In the second half of the 16th century, the first new pets appeared in Europe - macaw parrots. Large birds with a very bright plumage and a loud sharp voice appealed to lovers of exotic. Macaws are easily tamed and can imitate human speech, memorizing and using up to 100 words. At home, in Central and South America, the bird is valued for its delicious meat and colorful plumage, used by Indians for ritual robes, as well as a pet.
Life span
In favorable conditions and with good care, the macaw parrot lives for a long time. The fact is officially established that in the zoo of Antwerp, ara Kea, the record holder by age, almost lived to be half a century old. In the natural environment, the life expectancy of a parrot is shorter, since it is influenced by many different factors, ranging from the presence of the food base to natural predators. In the wild, parrots rarely live longer than 15 years.
There is no exact information on the lifespan 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 rules.
Among the lovers of this species of birds there are legends about long-lived parrots, who have lived for about a century, but this information has not been documented anywhere.
What is the effect?
In their natural environment, macaws live in tropical forests, choosing crowns of tall trees for nesting. Birds prefer plant foods consisting of nuts, fruits, and young shoots. Gathering in large flocks, parrots can cause significant damage to agricultural plantations, which forces farmers to hunt for these beautiful birds. The reasons that have a significant effect on the lifespan of an arena in the wild are listed below.
- Feed availability. If lean dry years come, many birds die, especially young ones.
- Availability of space for nests and recreation - the most important factor.
- The presence of natural predatorsthat can hunt parrots and ruin nests with clutch or chicks.
- Human activities. Destroying forests to create arable fields, people deprive the parrot of its habitat and food supply. Bird hunting leads to a reduction in the population and a decrease in the life span of wild individuals.
At home, the pet is surrounded by care, so it does not need to get food, protect itself from predatory animals and look for a place for nesting. If the owner correctly approaches the maintenance and safety of the bird, then the macaw can live peacefully for more than half a century. To do this, you need the following:
- properly organize a place for keeping a large bird;
- choose the best diet for your pet;
- take care of his physical and mental health;
- Create a safe area by preventing the possibility of harm to your pet.
How to care?
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. Easily tamed and sociable ares possess a natural ingenuity that allows them to handle the hooks on the doors.
Given these factors, you need to take care of a spacious cage, and better - an open-air cage made of steel bars with a reliable system of constipation, so that the pet cannot leave the space allocated to it on its own. The recommended aviary size is 800 * 300 * 200 cm, and the cells are 300 * 200 * 200 cm.
To preserve the health of the bird, the cage should be equipped with various wooden poles, swings and stairs, as well as reliably fixed drinking bowls and feeders.
Several feeders are installed - for different types of feed and mineral additives. You can put toys in the aviary, hang a bell and set a mirror so that the macaw can entertain itself in the absence of the owners.
In the wild, birds make nests in the hollow, so the aviary is equipped with a nesting wooden box, the dimensions of which are 55 * 70 * 100 cm, with an opening with a diameter of 23 cm.
The temperature in the room where the parrot will be kept should not fall below 10 ° C. The air should be fresh and slightly moist. It is good if the room has large windows providing good natural light.
To make the pet feel good, at least once a week you need to let him out of the cage to fly around the room, after closing the window and entrance doors, protecting him from getting into the street.
You can feed your pet with ready-made grain mixtures for large birds from the pet store, adding vegetables, fruits and nuts to them, or you can create a diet yourself by including in the menu:
- cereals: 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, identifying them empirically.
In one of the feeders you need to put a mineral stone for peeling beak and vitamin and mineral supplements recommended by a specialist. Do not use sand and flour, since the structure and size of the beak of a macaw does not allow you to take too small objects.
Pure fresh water must be present in the cell constantly, so it must be changed every day. Parrots can drink juice, and they also like alcohol, which is obtained from fermented overripe fruits. The effect of alcohol on a bird is the same as on a person.
Macaw health must be taken seriously. This type of parrot is prone to pancreatitis, can get gout, it has an expansion of the stomach.Under adverse conditions, fungal and viral lesions occur.
To prevent disease, a pet must be examined every year by a specialist, and at the first sign of a disease, immediately contact a veterinarian.
Health is affected by the state of the aviary. To prevent the occurrence of infections, poultry housing should be regularly cleaned and washed, disinfected accessories, toys and other devices. Twice a year, general cleaning should be arranged in the aviary.
Ara are very mobile and curious, so letting them out into the room, you need:
- create a safe space for flights;
- remove dangerous objects from the access area, such as medicines, fragile plastic and glass products, electrical wiring;
- restrict communication with other pets showing unfriendly feelings about the parrot.
With proper care, upbringing and a healthy lifestyle, the macaw parrot will live long enough, delighting its owners with beauty and behavior.
About how many large parrots live, see the next video.
