How long does a macaw parrot live and what affects its lifespan?

In the second half of the 16th century, the first new pets appeared in Europe - the macaw parrots. Large birds with very bright plumage and a loud, harsh voice fell in love with exotic lovers. Macaws are easy to tame and can imitate human speech by memorizing and using up to 100 words. At home, in Central and South America, the bird is prized for its delicious meat and colorful plumage used by the Indians for ritual attire, as well as a pet.

In favorable conditions and with good care, the macaw parrot lives for a long time. It was officially established that in the Antwerp zoo, Ara Kea, the record holder for age, barely lived to be half a century. In the natural environment, the life expectancy of a parrot is shorter, since it is influenced by many different factors, from the availability of food to natural predators. In the wild, parrots rarely live longer than 15 years.

There is no exact information about the life span of the macaw, but scientists have calculated that these birds can live up to 75 years. As in other cases, there are exceptions to the rule.

In their natural environment, macaws live in tropical forests, choosing crowns of tall trees for nesting. Birds prefer a plant-based diet consisting of nuts, fruits and young shoots. Gathering in large flocks, parrots can cause significant damage to agricultural plantations, forcing farmers to hunt these beautiful birds. The reasons that have a significant impact on the lifespan of the macaw in the wild are listed below.

• Availability of feed... If lean dry years come, many birds die, especially young ones.
• Availability of space for nesting and rest Is the most important factor.
• Presence of natural predatorsthat can hunt parrots and destroy nests with clutches or chicks.
• Human activity... By destroying forests to create arable fields, people deprive the parrot of its habitat and food base. Hunting for birds leads to a decrease in the population and a decrease in the life of wild individuals.

At home, the pet is surrounded by care, so he does not need to get his own food, protect himself from predatory animals and look for a nesting place. If the owner correctly approaches the maintenance and safety of the bird, then the macaw can live in peace for more than half a century. To do this, you need the following:

• properly organize a place for keeping large poultry;
• choose the optimal diet for your pet;
• take care of his physical and mental health;
• create a safe area, preventing the possibility of harm to the pet.

When deciding to purchase a macaw parrot, it is necessary to take into account that the size and wingspan of an adult bird reaches about a meter, and the individual also has the largest and strongest beak on earth. Easy to tame and outgoing, macaws have a natural cunning that allows them to handle hooks on doors.

Considering these factors, you need to take care of a spacious cage, or better - an aviary made of steel rods with a reliable system of locks so that the pet cannot leave the space allocated to it on its own. The recommended size of the aviary is 800 * 300 * 200 cm, and the cages are 300 * 200 * 200 cm.

There are several feeders for different types of feed and mineral supplements. You can put toys in the aviary, hang a bell and set up a mirror so that the macaw can entertain itself in the absence of the owners.

In the wild, birds build nests in a hollow, so the aviary is equipped with a nesting wooden box, the dimensions of which are 55 * 70 * 100 cm, with a hole 23 cm in diameter.

The temperature in the room where the parrot will be kept should not fall below 10 ° C. The air should be fresh and slightly humid. It is good if the room has large windows that provide good natural light.

To make your pet feel good at least once a week, you need to let him out of the cage to fly around the room, having previously closed the vents and front doors, protecting him from getting into the street.

You can feed your pet with ready-made cereal mixtures for large birds from a pet store, adding vegetables, fruits and nuts to them, or you can compose a diet yourself by including in the menu:

• grains: wheat, oats, corn and sunflower seeds;
• green apples, pears, bananas, apricots, strawberries, as well as other fruits and berries;
• zucchini, cucumbers, carrots;
• several types of nuts, the volume of which in the diet should not exceed 25%;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• boiled eggs.

Also, when choosing a menu, it is worth considering the preferences of the bird, revealing them empirically.

In one of the feeders, you need to put a mineral stone for cleaning the beak and vitamin and mineral supplements recommended by a specialist. You should not use sand and flour, since the structure and size of the macaw's beak do not allow taking too small items.

Pure fresh water must be present in the cage at all times, so it must be changed every day. Parrots can drink juice, and they also love alcohol, which is obtained from overripe fermented fruits. The effects of alcohol on poultry are the same as on humans.

The macaws' health must be taken seriously. This type of parrot is prone to pancreatitis, it can get gout, and it has stomach enlargements.Under unfavorable conditions of detention, fungal and viral lesions occur.

Health is affected by the condition of the aviary. To prevent the occurrence of infections, the poultry housing should be regularly cleaned and washed, and accessories, toys and other devices should be disinfected. General cleaning should be arranged in the aviary twice a year.

Macaws are very mobile and curious, therefore, letting them out into the room, you need to:

• create a safe flight space;
• remove dangerous items such as medicines, fragile plastic and glass products, electrical wiring from the access area;
• Limit communication with other pets that show unfriendly feelings towards the parrot.

With proper care, education and a healthy lifestyle, the macaw parrot will live long enough, delighting its owners with its beauty and behavior.

For how long large parrots live, see the next video.