Life with A Yellow Collared Macaw

Living with a YCM
As told by other ycm owners

This is Alex, displaying the Goofy attitude common to YCMs

This page will contain the thoughts, comments, and general info of several other yellow collared macaw owners...survey style. This will allow everyone out there to get a wide variety of opinions about owning a ycm, in hopes of preparing all of you considering getting your first ycm for what you are about to embark upon. I thought it would be fairly entertaining to the rest of us who already own one...or the general public...as well :)

Yellow Collared Macaws...and their People (just for typing purposes) ;)

Katie and her YCM Gilligan (sex and age unknown)
Arrie and her YCM Forrest (female, age unknown)
Andrea and her YCM Alex (sex unknown; Hatched Sept. 17, 2000 - 3 at time of survey)
Alison and her YCM Georgie (female; Hatched May 30, 2002 - 15 months at time of survey)
Paul and his YCM Pogo (male; hatched Feb. 23, 1999 - 4 at time of survey)
Lilah and her YCM Spencer (female; 8 months at time of survey)
Chris and her YCM Lucy (female; 10 months at time of survey)
Hilary and her YCM Monki (male; 6 years old at time of survey)

Question #1

What made you decide on a ycm?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
We knew we wanted a macaw, but didn't decide on a YCM until we saw him at the SPCA. He won our hearts when they re-hung the 'I Bite' sign and he immediately tore it down.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
My Yellow Collared was a placement with me.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
I was at a bird expo planning on an amazon. My eye kept wandering back to these 2 little green macaws in the center of the room, and I finally went over to see them. After about 2 hours of "no...well, I don't know" and making friends with Alex, I was the proud owner of my little yellow collared macaw. And I'm all the better for it :)
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
I chose a ycm because they are silly, playful, cuddly, smart, and the perfect size.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
The breeder that I bought two other birds from had a pair of YCM's sitting on eggs. I asked for first refusal on the chick. I met Pogo three times before bringing him home. The first was when he was only a couple of weeks old. The second time was a couple of months later at which time we bonded instantly. The third time he came home with me.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
I was already owned by 2 little sun conures,Baylee & Piper,and my husband was deployed to to kuwait to assist with the war efforts and i had decided to purchase another small conure. My husband really wanted a b&g, but i didn't think i was ready for something that BIG!! So I went to a very very wonderful pet store in the area whose bird room manager is AMAZING. She and i were discussing little conures and she told be she had some birds coming in later that week and there should be some black caps. So in i went later that week. She brought me back to the nursery to pick out my little bird and Spencer was pearched on the edge of a tub honking. It was love at first sight!!!!!!She promptly became my "little" bird.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
My Husband and I thought we wanted a Grey, researched and decided not. My daughter's vet recommended a Bird Shop that would give us excellent advice. We visited thinking we wanted a Senegal for a "starter bird". Clerk introduced us to 8 week old YCM. She said Hello and cuddled into my huband's hands and that was it. SOLD - and we brought her home in July.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
Monki was surrendered to the sanctuary that I was volunteering at. He was so afraid and skittish when he arrived that I started working with him. 6 months later he decided that he liked me so I eventually adopted him. He was so happy every time I visited him that I couldn't bear to leave him there.

Question #2

Rate how loud your ycm is. 0 being never makes a sound. 10 being I've almost thrown the bird through the window. If you have other birds, please compare the ycm's volume, frequency, etc, to those of your other birds.

