Our First Child
"Hello!" "Cain" our blue and gold macaw. Cain is eleven years old, still a child in parrot years.
Macaws are native to South America and while some species are rare, the blue and gold is very common and easily bred in captivity.
Cain is a captive bred bird, and like all parrots, very social. Our family is his flock and it is very important that we interact with him. These birds make good pets for the right people but they are not for everyone. Macaws are extremely vocal and can be QUITE destructive without proper supervision.
Children should never be left alone with parrots of this size. Their mandibles (beaks) are actually capable of snapping a broomstick. This allows them to crack even the hardest of nuts such as brazils. It is also quite useful for digging a nest out of a tree trunk, or turning a coffee table into sawdust. I simply trust my friend to be gentle as he usually is. I also know when to leave him alone, a skill I learned from marriage. We all have our days!
Besides the nuts and seed, a parrots diet should include fresh fruit and veggies . Cain enjoys pasta and cheese as well, but he must be limited to small amounts of dairy products because parrots were not designed to digest milk.
I can't convince Cain of this however and cheese pizza is one of his favorites.