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Over the last twenty years, macaw breeding has gone from a dream to a reality. Up until the mid 1970's the pairing macaws was hampered by the inability to accurately sex them. But as laproscopic and later chromosomal sexing replaced the unreliable pelvic and head size sexing, the chances of captive reproduction soared. The interest to breed macaws was at first due to their flamboyant colors and their enjoyable personalities. But by the early 1980's as more scientific research from field studies became available the interest to breed them took on a different reason - captive reproduction to save them from extinction.
The ingredients necessary to bred macaws in captivity is relatively simple; a healthy, compatible hen and cock of the species to be bred, an appropriate size aviary (depending on the species of macaw), a well balanced diet, a nesting box, and time (patience helps). Eighteen years of viewing various captive breeding facilities has taught me that macaws are extremely adaptable creatures.
Though the pioneer macaw breeders choose wild caught specimens, they did not have the option of captive bred birds. The current trend is to start with domestic bred macaws. Wild caught specimens take many years to settle down and breed, while the domestic stock breed in 2 - 5 years. In some of the rarer species there have been few domestically raise birds making it necessary to use wild caught specimens, and wild caught specimens may be necessary on occasion for the enhancement of the species. To have a genetically sound breeding program for any given species, more than one pair of birds are required. A serious breeding program should have no less than three unrelated pairs and five pairs would be even better.
The Aviary: In planning your aviary you should remember the definition of an aviary. An aviary is a very large structure or building big enough for the bird to fly. A cage is a structure in which a bird cannot fly. There is an old story that says if you give the macaw too much room he will spend all his time playing and not breed. In the wild they have unlimited room and would be extinct if too much space was a problem. It seems a shame to have an animal that was created to fly kept in a cage where it cannot.
Our large macaws are housed in outside aviaries. After experimenting with several different sized aviaries we settled on a structure 8 feet high x 8 feet wide x 12 feet long. There is one pair to each aviary. This was not an accidental design. The smaller size widths were not conducive to flying since the wingspan of most of the large macaws is over three feet, and in the case of the Hyacinth, the wingspan exceeds four feet. The width and length of the aviary allows them flight and exercise. The height was chosen after much experimentation with shorter sizes. We found that the six foot tall aviaries were too short for our initial wild caught breeding stock. The taller aviary allowed them to look down on us, giving them a feeling of security much like in the wild. Twelve feet in length is the minimum, sixteen to twenty feet long is even better.
The framework is made of welded 3/4" pipe with 11 gauge chain link fencing wired to the structure. A door 40 inches high and 30 inches wide allows access to the inside of the aviary. The door size requires me to bend over to enter. But the birds which sit on the perch at a claw height of six feet, do not attempt to fly out over my head. A four sided shelter (4' wide x 4' deep x 8' high) in the back corner of the aviary provides the birds a private, weather protected spot for their nest box and feed. Most of our birds sleep in their shelter and use it to escape the hot afternoon sun as well as the rain. An entrance hole 16" x 16" allows them access to the shelter by walking on a perch. The lower portion of this eight foot high structure is removed to allow me access to feed and check the nest boxes. There are no common walls, all the aviaries are single free standing units. We can walk around each of the aviaries. The aviaries are located around the outside of a rectangle, with the flights in the front and the shelters in the rear. The birds are in full sight of each other and we put several pairs of each species grouped together in adjoining aviaries.
Young macaws are kept together until mates can be found for them. But no more than four adolescence are ever kept together in this size aviary. Even the young macaws have nest boxes in their aviaries. We have found these immature babies frequently asleep in their nestbox. This relaxed environment can only be an asset to them as they mature.
There are two ways to approach your aviary. One, that you never walk in it and do all the feeding from the outside and two, that you walk in it all the time. I walk in at least 2 - 3 times a week to feed, water and hang new perches. The birds adjust to what ever is routine to them. If they are not used to you going into the cage then they will react on those few occasions that you do.
Nesting Boxes: The difference between a bird collector and a bird breeder is an available clean nestbox. Our nesting boxes for the large macaws are made from 30 gallon galvanized trash cans (40 gallon for the Hyacinths). We have an eight inch hole welded open, an expandable metal ladder (1" x 1 1/2"), about eight inch wide and the full height of the container, welded inside from top to bottom and two truck hooks welded on the outside back for easy hanging of the nest boxes. We do not use the can tops except on a few pairs with aggressive males. Large macaws have also successfully nested in oak barrels and plastic 55 gallon drums. Both on the ground and raised boxes, horizontally or vertically. Small macaws have laid in L shaped nest boxes (24" high x 18"base x 12" diameter) and again horizontal and vertical boxes have been used. The nestbox is lined with dampened pine shavings to about 1/4 to 1/3 high in the barrel. The birds eliminate the shavings down to a level with which they are contented. The nest box is cleaned every 6 - 8 weeks during nesting season, from January through September, unless the hen is actively sitting on eggs or young. We keep extra nest boxes and simply switch them. We have been amazed at what we have found in non nesting bird's nest boxes. Sometimes bugs invade the nest box, and sometimes the birds themselves use them as a storage container. Hyacinths are famous for storing huge quantities of nuts in their nest boxes. I'd love to see a Hyacinths nest in the wild to see if they do the same thing.
