunset Macaw contribute to the colors of their offspring, though the father's have the dominant gene and this will influence their final appearance. Mariah's father is a Blue and Gold Macaw, with the mother being the Red-fronted Macaw. Sired by a Blue and Gold Macaw you can see the strong yellow frontal area. This is tempered by the red of the Red-fronted Macaw, and the red on the legs is also like that the mother. The naked facial area and lore is influenced by the Blue and Gold.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution:
This is a hybrid not found in the wilds.

Size - Weight:
Though a full sized macaw, the Red-fronted Macaw is the smallest of the large macaws. Therefore the offspring could vary quite a bit in size ranging from 24 - 34" (61 - 86 cm) though most likely on the smaller side.

Social Behaviors:
The Maui Sunset Macaw has awesome parents. The Blue and Gold Macaw characteristics make for the best all around personality and a good speaking ability. Add to that the sweet affectionate temperment of the Red-fronted Macaw and you have a wonderful bird.
Macaws are affectionate, inquisitive, and intelligent. They make them a great companion not only for a single person but when well socialized are friendly with everyone, even other birds.

Breeding/Reproduction:
This is a rare hybrid and due to the delicate situation of the Red-fronted Macaw (being severely threatened with extinction) it is not suggested that there be intended breeding of this hybrid. It is very important that the Red-fronted Macaws become firmly established themselves.

Jubilee Macaw

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: hybrid
Cross between: Harlequin Macaw (Ara ararauna and Ara chloroptera) and
Green-winged Macaw (Ara chloroptera)

Description:
The breeders of these younsters call them "Jubilee Macaws", as they could find no other know common names assigned to this hybrid up to this time.

Care and feeding:

A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution:
This is a hybrid not found in the wilds.

Size - Weight:
A full sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Lengths up to 86 cm (34 inches).

Social Behaviors:
The Jubilee typically takes on the natural docile side of the Green-winged with some of the natural clownish personality of the Harlequin Macaw (the word harlequin is defined as 'clown').

Breeding/Reproduction:
This is a hybrid and it use to be that they were generally not bred, however the breeding of hybrids is becoming more common.

Illiger's Macaw

Blue-winged Macaw ~ Illiger's Miniature Macaw
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: Ara maracana

Distribution:
The range of the Illiger's Macaw or Blue-winged Macaw extends from central and eastern Brazil, through Paraguay, and into northeast Argentina. Although they have a very large range, their populations are declining and they are seriously endangered.
They inhabit a variety of forests and woodlands along waterways and in arid savannahs. Sometimes they are seen foraging in grain or maize fields as their own habitats are destroyed by deforestation.

Description:

Size - Weight:

Mature birds are about 17 inches (43 cm) long from the head to the tip of the tail.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. To accommodate their love of flight, Illiger's Macaw pairs do nicely in an outdoor aviary of 9 x 5 x 5 x 6 feet, with an indoor shelter.
In the wild they feed on locally available fruits; especially palm nut fruits, seeds, nuts and blossoms in tree tops and bushes as well as foraging in grain or maize fields. In captivity they will eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat. lliger's Macaws should be fed a wide variety of food, combined to offer a well balanced diet.
When eating, they will pick up food in their claws and eat it. They can be quite finicky and sometimes will not eat food they are bored with.

See About Macaws: Housing and About Macaws: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
Illiger's Macaws are lovable, friendly, and intelligent. They will affectionately greet you with a crow-like call when anticipating interaction with you. They will also mirror your moods, so if you are agitated, they can become agitated. If you are happy and loving, well so is your pet.
In the wild they they are usually seen in pairs or small parties. The Illiger's Macaw gets along very well with other birds. They are very social and enjoy the company of their flock or of a mate. Kept as a pair they will be much happier. Having a constant companion that can keep up with their quick minds and movements helps avoid depression and loneliness that a single bird without ongoing stimulation can develop. Together they can playfully chase each other from perch to perch across the aviary, trying to outwit each other with cleverness.

See About Macaws: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded friendly macaw.

Activities:
Loves to climb and play. Provide lots of toys. This macaw is very active and needs room to stretch its wings. In flight, Illiger's Macaws are quite creative, soaring, diving, dropping, and flitting about the aviary. To prevent boredom it is important that they be given plenty of toys to play with and chew. Wooden chew toys are usually a hit with this species.

Breeding/Reproduction:

The female will lay 1 to 4 eggs, which will incubate for 23 - 25 days. The young will fledge in about 10 - 12 weeks. Young birds should be removed from the parents as older pairs may severely pluck them.

Baby Illiger's Macaws are difficult to hand-feed from an early age, so if you are inexperienced it may be best to allow the parents to feed them for the first few weeks. When hand-feeding, the young will need a high fat diet and do well with additional protein added to the the hand-feeding formula. Peanut butter or ground sunflower seeds work well. Also, to keep them tame they must be frequently handled.
Illiger's Macaws are listed as highly endangered species, so every effort should be taken to breed them whenever pairing is possible.

