How to Sell Macaws in the United States | PetzLover

What laws apply when you sell macaws in the US?

Selling a captive-bred macaw within the US is legal for every common species, but the details depend on the species.

• CITES: it covers trade between countries, not a sale between two US residents. Exporting any macaw needs CITES documents from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and for Appendix I species such as hyacinth, scarlet and military macaws, international commercial trade is generally ruled out.
• Hybrids: under 50 CFR 23.43, a hybrid with an Appendix I species in its last four generations is treated as Appendix I, so a Catalina (scarlet x blue-and-yellow) or Shamrock (scarlet x military) is documented like a scarlet.
• Hyacinth (threatened, 2018): its 4(d) rule lets you sell and ship it across state lines without an ESA permit. An export still needs CITES authorization and a signed breeder statement confirming captive breeding.
• Scarlet (2019): the southern subspecies and subspecies crosses may be sold across state lines without an ESA permit. The northern subspecies, Ara macao cyanoptera, is endangered: an interstate sale needs a permit, and the Fish and Wildlife Service says a captive-bred wildlife registration is meant for conservation breeding, not pet sales. The ESA does not prohibit a sale within your own state.
• Blue-throated (endangered since 2013): the same interstate limits apply.
• USDA licensing: Animal Welfare Act rules (9 CFR 2.1) exempt people who sell up to 200 pet birds of 250 grams or less a year, or up to 8 heavier birds, judged by the species' average adult weight and born and raised on their premises. Hahn's macaws fall in the first group; severe and large macaws in the second.
• State and local rules: some states regulate federally listed wildlife themselves, and cities may regulate breeding or noise. Check with your state wildlife or agriculture agency.

How do you document a macaw before you sell it?

1. Record the species, or both parent species for a hybrid, and the grandparents if you know them, since the CITES four-generation rule depends on them.
2. For a scarlet, write down what you know about the parents' origin and subspecies, and say plainly if it is unknown.
3. Wait until the chick is fully weaned and eating on its own.
4. Have the bird DNA sexed and keep the certificate.
5. Book an avian vet exam and keep the results. Ask your vet about testing for avian bornavirus, since the Merck Veterinary Manual says the disease it causes, PDD, primarily affects macaws, conures and African greys.
6. Note the closed band letters and numbers and any microchip number.
7. Write a care sheet. For a hyacinth, the World Parrot Trust lists nuts such as walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and pine nuts in a captive diet.

How should you price a macaw for sale?

Price by species first. The Vet Desk, a pet information site, gives typical breeder prices of $500 to $5,000 or more for macaws in general, $2,000 to $4,000 or more for a scarlet and $5,000 to $12,000 or more for a hyacinth (pages updated January 2026). It gives no separate figure for mini macaws, so compare current macaws for sale of the same species near you.

• A hand-raised, tame, DNA-sexed bird with vet records sits at the top of the range.
• Label a hybrid honestly and price it against the same cross, not against a pure species.
• A suitable cage adds real value: The Vet Desk puts a scarlet's cage at $400 to $1,000 and a hyacinth's at $1,000 to $3,000.
• An older pet you are placing for its own sake may suit a rehoming fee instead; rescues such as Phoenix Landing charge $350 for mini macaws and $500 for large macaws.

A very low price on a hyacinth or scarlet attracts resellers and worries careful buyers, because the Better Business Bureau has warned about fake sellers offering macaws at bargain prices.

How do you write a macaw ad that finds the right buyer?

1. Put the species or cross, age and sex in the title, for example "Hand-raised female yellow-collared macaw, 2 years".
2. Add clear daylight photos and a short video that includes the bird's normal calls.
3. Describe the noise honestly. Even mini macaws are loud; the World Parrot Trust compares severe macaw calls to a braying donkey.
4. State the cage the bird needs: VCA Animal Hospitals gives at least 4 ft wide, 5 ft tall and 5 ft long for large macaws, and 3 by 3 by 4 ft for mini macaws.
5. List the records you have: band, DNA certificate, vet exam and tests.
6. Give the price, what is included and that the buyer collects in person.
7. Keep your phone number and home address out of the ad text.

You can post your macaw ad free on PetzLover, and interested buyers message you there.

How do you screen buyers for a large or mini macaw?

Ask every buyer the same questions and compare the answers with what the species needs.

A buyer who will not visit, wants several birds at once or asks you to ship out of state without meeting is a reason to stop.

How do you take payment and hand over a macaw safely?

• Meet in person, ideally at your home or an avian vet clinic, and let the buyer handle the bird.
• Take payment at the handover. Refuse overpayments, "shipping agents" and requests to refund the difference.
• Sign a bill of sale with both names, the date, the species or cross, hatch date, band, sex, price and the records handed over.
• For an interstate sale of a scarlet, confirm first that it is not the endangered northern subspecies.
• Send the care sheet, a few days of food and the vet records with the bird.

If a buyer has posted a wanted ad, see how to respond to a macaw wanted ad. If you are placing an adult pet rather than selling, how to rehome your macaw responsibly fits better. Buyers may have read how to buy a macaw, so expect questions about species and papers.