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
I would say Gilligan is about a 6. He is almost always making some noise. He gives a scream when I'm going out the door in the morning to say 'don't go!' and begins with a 'hello' when I walk in the door at the end of the day. The rest of the evening consists of contact calls, gibberish, and nonsense singing. He's about 3 notches louder than our cockatiel.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
My Yellow collared is not so much loud as the screetchiness of the sound. Forrest can be really annoying. I guess a 6. However duration is limited. I have owned a Moluccan and there is none so loud, but the tonal quality is not annoying to me. My Molly, well, a 4. The Eclectus can really be loud and can go on forever. A 6. I had a Quaker and I could not stand her voice at all, neither the Dusky Conure. Just had me holding my ears. Found good homes with deaf folks.... (little humour)
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Alex can be very loud. I'd give him about a 5. I've worked around several birds, and he's not as loud as a blue and gold, but much louder than birds like cockatiels. Not as piercing as a conure. I used to have an Indian Ringneck named Rudy. He had the most PIERCING screech I've ever known, right up there with a sun conure. Alex is louder than he was, but less high pitched. Before I trained him away from his screaming behavior, the "RAAAAAAAA RAAAAAAAAAAA" was nerve-racking and unrelenting.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
I would rate Georgie's loudness as a 2. She almost never screams, but she talks A LOT!!!!! I don't have other birds, but my aunt has birds and Georgie is MUCH quieter!
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Carolyn finds Pogo's noise annoying but it doesn't bother me. He has his noisy times first thing in the morning and just before bed. Compared to my Derbyan he is about the same in noise. My rating would be a 5 but only a couple of times a day and even then for only a few minutes each time. Of course, the times we especially want him to be quiet is when he decides to let loose. He also alerts us to people walking past the house or coming in the yard. My cockatiel and Senegal are much more annoying to me because their screech is so shrill.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
Spencer would be 3-4 but considering I have 2 sun conures they drown her and my blue headed pionus Ding Dong out.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
I guess a 4. We had a cockatiel that was much more noisy and chattery. Lucy has just started screeching if she sees my husband go outside or if she thinks she has been ignored for too long. The first time I heard her, I was in the back of the house and I went running because I thought for sure she was hanging herself or caught in something!! I must say my barking doberman is much more annoying.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
Monki can be a 7, but is usually a 4 or 5. He was a screamer when I got him. He didn't like being separated from me so he would scream for me to come and get him. I broke him from that but he backslides sometimes. Currently when the sun starts to come up Monki starts to demand his breakfast. On the weekends he sleeps in a room on the other end of the house so I can sleep in.

Question #3

How loving is your ycm? Same as above. If you have other fids, please compare them.

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
With him being a rescue, he has taken his time at becoming loving. He shows his affection by doing 'birdy' things, such as regurgitation, but still isn't quite cuddly yet. He is beginning to ask to be pet recently - that's taken about 6 months.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
OH my GOSH!!! Forrest is the most snuggly little ball of feathers every. She rivals my Meyer's and my Brownie all to pieces. My Ekkie is NOT snuggly at all. He likes to watch me from a distance. Sadly, my Blue and Gold is not at all snuggly but I think that has everything to do with how her life began.. she never got out of her cage, was surrounded by 4 huge pure bred German Shepard's and she barks and grabs HER leg.....interesting.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Alex is EXTREMELY cuddley, when he wants to be. Sometimes he's in the mood to be rough and play around. Sometimes he just wants to sit and preen me, mumbling along and sucking on my finger or earlobe. He's really moody though, and if he doesn't want to cuddle then its not going to happen.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
I would give Georgie a 10 for loving. She never refuses a cuddle and is always so excited to see people. Georgie is a lot more loving than my aunt's birds.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Both Pogo (YCM) and Meiko (Derbyan) are very loving. Meiko is well socialized and once he is comfortable with strangers he will let them pet and kiss him. Pogo is only loving to me. When I get home from work and we have our time together and he will rub his beak up and down my face and purr like a kitten.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
Spencer is the most loving of all my birds.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Lucy is the biggest cuddler. Our cockatiel was also. My grandson's cockatiel is not. She is more loving to my husband, but that is because he is the playmate and I am the feeder and cage cleaner.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
Monki is very affectionate. He used to puke for me all the time, but I discouraged that so he doesn't do it very often anymore. Now he snuggles with me and plays with me.

Question #4

How much does your ycm talk (how often).

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
He says 'pretty bird' and 'hello' constantly. We get 'OOH' when he sees something neat, or his food. If he's not saying one of those or doing a contact call, he's trying to get someone to sing with him.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
Forrest only talks when screaming to get me from another room does not work. Then she says Hello in the sweetest voice you've every heard. But, no other words have ever been heard.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
When doesn't he talk? Alex talks all day long, when I'm home, when I'm not. Rambles off everything he knows when no one's in the room with him. He talks OFTEN!
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
Georgie talks almost constantly.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Pogo talks a lot. There is a time in the afternoon when they are in their room together he and Meiko go over everything they know. Sometimes it is sounds like they are talking to each other. They even sing some songs to each other they have learned.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
Spencer is 7 and half months old and is talking pretty well and frequently.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Morning the most and right before bed.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
Monki is not a very good talker, but his previous owner left him in a garage for 3 years. I think the lack of contact is the reason he doesn't speak much. He says "Hello", "Want some", & "What's up". He says "Want Some" the most when he is interested in the food being offered to him.