For more information on breeding, see About Macaws: Breeding/Reproduction.

Hyacinth Macaw

Hyacinthine Macaw
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus

Distribution:
The Hyacinth Macaw originates in South America and its habitat is primarily in Brazil, eastern Bolivia and Paraguay. There is disagreement as to what the Hyacinth Macaw's natural habitat is. Some say the rainforest while others say they seem to prefer large open areas to the rainforest. They are also seen in marches or where palms are found.
They were first spotted in 1790 and then introduced to civilization in 1916. Hyacinth Macaws were immediately popular because of their affectionate nature and entertaining ability. There became a great demand for this macaw. Because of deforestation its numbers were being reduced in the wild and now their numbers became even further reduced as individuals hunted them for pets.
Today, it is estimated that their numbers have been reduced to between 2,000 – 5,000 in the wild. They are on the Endangered Species list and have been since 1988. There are conservation efforts for the Hyacinth Macaw which has some measure of success and they are also being successfully bred within the United States and other countries.

Description:
The Hyacinth Macaw is the largest of the macaws measuring often three and one-half feet in length with a wingspan of close to five feet.
They are an amazing cobalt blue, which is how they derived their name. They have a bright daffodil yellow circling the eye and on its facial skin running down both sides of the beak. The Hyacinth appears to smile. Their eyelashes are blue and the skin of the bird has a yellowish cast to it except for the feet. Their beak is quite large enabling them to meet their dietary requirements by cracking extremely hard nuts.

Size - Weight:
A full sized macaw, these birds are about 37 inches (95 cm) in length.

Care and feeding:
The Hyacinth has unique feeding requirements. In the wild the hard palm nut or fruit is the mainstay of its diet. They require a much higher fat diet than many macaws. Macadamia nuts are used as a main stable for this macaw’s diet as well as other nuts. Coconut is also desirable. Fresh fruits and vegetables, while a part of their diet, are a small part compared with other parrots. Pellet diets are said to not be appropriate for the Hyacinth as the high protein content can cause kidney problems. Many breeders no longer offer pellets to Hyacinths. In the wild they feed primarily on nuts, seeds and some berries. They do catch and eat a small amount of meat.
Food and water should be available to them at all times and human food or prepared foods removed from the cage after 4 hours.
Their cage should be kept clean and this is quite easy to do with the cage paper or newspaper under the grate and just pulled as needed. The cage should be wiped down with a disinfectant when needed to insure its cleanliness.
The water should be kept fresh and changed daily and the bowls should be kept clean.
See About Macaws: Care and Feeding for more information.

Environment:
A roomy cage is required for the Hyacinth Macaw, at least 3 x 4 feet (91 x 122 cm). Even in this size cage it is difficult for them to extend their wings. They will require a great deal of time outside of their cage in order to exercise and just move their wings. If you should decide to purchase one of the larger wire cages that have powder coated 8 gauge wire, you will loose your money. The Hyacinth Macaw can snap 8 gauge powder coated wires as easily as you can chew popcorn. A 3 gauge wire is strong enough to use for building a flight though it must be made secure through U-bolts and lock nuts. The Hyacinth Macaw is quite clever and if you can put it together, they can take it apart.
A variety of perches should be used of varying size and texture. Manzanita or Ribbonwood perches for the Hyacinths will most likely be needed because of the hardness of the wood. Doll rods should not be used. They are too small and too smooth. A rougher texture rather than smooth makes it easier for them to perch and is better for their feet and legs. A concrete perch should be placed as the highest perch in the cage and next to a toy. At times during the day, and usually to sleep, they will perch there and it will save them (and you) from the ordeal of having their nails filed.
They can tolerate a wide variety of temperatures from quite cold to very warm. However, they should be kept away from drafts. See About Macaws: Housing for more information.

Social Behaviors:
They desire contact with their human family. They bond very strongly and desire both affection and playful attention. In the wild these parrots associate in pairs within a small flock. As a pet in your home, you or members of your family are the other half of the pair and the small flock.
If you would like a companion that is very similar to a three year old child than this could be the parrot for you. Remember a three year old takes a great deal of time and one should not invest the money in the macaw unless you definitely intend to give freely of your time.
See About Macaws: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded friendly macaw.

Handling/Training :
The Hyacinth Macaw is eager for attention and play and because of its gentle and even disposition, it is easier than most parrots to handle and train. They’re eager to please and be with you. Usually, after the basic command of up they like to learn new things and respond well to additionally training. They love to be handled and can be very clownish in their play. They can take a few running steps and pounce and repeat this game for quite awhile. They are frequently on their backs anxious for play and a belly rub. Tag is fun and swinging from the chandelier is great fun.

