PET BIRD PERSONALITIES (8): Macaws, Mynahs

Macaws

Macaws are the largest commonly kept cage birds. They hail from South America and are available in a rainbow of colors, including green, blue, and red. Macaws are highly intelligent, outgoing birds who can learn to talk or per-form tricks.

They can be quite destructive in their chewing habits, so be sure to provide these large parrots with plenty of destroyable toys.They are also prone to fits of screaming that makes them unsuitable for apartment living.

Macaws can be aggressive during breeding season and can intimidate some owners with their beaks and their strong wills. Macaws require large cages in order to be healthy and mentally well adjusted. The larger macaws are not rec-ommended for first-time bird owners.

Diets for macaws should include a good-quality seed mix or pellets supple-mented with fresh fruits and vegetables. Nuts can be offered as treats, and they will keep your macaws entertained and busy as the birds crack the nuts.

Mynahs

Mynahs are social birds who need regular human companionship.They are among the most renowned mimics in the avian world and are capable of imitating a wide range of voices, intonations, and sounds. In keeping with these charming charac-teristics, however, they can also be quite loud, especially before bedtime. Mynahs require large cages in order to exercise regularly.They are not always good candidates for a community aviary because they may not get along well with smaller birds.

As a softbill, a mynah relies on a large amount of insects and fruits in its diet, as opposed to the seed-based diet that most parrots eat. Mynahs are not among the neatest eaters in the animal kingdom and, as a result, require a regular post- meal cleanup to keep your home and their health in tip-top shape.

Their fruit- based diets cause them to produce liquid droppings that can be messy. They may be prone to iron-storage disease (hemachromatosis), an often fatal liver problem caused by feeding the birds a diet containing too much iron.

Mynahs can be trained to sit on their owners’ hands, but they prefer to sit on a flat palm rather than a pair of fingers or a loosely clenched fist. Mynahs need to have their nails trimmed regularly, but wing trimming is not recommended because mynahs can crash and injure themselves if their wings are clipped. As a result, you must be extremely careful that all windows and doors are closed tightly whenever your mynah is out of his cage.

Mynahs like to sit on their owners’ shoulders and preen their owners’ hair and faces. During the course of a normal day, a mynah is liable to yawn, stretch, scratch, sneeze, preen, nap, eat, and drink. (Source: Julia Rach Mancini: Why Does My Birds Do That?)