Scarlet Macaw

Scarlet Macaws are gorgeous, intelligent, and extremely engaging birds however many Scarlet macaw owners will tell you that their Scarlet Macaw is far from perfect. Common complaints include biting, screaming, and feather plucking with biting being the most common complaint - probably due to their powerful beak.

Scarlet Macaw biting is generally caused from something missing in their environment. Here are some common reasons for a Scarlet Macaw to take a chunk of skin and what to do about it.

Not enough room to move. Scarlet macaws are wild birds and are naturally accustomed to endless amounts of space and room to move - they sky's the limit is a truism for a Scarlet Macaw in the wild. While they do quite well in captivity but that doesn't mean they want to spend all day cooped up in a tiny little cage.

The minimum cage requirements for a Scarlet Macaw are 36x36x72 inches, however more space is always welcomed and appreciated. If you really want to go all out for a cage our friends at Cages By Design make incredibly beautiful and efficient cages! If your Scarlet is prone to taking chunks out of your finger when you reach into their cage, make sure they have a large enough cage.

In addition to a sizable cage, Scarlet Macaws need plenty of time outside of their cage each day. Again, they're natural birds not accustomed to being caged. While your Scarlet may have been born into captivity, their natural instincts are still intact.

Your Scarlet Macaw will enjoy time each day outside their cage to wander around on the floor, climb, and just socialize with their family. If your Scarlet is biting, try giving them more time outside their cage. Yes that may mean facing their aggression, however with patience and persistence they will begin to appreciate this time and the biting will subside. Make sure some of this 'outside time' is spent training and the biting behavior will disappear much more quickly.

This is partly due to the fact that training is a stimulating activity, but also because training builds trust between the owner and the macaw and because training will teach them behaviors instead of biting.

Boredom leads to biting - guaranteed. Scarlet Macaws are intelligent and active birds. They need plenty of toys to occupy them while they're in their cage when they cannot interact with you. For the Scarlet Macaw, a particularly intelligent bird, the best toys are durable toys, toys with puzzles to solve, toys that offer a variety of textures, sounds, and colors.

If you've ever had a child you know they are incredibly interested in some toys and others are completely ignored. You also know that a toy will absorb their attention for a few days or weeks and then it will be forgotten. A Scarlet Macaw is much like a child, they'll develop favorite toys and they'll become bored with toys, even their favorites. Rotate your Scarlet Macaw's toys to keep them engaged, entertained, and active.

Stress, fear, and a lack of trust are all triggers that result in aggressive and unpleasant behavior. Stress can result from a new person in their environment, moving the furniture, or noise like children, pets, or even the vacuum cleaner. While it is helpful and important to know what triggers your Scarlet Macaw to be fearful what is more important is to socialize your Macaw to their environment so they won't be so skittish and prone to bite out of fear.

Socialization using strategic training techniques not only builds a bond of trust, it helps a Macaw adapt to their environment without fear and thus without biting and aggression.

While all of these may be triggers that cause your Scarlet Macaw to bite, the solution generally involves patience, training, and lots and lots of understanding. In the meantime you will still have to deal with the occasional nip. Here are a few tips to get through these times without making the problem worse.

When your Scarlet Macaw bites you, gently push your hand toward them. Yes, it may hurt because their beaks are strong, however you changing your reaction will cause them to rethink the bite since it isn't giving them what they expect. Changing your reaction to a bite and training are the most effective means of eliminating and reducing this particular behavior problem. A properly cared for and socialized Scarlet Macaw will give their owners a lifetime of love.