Activities:
The Hyacinth Macaw loves to play and will require a variety of toys. Because of its size, its beak and playful disposition, many toys will be needed. They chew wood into very small pieces and the large macaw toys of wood will perhaps last a day or two. Possibly it would be better to purchase wood and color it on occasion.
Large macaw acrylic toys last a little awhile but certainly not a month. You can purchase or put together stainless steel toys buying parts from your local hardware store. Nuts strung with washers and then a lock bolt will make noise and is used as a dumbbell by the hyacinth. Metal cups or spoons are a good choice and you can put wholes in stainless steel bird bowels and place nuts and bolts through the holes. Stainless steel should be used. They enjoy the bird music boxes and stuffed animals. Never use rope.
The Hyacinth prefers to be around their human companion and although content to be on its perch they prefer to follow you around the house. If you are in another room they will frequently contact call to make sure you are still there. This requires a response from you to insure your child you will be back shortly. Their call is quite raucous and it would be best if you answered quickly.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Hyacinth Macaws are very bonded to their mate and share in the responsibilities of nest making and child rearing. The Hyacinths are very affectionate with their mate. They have been seen placing their wing around their mate and in some pretty heavy kissing sessions.
The Hyacinth Macaw will nest in holes in trees that already exist and just make the hole larger. Two eggs are normally laid and hatched in approximately 26 - 28 days. They wean while being hand fed at about 6 - 9 months.
A large nest box is required so they may lie vertically. Just wood should not be used as the Hyacinth can eat through it overnight. Even while sitting eggs, the female is so curious regarding events outside the nest box, she will frequently come out to see what is happening.
See About Macaws: Breeding/Reproduction for information on breeding.

Sexual differences: No visible differences.

Harlequin Macaw

Family: Psittacidae

Scientific Name: hybrid, (Cross between Ara ararauna and Ara chloroptera).

Description:
Harlequin Macaws are a very colorful Macaw. In the mating pair, the Male has the dominate gene. As you can see above Frida's breast color is orange, it's a bit more reddish-orange in color than Harlequins having the Blue & Gold as the father. They are a full size Macaw and can learn to talk with a general vocabulary of about 15 or more words or expressions.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

Distribution:
This is a hybrid not found in the wilds.

Size - Weight:
A full sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Lengths up to 86 cm (34 inches).

Social Behaviors:
The Harlequin typically takes on the natural docile side of the Green-winged and the natural clownish personality (the word harlequin is defined as 'clown') of the Blue and Gold.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Because it is a hybrid it is generally not bred.

Hahn's Macaw

Red-shouldered Macaw
Family: Psittacidae
Scientific name: Ara nobilis nobilis
or Diopsittaca nobilis nobilis

Description:
Red-shouldered Macaws are included in the group often called the mini-macaws. There are three subspecies of this macaw: the Hahn's Macaw A. n. nobilis or D. n. nobilis, the Noble Macaw A. n. cumanensis or D. n. cumanensis, and the Long-winged Macaw A. n. longipennis or D. n. longipennis.
Like the other small macaws they have predominantly green bodies. They have a blue crown and a tinge of blue on the lower edge of the wing. The bends of the wing are clearly marked with red, and thus the alternate name of Red-shoulder Macaw. They have a naked white patch around the eye, but it does not extend down into the cheek like the patch on the larger macaws, and their eyes are a dark orange.
The Hahn's Macaw is the smallest of the Red-shouldered Macaws reaching only about 12" (30 cm) while the Noble Macaw is a bit bigger and the Long-winged Macaw is the largest, with these last two reaching about 13"-14" (31-33 cm). The beak of the Hahn's Macaw is black, while the other two have a horn colored beak.
Juveniles have no blue on their head and no red on the bend of their wing, and their eyes are brown.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. In the wild they feed on seeds, berries, fruits, and blossoms in tree tops and bushes. In captivity they will eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.

See About Macaws: Housing and About Macaws: Care and Feeding for more information.

Distribution:
The Hahn's Macaws' natural habitat is north of the Amazon from Venezuela to northeast Brazil. They inhabit palm groves, forest-fringed savannahs and plantations, and a variety of wooded habitats. In the wild they are seen in small groups in trees where they are very quiet, or flocks in flight where they are extremely noisy.

Size - Weight:
Hahn's Macaws are 11 3/4" (30 cm) in length.

Breeding/Reproduction:
The Hahn's Macaw is social even when breeding, and pairs can be kept in colonies and will usually readily breed. They have been widely bred for many years.
The nest box needs to be 9" (23 cm) square and be 18" (46 cm) deep. The usual clutch consists of two to five eggs laid two days apart like the larger macaws. The eggs incubate for about 24 days. The babies will fledge as early as 8 weeks. Feed the parents plenty of greenstuffs, corn-on-the-cob, carrots, and fruit laced with food supplement while they are rearing the youngsters.

See About Macaws: Breeding/Reproduction for information on breeding.

Sexual differences: No visible differences.