How to List a Macaw for Adoption in the United States

What adopter criteria should you set for a mini or large macaw?

Write criteria from what your bird needs, not from an ideal adopter. Most criteria are the same for every macaw, but the numbers change with size.

• Cage: at least 3 by 3 by 4 feet for a mini macaw and 4 by 5 by 5 feet for a large macaw (VCA), with wire strong enough for the species.
• Noise: every macaw is loud. For a large macaw, look for a home without shared walls or with written landlord approval; the Merck Veterinary Manual warns that macaw screaming can irritate neighbors.
• Time: someone home much of the day and daily time out of the cage.
• Diet: pellets and vegetables, plus extra nuts for a hyacinth.
• Long-term plan: VCA gives mini macaws 30 to 40 years and large macaws 50 to 60, so ask who would take the bird later.
• Experience: large-parrot experience for a large macaw, or a clear plan to learn and to use an avian vet.

Stay flexible on points that do not affect the bird's welfare.

How much should you charge to adopt out a macaw?

Rescues set their own fees, and many tie them to size. Phoenix Landing lists $350 for mini macaws and $500 for large macaws and says its fees do not begin to cover its costs; Foster Parrots in Rhode Island asks a $200 placement fee. A private owner can ask a similar or lower fee, especially when the cage is included.

A fee also helps protect the bird. Breeder prices are high, typically $2,000 to $4,000 or more for a scarlet and $5,000 to $12,000 or more for a hyacinth according to The Vet Desk, so a free large macaw can attract people who plan to resell it. Say in the listing what the fee covers, and collect it in person at the handover.

What should a macaw adoption listing include?

You can post your macaw for adoption as a free ad, and applicants message you through PetzLover. Your listing appears among macaws for adoption near the people searching. Keep your phone number and home address out of the ad text.

How do you screen applicants for a macaw adoption?

1. Ask for a written application covering household, housing, schedule, birds kept before, cage size and avian vet.
2. Hold a phone or video call and follow up on vague answers.
3. Do a home visit or a video walkthrough of where the cage will stand.
4. Invite the applicant to meet the macaw, ideally twice, and watch how they approach it.
5. If they keep birds, ask for their avian vet's name and whether you may call the clinic.
6. Decide, and tell unsuccessful applicants kindly.

• Red flag: wanting the bird mainly to breed it, especially to produce hybrids.
• Red flag: asking you to ship the bird or to meet halfway without a home check.
• Red flag: a medium cage for a large macaw, or no answer about who would care for it later.

What should a macaw adoption contract include?

• Both parties' names, contact details, the date and the fee.
• The species or cross, age, band, microchip and sex, and how each was determined.
• The health and behavior information you disclosed, with copies of records.
• An avian vet exam within one to two weeks, and separation from other birds until then.
• A return clause: the adopter contacts you before rehoming, selling or giving the bird away.
• Any conditions you set, such as no breeding and no shipping out of the country.

Owning a scarlet or hyacinth needs no federal permit, but the Endangered Species Act limits commercial transfers of endangered macaws across state lines. If your bird is a northern-subspecies scarlet or a blue-throated macaw, ask the US Fish and Wildlife Service before placing it with someone in another state. How far a contract can be enforced depends on state law, so keep it short.

How should you follow up after placing a macaw?

• Check in after the first week, after one month and after three months.
• Ask whether the vet visit happened and whether the bird's weight is steady.
• Share its favorite foods, toys, calls and bedtime routine.
• If the placement fails, take the bird back calmly and screen again before relisting.

If you are placing your own pet without a formal process, how to rehome your macaw responsibly has a fuller disclosure checklist. Applicants may have read how to adopt a macaw. If you would rather sell a young bird, see how to sell macaws.