The selling point of the Hahn’s macaw is that it’s pretty much like its bigger cousins but comes in a smaller size!
Usually, macaws are large bird animals and therefore, need spacious cages. But what if you want a macaw but can do away with the high size requirements? Hahn’s macaw is the answer.
It’s part of the unofficial “mini-macaw” family.
The species’ binomial nomenclature is Ara nobilis nobilis.
Hahn’s Macaw Information
The Hahn’s macaw shares many core traits with its larger macaw cousins – it’s energetic, active, inquisitive, bold, and fun to be around. Just that it’s medium-sized and sometimes even small-sized. 12 to 14 inches is the average size of a Hahn’s macaw.
Hahn’s macaws are green and usually have a lifespan of about 30 years or less. They are vocal communicators as well as whistlers.
Out of the mini-macaws, Hahn’s macaw is the smallest. Mostly green, it has a distinctive white patch on its fleshy face, which makes it stand out.
Like most other macaws that people love, Hahn’s macaw also comes off as very friendly, fun, and affectionate. Just like larger macaws, the mini-macaws are very intelligent and make perfect companions. The Hahn’s macaw is no difference to that rule.
Here are the traits that make them popular:
- Same physical attributes to larger macaws, only smaller proportions.
- Compact and thus, more manageable. This makes them better for kids than large macaws. Still, leaving a kid alone with a Hahn’s macaw isn’t a good idea. Injuries can be sustained on both sides.
- Intelligent, vocalizers, and great pets.
- Affectionate, gentle, and have a great personality.
Many mini-macaws don’t have the personality of larger macaws. The Hahn’s macaws (and the noble macaws) do, however. However, they’re not as gaudy as the larger ones.
Hahn’s macaws hail from Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, the Guianas, and Bolivia. Wild Hahn’s macaws usually inhabit swamplands, savannahs, and tropical lowlands.
Hahn’s Macaw Care guide
Macaws are very dependent on a healthy diet. Without a highly nutritive diet system, their lifespan will be greatly shortened and they might become host to diseases or infections. Although there are many food products for macaws, you should always provide them with additional fruits and vegetables which are fresh.
Hahn’s macaws need a lot of exercising to stay fit and healthy. This is only possible when they come out of the cage. So, make sure they’re out for a sizeable portion of their day. If they lead a sedentary lifestyle, they can become obese, which is a problematic condition for pet birds.
Also, make sure their cage is roomy. Even if they’re mini-macaws and don’t need as much cage volume as larger macaws, they still need their space to move about and play.
Playing brings me to my next point. It’s a very good idea to keep multiple objects of interest to a mini-macaw inside the cage so that they’re not bored. The same goes for a Hahn’s macaw as well. Here are some options:
- Tall perches,
- Chewable and breakable bird toys,
- Play stands,
- Rope knots, and so on.
If you see that your Hahn’s macaw is indulging in a lot of self-mutilation or feather-plucking, then perhaps its time to visit a vet. Even if you keep stress away from your bird and maintain cleanliness around their home, there could be problems such as the Macaw Wasting Syndrome, overgrown beaks, or other underlying reasons for their erratic behavior. A vet will be able to examine your macaw’s health so that you can keep them healthy.
Hahn’s Macaw Behavior and nature
Macaws are inherently very intelligent birds. Therefore, they need to be taken care of as animals, pretty much. You need to keep them busy, stimulated, and on a healthy lifestyle to ensure they don’t get sick or develop problems. Some of the problems could be neurotic behavior, nippiness, or self-mutilation.
The Hahn’s macaw learns tricks and vocalizations pretty fast. Step up, step down, open cage door, climb up, etc. – these are all commands that your intelligent Hahn’s macaw will learn in no time if given the training and opportunity.
Along with being intelligent, the Hahn’s macaw is also a very interesting and fun companion. Especially if you’ve hand-raised them since they were a baby, you can expect them to keep you entertained throughout the day. They’re very active and clever.
When you let them out, they will love to climb and nibble on things, so keep an eye out.
Sound
If you have sensitive family members or neighbors that can listen to the grating noise all day – then your Hahn’s macaw might get you in some trouble.
The Hahn’s macaw is extremely noisy and the voice is unpleasant.
However, as far as talking is concerned, they’re wonderful there. They will quickly learn many words and phrases. So, teach them a few good things and if they repeat those more often than producing their grating noise, then the neighbors might not build a soundproof wall around their house. Maybe.
You can also teach them whistling, which is something they’ll like more. So, ideally, it’s a good idea to teach them words before you teach them whistling otherwise you’ll have a non-stop whistler in your home that speaks no words!
Hahn’s Macaw Price
Typically, a Hahn’s macaw will cost you around $1,500 to $2,000 when purchased from a specialty store or online.
A local breeder might make one available to you in the low range of $500 to $1,000, however. So, always go for a local breeder. Sometimes, they cost even less, especially if the breeder has had a lot of success with their Hahn’s macaws.
Many people mistake a Hahn’s macaw for a large conure, as they can be of comparable size (and Hahn’s macaw can sometimes be smaller than certain large conures as well, thus making things even more difficult). Make sure you’re buying the right pet.