Diet: Our macaws are fed a three part diet. The first part consists of a seed mix of safflower seed, whole corn, pumpkin seed, alfalfa pellets, buckwheat, peanuts, pine nuts and Zupreem. Sunflower seeds are added to this mix in varied amounts depending on the time of the year. In the fall and winter when the temperatures drop, an increase in high fat foods (sunflower seeds and nuts) is given. Nuts make up the second portion of the diet with the same variety of the Hyacinths diet below except for the macadamia nuts which are fed only occasionally as a challenge for the macaws to open. The third portion of the seed eating macaws diet is a wide variety of fruits, and vegetables which are fed daily to all the macaws. Apples, pears and plums are home grown and fed fresh when in season.
Hyacinth Macaws are highly specialized in their eating habits, primarily eating palm nuts in the wild. Their diet is high in fats and carbohydrates and low in protein. Smuggling of these birds has reduced their numbers to far below acceptable levels. It is estimated that only 2,500 - 5,000 of them are left in the wild. Their low hatch rate adds to their problem of survival. In captivity are fed a nut diet with no seeds. their diet consists of filberts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts and Zupreem. Occasionally pecans are also available and fed. The Hyacinths also get daily fruits and vegetables as stated above. Out of these nuts we feel that the macadamia nuts are the closest to the palm nuts they eat in the wild. The Hyacinths open these nuts with amazing ease and truly relish them. These nuts are harvested throughout the year. every six weeks and are available fresh year around. For those of us that are not fortunate enough to live in Hawaii, these nuts are also grown in Southern California (see sources).
During breeding season the amount of Zupreem, fruits, vegetables and nuts are increased, with several selections being given daily to hens with babies on the nest. Corn is a most notable favorite during this period. But despite their favorites a variety is fundamental.
Some breeders feed a soaked seed, fruit and vegetable diet. This is a also a healthy diet. Pellets are fine as a supplement, but I am not fond of an exclusively pellet diet. In my opinion, besides being boring, I feel they are too high in protein for a macaw's metabolism. Food toys such as whole sunflower heads are provided occasionally for fun. I expect them to eat some of it and also have fun destroying it.
We prefer tame breeders in our breeding stock, birds that will except food from our hands. Generally, it is fairly easy to realize when the chicks have hatched by the change in the male macaws aggressiveness when approaching the aviary. Lunging for your hand is a common occurrence. Care should be taken to leave the aviary with as many fingers as you arrived with! When breeding season starts it is best to abstain from handfeeding the parent birds.
We use large water crocks that hold two to three gallons of water. Macaws love taking baths. During the breeding season the hen will soak herself in the water dishes and then climb back on the nest, presumably to humidify the eggs. In the dead of winter I have found water soaked macaws, especially Hyacinths, even on frost covered mornings. No ill effects have ever been observed from this unusual practice.
Choosing Your Breeding Stock: It is no secret that to have a logical breeding program for any given species, more than one pair of birds is required. Many of our original pairs were created from wild caught stock. Several problems arose with this: acclimation (both environmentally and emotionally), compatibility, and other stress related disease. In 1978 I purchased a Blue and Gold Macaw from a private breeder. A potential mate was purchased some six months later. Our first baby Blue and Gold hatched when that original domestic bred bird was barely 3 years old! I have waited as long as ten years for the older wild caught macaws to breed. We currently choose our breeding stock by trading or purchasing only domestic babies or occasionally pet birds or (even rarer) those that have been in captivity for many years. Chromosomal feather sexing of domestic bred birds allows them to grow up with their mate similar to how it would occur in their wild. All the data is not in yet, but Scarlets, Blue and Golds, and Militarys are believed to breed in as little as 2 1/2 - 3 years. With the Hyacinths, Greenwings, and Buffon's closer to 4 - 5 years. I have waited as long as 10 years and routinely 4 - 6 years for my wild caught birds to breed.
