How to Adopt a Macaw in the United States | PetzLover
To adopt a macaw in the United States, first decide whether your home can take a mini macaw or a large macaw, then apply to a parrot rescue, a shelter or an owner offering macaws for adoption, pass their interview and home check, and sign an adoption contract. Expect a fee of a few hundred dollars and plan an avian vet visit in the first two weeks.
Adoption suits many people better than buying a chick, because you can hear and handle an adult macaw before you commit, and the fee is usually far below a breeder's price.
Key points
- Mini macaws need a cage of at least 3 by 3 by 4 feet and live 30 to 40 years; large macaws need at least 4 by 5 by 5 feet and live 50 to 60 years (VCA Animal Hospitals).
- Parrot rescues such as Phoenix Landing charge $350 for mini macaws and $500 for large macaws.
- An adult macaw's species, cross or age may be guessed rather than known, so ask how the rescue knows.
- Expect an application, an interview, a home visit and often a foster-to-adopt period.
- Book an avian vet exam within one to two weeks and keep the bird apart from other birds until then.
Should you adopt a large macaw or a mini macaw?
Choose the size of macaw before you choose the bird. The figures below are VCA Animal Hospitals' ranges for each group, with Phoenix Landing's adoption fees as an example.
| Group | Size | Lifespan | Minimum cage | Phoenix Landing fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini macaws (Hahn's, yellow-collared, severe) | 12 to 20 in; 150 to 300 g | 30 to 40 years | 3 x 3 x 4 ft | $350 |
| Large macaws (blue-and-yellow, green-winged, scarlet, military, hyacinth) | 30 to 40 in; 900 to 1,700 g | 50 to 60 years | 4 x 5 x 5 ft | $500 |
A mini macaw fits a smaller home, but it is still a macaw: the World Parrot Trust describes Hahn's calls as shrill and severe macaw calls as harsh screeches. Large macaws need far more room, and the Merck Veterinary Manual warns that their screaming can irritate neighbors. Within the large group, VCA describes the hyacinth as considerably calmer and more easy-going, but it is also the biggest and needs the strongest cage. If you share walls, a mini macaw, or no macaw, is the honest answer.
Where can you adopt a macaw in the US: a rescue, a shelter or an owner?
- Parrot rescues often place birds through foster homes, so someone has lived with the bird. Phoenix Landing serves Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida; Foster Parrots is based in Rhode Island.
- Animal shelters and humane societies sometimes take in macaws; their staff may know less about the bird's history, so ask more questions.
- Owners who can no longer keep a macaw often list it for adoption or rehoming themselves.
You can browse macaws for adoption on PetzLover, filter by location and save a search to hear about new listings. Owners placing a bird privately are covered in how to take in a rehomed macaw.
How does macaw adoption work?
- Read the rescue's requirements and fill in its application: household, housing, schedule, experience, cage and avian vet.
- Take part in a phone or video interview.
- Allow a home visit or a video walkthrough of where the cage will stand and where the bird will spend time out of it.
- Meet the macaw, ideally more than once, and handle it under the owner's guidance.
- Expect a foster-to-adopt period with some rescues; Phoenix Landing applies its fees to birds placed this way.
- Sign the adoption contract and pay the fee.
- Book an avian vet exam within one to two weeks of the move.
Some rescues place large macaws only with experienced keepers or will not place loud parrots in homes with shared walls. Foster Parrots, for example, does not place large or highly vocal parrots with people who rent or share walls.
What should you ask about an adoptable macaw's species and history?
- Which species is it, and is that known or guessed? It could be a hybrid such as a Catalina (scarlet x blue-and-yellow) or Harlequin (blue-and-yellow x green-winged), and an adult's parents may be unknown.
- How old is it, and how do they know: a band, paperwork or an estimate?
- Is the sex known from a DNA test?
- Why was it given up, and how many homes has it had?
- When is it loudest, and does it bite, chew furniture or pluck its feathers?
- What does it eat now? A hyacinth needs more nuts than other macaws; the World Parrot Trust lists walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and pine nuts.
- What vet records come with it, and when was its last exam?
