HAHN’S MACAW

Hahn’s Macaw – Appearance:

In terms of height, the Hahn’s Macaw is similar in size to Sun Conures which gives them the household name of “mini macaw”. They are predominantly bright green with a pale blue patch of feathers just above the beak. As the name suggests, the alula and lesser coverts feathers, signifying the shoulders are red. Just like other macaws, the tail is narrow and long and the facial area has a patch of bare white skin around the eyes.

There are three distinct subspecies of the Diopsittaca nobilis (D.n.):

• D.n. nobilis – Hahn’s Macaw
• D.n. cumanensis – Noble Macaw
• D.n. longipennis

The Hahn’s Macaw is classed as the D.n nobilis and distinguished by the dark grey color of its upper mandible (beak). On the other hand, the D.n. cumanesis also known as the Noble Macaw and identified by it’s off white upper mandible. Lastly, the D.n. longipennis has slightly larger wings and is specific to Brazil.

Hahn’s Macaw – Diet:

75% High Quality Pellet Mix – A staple fortified pellet diet that is tailored for Macaw’s or medium sized parrots. Popular brands specializing in mini macaw diets include Vetafarm South American Mix, Vetafarm Parrot Essentials Pellet, Zupreem Natural, Roudybush 24/7 or Harrison’s High Potency Coarse or Fine Mix

	Harrison’s Bird Foods High Potency Fine 1lb
	RoudyBush California Blend Bird Food
	ZuPreem Natural with Vitamins & Minerals

15% Fresh Fruit and Vegetables – Mango, Pineapples, Paw Paw, Corn, Peaches, Apple, Banana, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Capsicum, Carrot, Beans, Peas, Broccoli, Spinach

5% Seed and Nuts – Sunflower, Peanuts, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Brazil Nuts

Hahn’s Macaw – Essentials:

When bringing your little birdie home for the first time, you will need to ensure you have the basics sorted beforehand.

• Bird Cage – because of their miniature size compared to traditional macaws, the Hahn’s Macaw can be housed in smaller cages at least 100cm x 80cm x 160cm (W x L x H). It’s best to line the cage with newspaper to easily clean their droppings/mess.
• Cage Cover – any cloth that covers 90% of the cage so the bird can sleep in darkness e.g. light blanket or sheet
• Perch – at least two perches, preferably sturdy natural bark branches or cement to keep their nails naturally trimmed.
• Toys – at least 3 toys to begin with for mental stimulation/entertainment; highly recommend toys that can be chewed or shred e.g. leather toys, wooden beads or cardboard
• Bowls – 3x bowls (one for seeds, one for fresh fruit/vegetables and the other for water); your bird might use the water bowl to bath too, that’s completely fine!

Still not sure? Click here to download our 100% FREE bird care checklist here.

Hahn’s Macaw – Behavior:

• Socialization: Hahn’s Macaws are playful, affectionate and fairly easy to tame birds compared to their larger counterparts. They can be territorial at times towards their pet-owner, so you might want to keep them away from visitors.

• Vocalization: Casual chatter-box parrots that like to whistle and mimic but their native call is more of a screech. You may occasionally hear a squawk as a warning signal to other birds of nearby danger.

Have a listen to their call below:

Hahn’s Macaw – Breeding:

On average the Hahn’s Macaw reaches sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age and are considered monomorphic breeds. They are not picky with their mating partners unlike larger macaws. In the wild, these beautiful birds can be seen nesting high within tree trunk cavities to seek protection from the weather and predators.

Other requirements for breeding are mentioned below:

• Requirements:
  • Rectangle shaped Nest box made from pine or chipboard (min. dimensions 45x20x40cm – HxWxL)
  • Nest box filling – non-toxic wood shavings or saw dust
  • You may offer a breeding food mix if available near you

• Mating Partner: monogamous – one partner for life
• Breeding Season: Spring
• Clutch Frequency: 1 – 3 clutches per year
• Clutch Quantity: 3 – 4 eggs per clutch
• Incubation Period: 24 – 26 days
• Weaning: 12 weeks

Hahn’s Macaw – Health:

Common Issue	Symptoms	Causes
Psittacosis	Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, vomiting, nasal/ocular discharge, diarrhea or pale green feces, breathing difficulties, conjunctivitis, minimal physical movement, tremors	Bacteria: Chlamydia psittaci contracted via infected dried saliva, feathers, mucous and feces
Proventricular Dilatation Syndrome “Macaw Wasting Syndrome“	Loss of appetite, vomiting, passing of undigested food in feces, weight loss, overall body weakness, head tremors seizures	Avian Bornavirus (ABV) contracted through feces, saliva and other bodily secretions from birds – causes nerve inflammation
Feather Plucking	Form of self mutilation by plucking their own feathers, leaving bald patches of skin	Boredom, lack of mental stimulation, poor diet, illness, stress
Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease	Sharp, clubbed or abnormally short feathers, pigment loss in colored feathers, bloody feather shafts	Beak & Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) contracted from other infected birds e.g. oral – parent feeding young or ingestion of virus particles in dust feces
Aspergillosis	Weight loss, lethargy, constantly fluffed feathers, difficulty breathing, cloudy eyes, droopy wings	Aspergillus fungus: exposure to spores found in dust, mold, soil – mainly affects malnourished or immunocompromised birds
Malnutrition	Nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing conjunctivitis, poor feather quality, weakness, egg binding, embryonic death	Vitamin A or Calcium deficiency
Worms	Diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, malnutrition or blood in feces	Ascaris roundworm or flatworms – eggs passed in droppings

Did You Know?

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