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Hi everyone, I'm currently new to this site and extremely excited about macaws. I'm a 22 year old college student and I'm studying Zoology. I have a passion for animals, especially parrots. I own a lilac crown Amazon, an African grey, and a Quaker parrot. They are all amazing birds and well mannered. I feel that I’m ready for a Macaw, and the Camelot Macaw (a second generation hybrid- mix between Scarlet and Catalina (which is also a hybrid)) strikes my eye as the one. However, I'm inexperienced with Macaws and I've learned that they take on the temperament of a Scarlet.
I've heard that Scarlet’s usually only like ONE person and are very loud and testy, and can turn on their owners. I don’t want to have a companion parrot that will chew me up and spit me out. Is the Scarlet the Pit Bull of the parrot world? All thoughts welcome...Thanks

I too have been researching macaws.

We've decided on a red fronted macaw.
They're the smallest of the large macaws and have funny clown personalities. Love to cuddle and play.

Good luck with your search

Hey, didn't you also post something on Birds n Ways too? I vaguely remember a 22 college student posting something about being interested in a Camelot macaw.....and then someone decided to get all mad about someone being interested in a hybrid..... Anyway, I also am interested in getting a hybrid....I'm trying to choose between a Flame (Catalina x Greenwing) and a Camelot. I already have been in touch with a breeder that sells Camelots and she's gave me some helpful info. I have heard also that they tend to take up the Scarlet attitude, but they are a hybrid and are capable of having multiple personalities. I know quite a few people that wouldn't trade their Scarlets in for anything in the world.....I assume that if you raised it right and gave it plenty of attention and love, it would turn out to be a well-mannered, loving macaw, regardless if it has a Scarlet attitude. That's part of the package. Good luck with your search and I hope you find that perfect companion macaw for you!!

Our scarlet- Otis is a wonderful boy- I wouldnt trade anything for him. All our Macaws are great- they just need to have understanding and unconditional love.

The hybrids do upset some people. Due to declining numbers of Macaws in the wild they hate to see hybrids produced. You can never be sure what you get when you cross breed. In general the Scarlet are labeled as bitters. I have seen them as sweet as can be and seen a few that were not very nice. They are not that bad people just don't understand that they tend to use the beak more than some. You may get a pinch at times but few are true biters. A true Macaw bitter does lots and damage and can break bones. Remember they will "test" you from time to time just like a kid. You just have to let them know you are the flock leader. We have a hybrid it’s a Ruby Scarlet/Greenwing cross. She came to us from a rescue and has been a sweetheart. She doesn't care for the ladies but will let me do what I want with her. Just make sure you have the time to give and money needed to provide a safe loving home and you should do fine.

If you're studying zoology I can't understand why you would want a hybrid. With so many animals facing extinction I think you would be more about keeping the pureblood animals/parrots that we have. If you got one from a rescue, that would be giving a bird that needed it a loving home, but to encourage a breeder to keep messing with nature is wrong (in my opinion).

Breeders are going to mess with nature regardless of what anyone has to say or disagree with. Humans mess everything up- we cant control a thing, other than help those that we can.

Breeders are going to mess with nature regardless of what anyone has to say or disagree with.

Yes but if no one will buy the hybrids the breeders will put the birds together with their own kind. Its all in the money!

How do you stop all people buying? There is no way to accomplish that.

Darlene, so true. Getting people to stop isn't going to be easy but it can be done. With the limited numbers of Macaws in the world I would prefer to see them not do the cross breeding. Someday the "clean" gene pool may just be needed to help with wild stocks.

Would be nice if everyone took the Not Mess with Mother Nature seriously and did something about it. But they have, and now we as people need to step up. I would home any in need of course taking percautions, and would never ever breed! I think there are way to many in need to produce any more- I understand the conservation and extiction but the ones that need proper care and dont get it far out weigh!

Not to be a bother, but that would be like telling a white woman not to sleep with a black man or a black woman to sleep with a white man. It's human nature to mess up the balance. We are the virus..the only ones that don't fit into the circle of nature.
But, my opinion is just that, I won't force others to believe the same as me. And my opinion is that there are birds alive (regardless of color, species, hybrids or no hybrids). With the Bird Flu making it's way global having any birds alive at the end will be a blessing!!!!!! My children's children I'm sure will not be picky on if a bird is a pureblood or not, They'll be happy just to see a bird!!
Just my take on things.

I agree 100% with JustLibFree!

Change happens one person at a time. We can make a difference if we stand for our beliefs, whatever they are.

Why on earth would you want a Camelot Macaw? Most of them are downright homely, washed-out red birds with mottled greens and other faded colors. Have you seen whats been advertised over the past few months, and SPAM advertised at that, over and over again, everywhere you look? They are just pathetic looking! Did someone offer to sell you a yellow one? If they did, be very careful. Most of those "so called yellow' Camelot macaws are actually unattractive orange & green hybrids with unpredictable, and nippy, temperments. Nobody keeps their Camelot macaws. They go from home to home to home, about every 2 years. The breeders call them "yellow" or yellow dominant, so they can charge a hefty price for a misrepresented bird. Its all for money. The red ones are very common and do not compare with the exquisite beauty of a pure Scarlet Macaw. A Scarlet will have a better temperment then a Camelot Macaw. Just last year you could easily pick up a red camelot for between $600 to $1,000 tops. Suddenly there have been ads for double that. Some brazen breeder sure has balls asking such absurd prices for undesirable hybrid macaws! They are NOT worth the dime. Watch out for any breeder offering a sweet, loving, hand reared baby hybrid macaw for a very hefty price. Sure, they may be sweet when babies, (most of them are,) but give them 6 months to 2 years and you will be dumping out of your unwanted Camelot Macaw. Most everybody does, because they are not what what was expected. Unless you have lots of large macaw experience, you will not be able to take it when it is pinching and biting you, your loved ones, and maybe even pulling out its feathers. Camelot macaws are usually fairly high strung hybrids and are often notoreus pluckers, too! Why dont you ask someone who has had one for 2 years or more, and get the real skinny on the untold truth of this over-rated hybrid. And by all means, please dont encourage these unethical breeders to pollute the gene pool by buying one. The large macaws are all so beautiful the way nature intended them. Why would you want one with diluted colors and an indeterminate temperment? Don't encourage unethical beeders to breed more undesirable hybrid macaws.