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Military Macaw Common Problems:

Fixing Your Military Macaw
Common Problems

Military Macaws are known by bird lovers for being sociable, energetic, and easy to train. This breed makes a wonderful pet, but as with any bird, it is not without its short comings. Here we'll address how to fix your military macaws common problems.

It is important to recognize the Military Macaws potential problems, and deal with them properly, in order to make the most of your relationship with the bird.

Military Macaws also known as the Ara Militaris are usually easygoing if socialized properly, but they can exhibit nervous or aggressive behaviors. Three of the most common problems are biting, screaming and feather plucking.

It is important to consider the causes of these problems, and to understand how training may help solve them.

Macaw Military

Military Macaw Biting

The Military Macaw has a large, strong beak that can be intimidating to novice bird owners. There’s no doubt that a bite from these birds can be quite painful! But biting is curable with some simple training techniques which you can find in our free newsletter.

First, let’s examine the possible causes of biting. Biting is an aggressive behavior, and bird owners often assume that a biting bird just has a nasty disposition. But in most cases, biting occurs as a result of fear or inability to communicate needs in a more appropriate way. Health problems and hormonal fluctuations such as those that occur in puberty can also cause moodiness in birds, and that may result in biting as well.

Once you’ve ruled out or taken care of any health problems that could be causing biting, you’ll need to try to avoid any triggers for biting as much as possible. But if a bird is biting to keep you from putting him in his cage or doing something else that is reasonable, you’ll need to work with him.

Military Macaw on a Stump

Do your best not to react when your bird bites you. Push your hand toward your macaw when he bites, put him in his cage anyway, then go into another room before you express your discomfort.  Watch our video on reading his fear feathers to help with this.

Military Macaw Screaming

Military Macaws are loud birds, and screaming can easily become a problem for them. While some screaming is normal and unavoidable, your bird shouldn’t be screaming constantly.

It may be a sign of the same problems as biting, but it is often just an annoying way of getting attention.

If your macaw is screaming incessantly, it is imperative that you don’t give him the attention he is seeking. Ignoring the bird and going out of the room until he stops screaming will let him know that screaming is not the way to get the attention he craves. Then you can teach him a word, sound, or behavior that is more pleasant that he can use to get attention. If the screaming persists you can check out our Stop Screaming Program which gives you many ideas of how to stop this problem.

Military Macaw Feather Plucking

Plucking is a saddening problem for a bird owner. There are several health problems that can cause plucking, so it’s best to take your bird to the vet if this occurs. If he gets a clean bill of health, it might be caused by boredom or emotional problems.

Boredom is a common cause of plucking. It’s important to let your Military Macaw out for a sufficient amount of time each day, and to interact with him. While he is in his cage, he needs plenty of interesting toys to keep him occupied.

Fear and frustration are two more reasons that your bird might be plucking. These could be caused by improper lighting or housing, or changes in the bird’s environment. Adjusting the situation so that it is more to your bird’s liking could help. If he is fearful of certain individuals or new people in general, training may be in order.

A well-trained and happy Military Macaw will be less likely to exhibit problem behaviors than one that has not been trained. And if they do, their previous training will lay the groundwork for getting rid of the behaviors in question.  Here is some more information on how to stop feather plucking.