Macaws are beautiful birds, which is why most people choose to keep them as pets because of their size and vibrant colors. Also, macaws crave social interaction; in the wild, they can form bonds with other macaws, and, in captivity, they form bonds with their owners. Macaws make good pets, but their need for attention is something you need to know before taking one home.
So, can two macaws live together? Two macaws can live together, but you need to make sure they are comfortable for them to get along each day. Macaws are social birds, and in the wild, they can be spotted in pairs or a flock. In captivity, macaws need constant human interaction, and they get jealous if you pay attention to only one bird. A macaw as a pet can be a handful, and once they form a bond with their owner, they might not accept a second bird. If you are a new bird owner, you should start with one macaw before adding a second one.
Macaws make beautiful and intelligent pets, but you need to know what you are getting into before you get one. Read on to find out more about if two macaws can get along if two male macaws can live together, if macaws need a friend, and whether macaws get lonely.
Will 2 Male Macaws Get Along?
In the wild, most male animals do not get along because they need to find a female during mating season. Most male wild animals will fight each other to control the largest territory to increase their chances of breeding with the females.
Male macaws will not get along, especially during the breeding season. Macaws are territorial birds that become aggressive when protecting their territory. Macaws will resort to biting and scratching if they feel the other bird is encroaching on their territory. A macaw will form a tight bond with its owner in captivity, and adding a second bird can be difficult, whether male or female. There are instances when two male macaws can get along.
One of the instances is if you’re training them to live together. Macaws are social animals and will make strong bonds with their owners. This trait makes them extremely jealous of other birds and people too. If you show too much attention towards one macaw, the other might get jealous and become aggressive towards it. If you want to keep two male macaws, train them to be accustomed to each other. Proper training will ensure your macaw does not become aggressive if you start handling the other macaw.
If the two male macaws are yet to reach maturity age, they can live together. If you keep two young male macaws, you will notice they are getting along well, but that peace will not last long. Once the male macaws reach maturity, their true nature will kick in, and they immediately turn into enemies. You have to separate them and re-train them to live together or give one away. If you want to keep two male macaws in your home, you can keep them in separate cages. You can keep their enclosures close to each other for company.
Macaws are pair bond birds meaning they form strong bonds with one person or one bird at a time. Two male macaws can get along if they spend a lot of time together to form a bond. Large macaws can form tight bonds with each other and stay together for life, but it is mostly between male and female macaws. You can try to make the two male macaws form a tight bond, but you have to be patient and accept their choice. It might take longer, or it might not even happen.
Do Macaws Need a Friend?
Macaws are friendly creatures, but their large size and big beaks make them appear intimidating. In the wild, they can easily find companions, and you might be wondering if you need to find a friend for your macaw.
Macaws are extremely social and need other macaws or their owner as a companion. A macaw will form a strong bond with its owner. Macaws can be playful and have been known to make fake lunges for their amusement. Macaws will do this to you and any other person close to them.
A macaw without a friend can be an unruly pet, and this is why most inexperienced macaw owners return them to the pet stores after a short time. Macaws form strong bonds with their owners and can be clingy most of the time.
You have to include them in most of the activities you are doing around your home. They need more attention than other pet birds, and if they feel left out, they will get loud and unruly. To reduce your macaw screaming all the time, create a routine where you spend some time with your bird each day.
You can also get your macaw a new bird as a friend. It could be another macaw or a different species. You can keep them in separate cages and ensure all physical interactions are supervised. It is not guaranteed that your macaw will like the new bird immediately. It might take time, so you have to be patient. Supervision should continue even after your macaw and the new bird start to get along, macaws’ attitude can change quickly, and they might end up fighting the other bird.
Macaws can get along with other birds such as amazons, Indian ringnecks, and conures. Since macaws are jealous birds, introducing the new bird needs to be done carefully. You need to assure your macaw that the new bird is not their replacement.
Make sure they receive attention more or equal to the new bird. If your macaw does not like the new bird, do not force it. Macaws have strong beaks and could severely injure the new bird if it is smaller than them.
Do Macaws Get Lonely?
Macaws are social creatures and can form tight bonds with their owners or other birds. Macaws love the attention of their owners, and lack of attention can affect their behavior.
Macaws are intelligent birds and get lonely and bored if they are not engaged regularly. Macaws require human interaction for a minimum of two hours a day, and you cannot leave them alone for more than eight hours. Once a macaw forms a bond with you, it treats you as part of its flock. If you go away for a long time, your macaw will start to miss you and will get lonely. Therefore, if you choose to keep a macaw as a pet, make sure you will have enough time to spend with it.
You can give your macaw lots of attention, but once you leave, they still need company. You can keep two macaws together so that they can keep each other company while you are away. If you do not want to keep two macaws, you can leave the television or radio on every time you leave. You can also install a mirror in the enclosure to give your macaw the illusion that another macaw is in the cage.
Macaws know how to get your attention, and they will throw tantrums when they are lonely and bored. Also, macaws are very loud, and they can scream for hours until you start to spend time with them. Macaws can also bite, hiss, or turn their backs against you when they are lonely. If you do not fix the problem, your macaw might start to pluck its feathers and refuse to eat. Therefore, extreme loneliness can have severe consequences on your bird’s health.
You need to secure your macaw’s cage properly before leaving the house. Macaws can open their cages and move around the house, wrecking numerous items. Macaws like to destroy things and will rip couches and chew wooden furniture when bored.
You should also leave toys in your macaw’s enclosure for them to play with while you are away. The toys will be a good distraction until you come back. You should rotate your macaw’s toys since if it gets used to one toy, it will stop playing with it.
Macaws are like human toddlers. Whatever you do around them, they will make sure that you involve them. It is advisable not to keep many macaws at once. If you pick one macaw up, the rest will want you to pick them up too. You will not get any work done around the house if you own many macaws.
Macaws Are Social Birds
It is beneficial to keep two macaws together, but they should be of the opposite sex. It is easier for a male macaw to get along with a female macaw than another male. You can also keep other birds together with your macaw, but you have to supervise them because their attitude towards the other bird can change at any time.
Macaws are beautiful birds but are high maintenance pets that require a lot of human interaction compared to other bird pets. If you do not mind having a clingy bird as a pet, you can keep a macaw. If you are a busy person who will pay little attention to your bird, maybe you should get another bird. A lonely macaw can exhibit destructive behavior, such as plucking its feathers and destroying furniture.