Question #5

How clear is your ycm's voice?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
His voice can be pretty clear when he actually does talk.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
Her voice is really sweet when she says "Hello".
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Alex says most things very clearly. He does mumble sometimes, but I think its on purpose. Sometimes he jabbers on with all kinds of muddled stuff, I don't think even he has any clue what he's saying then.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
Georgie's voice is very clear on words that she has known for a while. Many times she will say something and I won't know whether is was a person or a bird, but other times she mumbles a little to where only family members can understand her.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Usually Pogo's voice is very clear. When he is learning new words it sounds almost like something I should know but don't. Sometimes it almost makes my head hurt trying to figure out what he is saying.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
Very clear
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Except for a really clear hello, the rest is understood by family members, but come phrases getting clearer with practice.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
"Hello" and "Want some" are very clear

Question #6

Does your ycm use any words appropriately with their meaning?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
He will say "hello" when someone comes into the room.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
She only says "Hello", usually uses it as a contact call.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Alex says "Good morning" when he's uncovered in the morning. Says "Bye Alex" when you walk out the door. Sometimes says "Hello Alex" when I get home. I taught him what "come here" means, and he uses it ALL THE TIME to call me when I'm in another room. He knows what "graham cracker" is, and asks for them all the time :) Says "Kissy Kissy" and makes kissy noises sometimes when he gives Kisses. He's currently learning what "I'm busy" means, it goes with the contact call "come here". Since he calls me so much I'm teaching him that "I'm busy" means that I'm not going to come get him right away but I did respond to the contact call. That's all I can think of right now.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
She uses all of her words appropriately unless she is just practicing how to pronounce them since I don't try to teach her to say words unless I am showing her what I am talking about. I try to talk to her like she is a person so she will learn to speak instead of mimic.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Pogo says hi when we enter the room and bye bye when we start to leave. He will also say bye to company as they are leaving. If I am giving the other birds a treat and am a bit slow getting to Pogo he will say, "want some". When he is sharing a treat or snack with me he will pause and whisper as clearly as can be, "it's good". Why he whispers I have no idea. The bird cages are covered at night. If I go into the room to check on one of them Pogo talks to me but almost in a whisper as if he knows he has to be quiet. At night his usual greeting is "hi guy, hi Paul, bye bye, see ya".
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
She whispers "nite nite" when you cover her, she says "momma help" when she wants out of her cage(we are not sure were she learned help) and we are working on "step up".
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Absolutely, so much so it is scary. Always a hello when family comes in the back door or the phone is answered. If I ask her a question, she says, "What?" And only if her favorite cooked food is served she has a very robust, "Hmmmmm, good!" Pellets never get that reaction.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
He uses "Want Some" appropriately.

Question #7

How many words/phrases (approx) does your ycm know?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
4
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
1
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Where do I start...I can count at least 30 words or phrases that I can make out, and then there's all the jibberish too...
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
Georgie says approximately 100 things.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Pogo knows a lot of words and quite a few phrases. He uses one phrase a lot at night time when they are getting ready for bed. I have always used a piece of Arrowroot cookie as an incentive to get the birds to go into their cages. Only when they go into their cage will I give them a piece. I started this in case someone has to tend them and is uncomfortable handling them. I will say, "well boys it's time for bed". Pogo will say, "wanna cookie?" I would estimate he knows more then 30 words and several phrases. He understands many more.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
About 5 right now
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
She is only 10 months, but so far - Hello, Hmmmm, Good, What? , How are you? And she is practicing - Good Morning and Night-Night.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
3

