The Severe Macaw

Facts

The Severe Macaw (Ara severa), also known as Chestnut-fronted Macaw, is a mini macaw, like the Hahn's Macaw or the Yellow-collared Macaw. They are predominantly green with patches of red and blue on the underside of the wings. Their chest feathers are tipped with a bit of chestnut brown, which is where their alternate common name is derived from. They have bare facial patches with fine black lines running across it. There is also a bit of brown down the sides of their cheeks and under the chin. A band of brown also goes across their forehead. Severe's can grow to lengths of 40 cm (16 inches).

The Severe's natural habitat runs from eastern Panama in Central America south as far as Bolivia and Brazil. This is a wide range, and they have not been impacted by collection like other types of macaws. A number of these macaws were brought into the in the 1980's, but with little adverse affect on their populations. It is the deforestation of their natural habitat that poses the most serious threat to these mini macaws.

The Severe Macaw makes a wonderful pet for if you want the macaw personality, but in a smaller size. The Severe Macaw is a very clownish and lively little mini macaw. They are small and easy to handle, and a hand raised Severe Macaw is very social and affectionate. Though there aren't as many of these birds as some of the other macaws, they are ready breeders and are becoming a bit more available.

The Severe Macaw is a social and friendly mini macaw, and a great choice if you want a smaller macaw. These mini macaws are intelligent and eager for attention and play. They have a good disposition and respond well to handling and training. But they are a typical macaw and can be cranky at times and may prefer only one person or only one gender.

Severe Macaws are eager to play and enjoy interacting with their keepers. Adept at learning some tricks, they can also be pretty fair talkers. These mini macaws are very loyal, and do tend to become a one person bird unless well socialized as babies with continued handling on a daily basis.

Care and Feeding

Specialized pelleted diets are highly recommended and should consist of 60–70% of the diet; use fortified seeds in moderation as they are higher in fat and less nutritious than pellets.Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, berries, pears, grapes, broccoli, and carrots. Do not feed birds fruit seeds, avocados, chocolate, alcohol or caffeine as these can cause serious medical problems.

If your bird is used to a seed diet, convert to pellets gradually. Fresh pellets or seeds and fresh, clean, chlorine-free water should always be available. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be given daily; discard when not eaten within 24 hours; Macaws appreciate quality and variety in their food.

Birds acclimate well to average household temperatures; be cautious of extreme temperature change; cage should be placed off the floor in an area that is well-lit and away from drafts. A cage that is at least 24" W x 22" D, with metal bars spaced no greater than 3/4" apart, makes a good home for your parrot; as with all animals, it is best to provide the largest habitat possible; a flight cage is strongly recommended.

Perches should be at least 9" long and 3/4" in diameter. A variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended. A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with cage paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning. To avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches.