For many people, their first glimpse into the wonderful world of macaws comes from an encounter with the popular Blue and Gold Macaw, Ara ararauna.
One of the large macaws, the average Blue and Gold Macaw measures between 32 and 35 inches long, including their tail, with a three and a half foot wingspan. They usually weigh between 900 and 1200 grams.
No one wasted a lot of imagination naming this macaw: The predominate colors are an iridescent turquoise blue on the back and tail, shading into a rich cobalt blue on the wings, with gold on the belly and underside of the tail and flight feathers. The crown of the head is a rich emerald green, the beak black, and the feathers on the distinctive bare white facial patch are black.
These birds now breed readily in captivity and they are increasingly popular in the pet trade. As always, with large parrots, they are not the best choice for everyone. They require a large, strong cage as well as a sizable playstand. Their normal voices are loud, and they do not do well as apartment or dorm room pets. They are also messy, tossing food about as parrots will do, and if not properly trained and guided for the first few years and throughout their lives, they can and will inflict serious bites.
However, they enjoy one of the best reputations as pets among the Macaw family. Although it isn't a good idea to generalize, many Blue and Gold owners mention how much they enjoy their macaws' impish behaviour, acrobatic skills, talking ability, and general playfulness. They are often clowns who seem to enjoy making their owners laugh, and simply becoming part of a human "flock."