Question #8

Does your ycm like strangers? If not, is it because he/she wasn't properly socialized?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
He is fine with strangers as long as he is in his cage, on his cage, or on his playgym. I haven't trusted him with anyone yet as he has bitten my husband a lot. With him being a rescue, we have no idea what type of homelife he had for his first 3 years.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
Forrest does not like strangers if the stranger is near me and Forrest is on my shoulder or I am carrying her. She bites me, of course. I believe that her one and only former owner, a man, took Forrest everywith him and did not reinforce play by yourself. It seems that IN the cage is AWAY from Mum or Dad, period. Just waiting until Mum or Dad gets her out.. Other wise, Forrest is delightful, but does NOT like anyone else.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Hmmmmm....well, I'm the only one responsible for Alex's socialization, since I've had him since he was 3 months old...so I guess its my fault. Alex does NOT like strangers...for the most part. It really depends on his mood. I've seen him stretch out, open beaked, to anyone who comes too close to me. Then I've seen him willingly step up onto a complete stranger's hand. Who knows. For the most part no, and it probably is because he wasn't exposed to many people at a young enough age. Now that he is getting exposed to more people he's doing much better with it.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
Georgie loves strangers, but at first she is a little nervous. After about 5 minutes she starts acting normal and not being scared.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Pogo has been around strangers all his life. I take him out with me almost every weekend but even so he does not like strangers touching him. He prefers to be noticed and spoken to from a couple of feet away. If someone reaches up to touch him they are usually met with an open beak. He has gone to only a handful of strangers in the four years I have had him. One was a homeless chap that strolled up and spoke to Pogo and Pogo raised his foot and away they went. That does not happen very much. He does love attractive ladies, especially blondes (must have picked that up from me!!!). I have seen him almost turn himself inside out trying to get their attention (that never came from me).
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
Spencer is terrified of people she doesn't know and I tried to socialize her when she was younger and we are still working on that.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Lucy is very wary of strangers. Not because we did not socialize. I have 4 grandchildren that she was introduced to from day one and they are at my home alot but she does not speak when they are here and prefers that they keep their distance from her cage. If a total stranger comes in, she usually will just go hide in her sleeping hut.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
He won't step up for anyone else, but he is not afraid of people. He was when I got him, but I try to take him out in public a lot. If they have a French fry he is suddenly their friend and will walk right up to them to take it, but that is it. It is because he was not socialized well by the previous owner.

Question #9

Does your ycm like/tolerate your significant other?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
He originally went to my husband very well when we first brought him home. (He was supposed to be his bird) Since I was the one home more often, Gilligan bonded to me, and now goes after my husband all the time.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
Well, so far I don't have a significant other....but, one never knows. Forrest hated my daughter and my son in law especially. So, that may be a tough one, who knows.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Alex is an on again off again on this one. One day he's sitting on Mike playing with him and feeding him. The next day he's following him around flat backed and open beaked. The two worst bites I've ever gotten from Alex were the result of Mike getting too close to me when I was holding Alex. He went for Mike and I got in the way. So I guess you could say it depends on where I am... whether he likes him or not.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
Georgie loves everyone in the family
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
ogo likes Carolyn but only when I am not around. When I am around he can be quite aggressive towards her. She will make him step up from my shoulder and so-on but she has to monitor his body language very carefully. He has bitten her quite badly a few times so she has cause to be cautious. He has never bitten me, yet.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
She loves my husband and is putty in his hands.
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Yes, we share her equally.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
He tolerates my husband. He will step up for him and take food from him. He interacts with my hubby, but will not let him touch him.

Question #10

Is your ycm protective/possessive of his/her favorite human?

Answers

Katie and her ycm - Gilligan
Extremely.
Arrie and her ycm - Forrest
Oh, boy oh boy, is Forrest protective. I have several scars on my ears, and one on my cheek. She just does not like any other bird or person near. Now, that was not my teaching. Her other owner took Forrest everywhere and just never realized what a tyrant he was making of Forrest. Cannot be alone at all it seems.
Andrea and her ycm - Alex
Hmmmmm...does the stretched out, flat backed, beak open, chasing away anyone who comes near have anything to do with being possessive??? Of course, that's only sometimes. Alex can be good, if he wants to. Note that means he actually must WANT to be good. :) He's definitely a momma's boy.
Alison and her ycm - Georgie
She is not protective or possessive of anyone.
Paul and his ycm - Pogo
Yes, Pogo is very protective and possessive of me. I believe in certain circumstances he feels he has to protect me, other times he is just downright possessive.
Lilah and her ycm - Spencer
She is very protective of me! We recently adopted our bh pionus and spencer dislikes Ding Dong very much. I have a few scars to prove it!!
Chris and her ycm - Lucy
Not as much as our male cockatiel was of me. But she likes each of us for different reasons. My husband is playtime and cuddle. Me she can count on for meal prep, cleaning house, bathtime and I have more hair to preen and hide in.
Hilary and her ycm - Monki
Not really, occasionally if Monki is on my shoulder and my husband and I kiss, Monki will threaten my husband but doesn't bite him. It is pretty funny.

Well,that's all for now, I'll post more opinions and the like when I get them :) So if you have a ycm and would like to take the time to complete the questionnaire, please e-mail me and let me know. You can just e-mail me your answers if you like, make sure to number them so I know which answer goes with which question. Thanks, hope you enjoy!

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