Yellow  Collared Macaw
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PLEASE READ FIRST!

You'll notice most of the pictures are gone because I was taking up too much space for a free website. They are not coming back up, because this website is officially at its end.

I wrote this in response to an e-mail I received regarding YCM's and their behavior... a bit of it seems out of place, because its an answer to a specific question or statement... but I wanted to get it up here so that others finding the website would know what's going on with us.

Well, I'll give you the rundown of what happened to me. You read my story here on the website, well, that hasn't been updated in several years now. Last Monday (12/14/09) I actually re-homed Alex. He was my best friend for ~6 years and one day he decided he hated me, and nearly removed my nose. Since then I can't so much as ask him to step up without blood loss. Seeing as how I couldn't get my own bird to work out, I decided against the avain behavior minor of the zoology degree I was working on.

YCM's have a great capacity to learn. Words, phrases, and their meanings. Whether they use them when you want them to is an entirely different matter. Their voice isn't that plain, so its often hard for anyone but their owner to understand what they're saying. I don't know how many times Alex would say "come here" and someone in the room would say "Oh well Hello Alex" and I'd have to explain he didn't say hello he said "come here". Training has a lot to do with it but macaws have a rotten streak and pretty much do what they want when they want... you can use that to your advantage often, provided you can give them what they want in return (Alex was a sucker for cereal and crackers).

I can say a parrot in a home with ferrets is a bad idea. I once had two ferrets before I got Alex and I also had a ringneck parakeet named Rudy I was given by an older gentleman who had to enter a nursing home. I'd had all 3 about a year, one day I didn't realize someone had let Ollie (white ferret) out, and the next thing I know Rudy and Ollie are on the floor with both screaming and blood everywhere. Well, Ollie almost lost his nose and Rudy nearly died. That took about... 11 seconds. When I decided to bring Alex home, I moved Rudy's cage up much higher and Alex's cage was so tall I thought there was no way they'd be able to get up to him. Well, I often found a ferret perched on top of his 6' tall cage peering down at him. Riley (brown ferret) nearly lost his left front foot. So, the ferrets went to a friend who'd always loved them, Rudy went to another older gentleman (he wasn't happy with a female - me) and Alex and I suddenly realized what we'd gotten ourselves into when he came home. I never regretted it though. He was a great friend. I didn't realize how painful that bond would become back then, but I do now.

Alex and I were in love. He was my best friend. I took him everywhere it was safe for me to and he was ALWAYS out of his cage when I was at home. He went through 2 boyfriends and a marriage with me, I always laughed and said "Alex was here when you came, and he'll be here when you leave, so if you don't like him being here, save us the heartache and move on now." I can't describe to you how deep our bond was. Six years of being best friends came to a crashing standstill one day. Alex and I had always had an unspoken rule. He was sensitive about his wings, and me, my face. He was always VERY gentle with my face, and I his wings. We're talking he would preen my eyelashes for hours on end. Well, we were moving and took Alex to my parents' house for a week or so while we painted to keep him out of the fumes and hustle bustle. Mind you he had lived in my parents' home for 2 years, so it was a familiar place and I visited him every day he was there. The day I came to take him home, he stepped up, I went to give him kisses, and nearly lost my nose. That was a shocker. After that moment, the war began. After a couple years of trying to win him over, it became apparent Andrea and Alex had ended. However I was too consumed with the idea that "pets are for life" to be able to part with him. This is "Andrea and Alex" we're talking about here! He was my bird and I would stick by him forever. Well, it recently came to my attention how unhappy he must have become. I was still feeding him all the proper and fancy bird foods and fresh foods, etc etc... cleaning his cage regularly... all his basic needs were met. Except affection and family. If I know most birds, that is the most important need in their eyes. It took years for me to understand it, and tears, omg the tears it took for me to realize I wasn't giving Alex the proper care any longer. Parrots are not happy in cages, and Alex was rarely getting to come out. (I dislike bleeding and he liked to come for me) He began screaming insessantly... but I would too if I'd been accustomed to the kind of life he was and then suddenly became furniture. It became obvious to everyone but me that Alex should have a new momma, but I was dead set I don't get my pets while they're fun and then give them up. So 4 years went by, and I still had Alex in the living room in his cage with all his toys sitting there dejectedly watching us, while I occasionally spoke to him and occasionally put in the effort to once again get disappointed when I was chomped on repeatedly because no, he did not want us to be best friends again. I felt sure we could get past it.

