Preening and Fluffing

Macaws have beautiful feathers and they love to keep them shiny and healthy. They run their beaks from the base of the feathers to the top to clean, straighten and smoothen them.

Much like humans, who stretch before they start a new task the macaws have the habit of fluffing their feathers. These birds execute a quick feather ruffle so that they can let go tension. They will then fluff their feathers after preening in order to remove the dust particles. If you notice that your pet has fluffed for a long time then it might not be well. Consider seeing a doctor.

Attack Posture

Aggression could be unpleasant but it is normal for the macaws to be aggressive sometimes. In its natural habitat the bird would normally fly away from a situation where aggression comes in, but as a pet there’s no place for it to flee. Some of the aggressive postures that the bird will display could be fanning its tail, standing tall, swaying side to side while holding its crest tightly back, bending with its beak open, spitting and hissing, fluffing its back feathers and ready to swoop and bite.

Head Snaking

Their quest to grab attention of its owner may cause the macaw to glide its head from side to side like a snake. For the bird owners who are close to their pets, they will jerk their head and turn it in an angle making an attempt to look at you sideways; they will hold their head in the position till you respond in a similar manner. It is a game for them and love to do it over and over again.

Head snaking reflects your bird’s excitement as it bobs its head happily. It indicates that the bird wants to play with you. Make sure that you do not mistake a wound up bird as a happy one. While you may still see the head bobbing, the bird is probably going to lunge at you. Be careful and check if your bird is wound up for attack. When it lunges its beak at you just knock it off with a closed bent fist and then walk away from the macaw. It would have learnt its lesson.