Hyacinths and scarlets are listed under the Endangered Species Act, but owning one needs no federal permit.
How much does it cost to adopt a macaw?
- Adoption fee: Phoenix Landing charges $350 for mini macaws and $500 for large macaws, and says its fees do not begin to cover its costs. Foster Parrots asks a $200 placement fee.
- Species examples: The Vet Desk gives a typical adoption price of $600 for a hyacinth and $600 to $1,000 or more for a scarlet.
- Cage: typically $400 to $1,000 for a scarlet-sized cage and $1,000 to $3,000 for a hyacinth (The Vet Desk), unless the cage comes with the bird.
- First avian vet visit: typically $70 to $300 before tests.
Ask whether the cage, play stand and carrier are included; for a large macaw that can save more than the fee itself.
How do you help an adopted macaw settle in?
- Keep it apart from other birds until your avian vet clears it; the CDC notes birds can carry psittacosis without looking sick.
- Ask your vet about avian bornavirus: the Merck Veterinary Manual says PDD primarily affects macaws, conures and African greys.
- Keep its old diet and routine at first, then improve the diet slowly.
- Expect a new macaw to be quiet, loud or nippy for a while, and let it come to you.
- Give it chew wood and toys every day; macaws are strong chewers.
Owners placing a bird will find their side in how to list a macaw for adoption. If you would rather buy a young bird, read how to buy a macaw first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to adopt a macaw than to buy one?
Usually. Rescue fees such as Phoenix Landing's $350 for mini macaws and $500 for large macaws are well below typical breeder prices, which The Vet Desk puts at $2,000 to $4,000 or more for a scarlet. The cage and vet care cost the same either way.
Can a first-time bird owner adopt a macaw?
Some rescues require parrot experience for large macaws, and others accept a well-prepared beginner. A mini macaw is a smaller step, but it is still loud and long-lived. Ask the rescue what it expects.
Can I adopt a hyacinth or scarlet macaw?
Yes, when one is available. Both species are listed under the Endangered Species Act, but owning one needs no federal permit. Expect a careful home check, since both need very large cages.
What if the rescue does not know the macaw's species or age?
That is common with adults, especially hybrids. An avian vet can estimate condition, and a DNA test confirms the sex. Choose the bird for its behavior and health rather than its label.
Do adopted macaws come with papers?
Often only a leg band and vet records, sometimes nothing. CITES papers are not needed to keep a macaw in the US, but ask for whatever history the rescue or owner has.
How long do adopted macaws live?
VCA gives large macaws 50 to 60 years and mini macaws 30 to 40 years. An adult in rescue may still have decades ahead, so plan who would care for it later.
Helpful guides
Pet for AdoptionHow to List a Macaw for Adoption in the United StatesListing a macaw for adoption in the US works best when the species sets the criteria: cage size, noise tolerance and a decades-long plan differ between mini and large macaws.
Pet for SaleHow to Buy a Macaw in the United StatesBefore you buy a macaw in the US, choose between a large species and a mini macaw, check whether that species is CITES Appendix I or federally listed, and get the species or hybrid cross in writing.
Pet for SaleHow to Sell Macaws in the United StatesSelling a macaw in the US starts with the exact species or cross: it decides which CITES and Endangered Species Act rules apply, what price is realistic and which buyers can house the bird.
Pet for RehomingHow to Take In a Rehomed Macaw in the United StatesBefore you take in a rehomed macaw in the US, confirm the species, ask about its history and noise, get the vet records, and plan a weight check and avian vet exam in the first two weeks.
Pet for RehomingHow to Rehome Your Macaw Responsibly in the United StatesTo rehome your macaw responsibly in the US, state its species and habits honestly, screen each home for the cage and noise that species needs, ask a fair fee and hand it over in person.
Pet WantedHow to Respond to a "Macaw Wanted" Ad in the United StatesBefore you answer a macaw wanted ad in the US, find out which species and size the requester can really house, verify who they are, and hand the bird over in person.
Pet WantedHow to Post a "Macaw Wanted" Ad and Get Replies in the United StatesA macaw wanted ad gets better replies when it names the species or size you can house, gives a realistic budget and location, describes your home, and says you will meet in person.