I was wrong. It became a little joke to us every time we would see someone to say "You don't know anyone who wants a psycho parrot do ya?" Well, one day a friend we knew said "Well, I actually might"... That hit me hard. I was like NO Alex is mine! MINE! I won't do that to him. I won't abandon him *sob sob sob* What if they don't feed him right or get him new toys or give him baths or clean his cage or or *wailing sobs* ... by this point my boyfriend was like "Oh my goodness baby we don't have to get rid of him I'm sorry!" So I was content and we went home. That's when I started thinking about it... and realized even though many people don't know about parrots...LOTS of people know that parrots don't eat a died of sunflower seeds. Lots of people know avacado is poison to birds. Lots of people know how to care for them properly... they taught me what I know! Maybe this woman isn't a monster just waiting to take Alex and leave him in a closet somewhere. So, I decided to meet her. Go see her and her African Grey... to see how squalid his living arrangements were so I could once and for all dismiss the idea of shipping my Alex off to some God-forsaken place. Well, I was wrong again. I went to meet Lorri, and realized her home would be perfect for Alex. I spent a few hours there seeing how her home was full of life and energy and someone was always around and Alex wouldn't have to sit in his cage all day... and her family all knows about birds and he could be part of a family again. She had even printed a picture of him that I'd posted online out to show them. I started thinking about how excited I was when Alex came home. How much I doted over him and how much a part of the family he was. I was kinda quiet the rest of the time I was there, because I realized how selfish I was being. A committment to ensure an animal has a good quality of life for its ENTIRE life, is more than promising to feed it and never dump it off at the pound. Sometimes, with parrots more than others because they live SO long, that committment involves putting your bird's happiness and well-being above your own. I know many who will read this have known Alex and I since I brought him home. Many of you have helped us through some of the hiccups we encountered along the way. I hope you remember how committed I was to his happiness and well-being and trust that I spend a great deal of time on this decision, and appreciate how difficult it truly was.

The night I met Lorri, Alex went home with her. The next morning she posted pictures of him giving her kisses, and I stopped crying over it and I haven't cried since, lol at least not until I started writing this. I will always remember him and he will always be in my heart, and I know I did the right thing for him. Sometimes it takes putting someone else's needs before your own regardless of how much it hurts to make you realize how much you really do care about them. I pray all parrot owners find the love and heartfelt bond with another that I did when I found Alex... and I hope you remember that a committment to be responsible for another being's life isn't always easy. When you get a parrot, you are making a lifetime committment to ensure their needs are met, no matter how much it hurts to do so, whether its in your home or another. Please remember that parrots are like adopting a child when you make the decision to bring one into your life. I wish you all the very best and hope you research your decision thoroughly if you're considering a new parrot. Best wishes always and lots of love from my family to yours,

~Andrea


Photo by Paul Wood of his Yellow Collared Macaw - Pogo


 Yellow Collared Macaws  belong to a group of macaws known as the mini-macaws. The only thing mini about these endearing creatures is their size, and they more than make up for it with their colorful antics and loving nature. The name is derived from the beautiful stripe of yellow feathers adorning their nape, which increases in number and intensity with age. The yellow collared macaw possesses all the attributes of the larger macaws, the "macaw personality" unique to their colorful species. These wonderful birds require a LARGE cage, just like their larger cousins, and also know how to use their LARGE voice, though yellow collars are not known to be screamers. They're not as cuddly as a cockatoo, but more cuddly than an amazon. Just about right there in the middle, although like any parrot, they have their moments at the extreems. In short, a yellow collared macaw owner is in for a roller coaster ride filled with laughs, joy, and a love like no other companion animal can provide.

If your macaw is provided with a healthy diet, a LARGE cage, plenty of time out of that cage, and lots of quality, personal attention, they can become a cherished lifelong companion. However, if neglected, ignored, fed a poor diet, and kept in an unfit cage, they can become the greatest disappointment/ disaster you've ever gotten yourself into. A yellow collared macaw MUST NEVER be acquired as an impulse buy, but after much careful consideration.

These beautiful birds require more time and care than most people could ever imagine. Macaws love to be the center of attention, and will often seek out their "flock members" within the home, resulting in injury to the bird, or worse.



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Yellow Collared Macaws are often considered one of the most popular of the smaller macaws, in close running with the Hahn's macaw. They are an excellent choice for bird lovers who want all the qualities of the larger macaws, but are daunted by the large beak or emmence cage requirements. They often form strong bonds with their favorite family members, and need to be well socialized at a young age to prevent posessive and aggressive behavior. Yellow collars can become excellent talkers, combining words with their meanings quickly. They can easily be taught to use words to gain attention, instead of screaming for it. Like all macaws, they can easily learn new behaviors at almost any age.





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