Quarantining New Arrivals: All new arrivals, no matter where they came from (domestic bred or single pet) should be taken to an Avian Veterinarian for a complete exam before being added to your breeding farm. This exam should include a complete blood count, gram stain, bacterial cultures and chlamydiosis titer as well as a thorough physical exam. If there are open bands they are removed at this time. Initial blood tests and gram stains can give you clues to the well being of the bird. Preliminary cultures will be read about two days later, with chlamydiosis titer taking two to three weeks for results. Just one sick bird found in all your years of breeding makes all the other vet checks justified. Don't skimp on your initial exam, even if the bird "looks" healthy. All birds are then kept in isolation away from the breeding stock and the nursery birds until a minimum of six weeks after arrival. If the birds have arrived in the winter they will be kept indoors until the following spring after warm weather is assured.
Compatibility: Not all macaws like each other despite being opposite sexes. We observe the least incompatibility with Hyacinth Macaws and the greatest incompatibility in wild caught Scarlet Macaws. The ideal is two domestic bred adolescents growing up together. But if that is not possible, the next best way to try to avoid incompatibility is to release the two potential mates into a new aviary at the exact same time so that neither has the chance to set up territories. Scarlets and Buffon's are extremely aggressive during breeding season and it is often hard to judge compatibility.
Sexing Macaws: We are currently using the chromosomal feather sexing technique to sex our baby birds as well as all incoming breeding stock. This has allowed us to pair up unrelated baby birds for our own future breeding stock as well as being able to provide unrelated breeding stock to other breeders. We feel that a safe, accurate sexing technique is essential to breeding macaws.
Pair bonded macaws are characterized by sitting closed together on the perch, preening, feeding each other, and as nesting approaches the breeder will notice frequent wing opening and wiping the perch with their beak. Constriction and dilation of their eyes is common during this period.
Copulation occurs side by side. Hyacinths are real show offs and don't seem to mind people watching. Most other species are not so brazen. Several of my producing pairs I have never seen copulate, and yet they produce young, so it must occur.
A variety of different sized eggs are produced by macaws. All of them are white, which would befit a dark tree hollow nest site. The Hyacinth, although the largest of the parrot species does not have the largest egg. If infertility or dead in shell is a problem, cloaca cultures and Chlamydiosis titers are recommended.
Status in the Wild:
Blue and Gold Macaw: Appendix II. Their wild population continues to be decimated in the bird trade. Currently being raised in captivity in amounts that could sustain a ban on further importation.
Blue Throated Macaw (Caninde Macaw): Appendix I. Very small population of between 500 and 1000 birds in the wild. They are only found in a restricted area in Bolivia. They are being raised in limited amounts in the U.S. and elsewhere and are in need of further captive breeding to sustain their numbers.
Buffon's Macaw: Appendix I. Sometimes confused with the Military Macaw. These birds are seriously declining throughout their range in Central America. Captive breeding is desperately needed.
Greenwinged Macaws: Appendix II. The wild caught birds have proven difficult to breed. Better success is possible utilizing captive bred birds for breeding.
Hyacinth Macaws: Appendix I. Current population is estimated at 2500-5000 total population. Illegal trade continues to decimate their population. Further captive breeding is necessary to maintain adequate amounts of birds.
Military Macaws: Appendix I. Disappearing and threatened throughout their range due to continued illegal trade. Despite the numbers previously imported more captive breeding is currently needed.
Red Fronted Macaws: Appendix I. Recently discovered in the 1970's, only a small population estimated to be below 5000 remains in the wild. Serious avicultural attention needs to be given to this species.
Scarlet Macaws: Appendix I Several different wing patch color variations have been noted. One with a wide band of yellow on the wing, one with emerald green as well as yellow on the wing, and a third variety with royal blue on the yellow wing patch. Breeding the variations separately would be appropriate.
CONCLUSION: Captive propagation allows the aviculturist a unique chance to contribute scientific data on macaws. Using computers to analyze weight records and other data, artificial incubation, photography and personal observation, aviculturists can contribute otherwise difficult information to obtain. The last twenty years has seen monumental achievements by private aviculturists in breeding most of the 17 species of macaws. The creative variety of breeding techniques has contributed to successful breeding. Continued advances in avian medicine creates an environment ripe for future progress and success.
It is the hope of aviculturists to create genetically viable captive breeding stock, so that in the future, release of captive reared birds into a ecologically sound environment will be possible.
* Portions of the paper are from the book, "The Large Macaws; Their Care Breeding and Conservation" By Joanne Abramson, Brian L. Speer D.V.M. and Jorgen B. Thomsen.
Articles are Copyright Up At Six and cannot be reprinted without the written permission of Up At Six and the author.
Last Revised: Thu Aug 7 08:57:48 2008 ( Damian )
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