Macaws are highly smart and social animals. They require constant stimulation to stay healthy and happy. Macaws that are bored may become depressed and suffer psychological and physical issues. To keep your Macaw engaged, play with lots of toys, keep your cage exciting and spend lots of hours with your pet.
How To Play with Macaw? “Play” encompasses a variety of aspects of a macaw’s development. Start by establishing trust and rapport. Short daily contact quickly evolves into daily physical interactions, enhancing the bond. When your Macaw has become comfortable with your hands, you can introduce various activities. Encourage your Macaw to participate in activities like playing, chasing, or climbing. Singing and music can be great activities to play with your Macaw.
This article will teach you some ways to play with your Macaw and some interesting games. These games will make your Macaw cheerful and happy.
Why should I play with my bird?
Macaws require stimulation to maintain their health. If they don’t get these, they could engage in negative behavior such as feather plucking noises and other harmful behavior.
Engaging in play with your Macaw is also a great source of exercise. Animals kept as pets typically can’t fly due to safety issues. However, this doesn’t mean that your Macaw does not require exercise. This type of structured play does more than just help to bond. It also burns off energy and makes for a healthier and happier macaw.
Playtime also helps macaws become friends with you. They must trust their pet owners, and playing time helps them feel like they’re part of their community. Soon, there will be nothing more satisfying for your Macaw than being with you.
5 Ways to play with your Macaw
Learning how to handle and interact with your Macaw is crucial to send only positive signals to your friends. One of the best ways to interact is by playing with your Macaw.
It’s equally important to you and your loved ones to recognize that regular interactions with your Macaw are the most effective way to establish trust and create a healthy flock mentality.
1. Give your macaw toys it can manipulate
You can play with your Macaw with toys. The manipulative toys that allow the Macaw to move parts or interact with the toy require the Macaw to think and be active. Ropes and ladders provide physical stimulation, while puzzles can stimulate the mind. Different manipulative toys can allow macaws to carry out tasks like untying knots and disassembling toys.
You can purchase manipulative toys from pet stores or online. You can also purchase manipulative toys designed for toddlers and repurpose them for your Macaw. If you’re hoping to ensure that your Macaw is sane, healthy, and stress-free, you’ll have to give him some fun toys.
2. Interacting with Your Macaw
Macaws love spending time with their people and engaging with them. It is important to communicate with your Macaw regularly. Think about taking up training for your Macaw. They’re brilliant birds that can master many tricks. The time you play with your Macaw will help keep it from feeling lonely and strengthen the bond between you and your Macaw.
Spending time teaching your Macaw how to communicate will reap the rewards of a more friendly macaw in the future. The most effective way of teaching a macaw how to communicate is to assign a word label to everything you do with the animal.
Your Macaw needs to exercise and spend time with you. This means you must let the Macaw out of its cage each day. Place toys all over the house that your Macaw to play with, like bird play areas, jungle gym areas, perches, and ropes.
3. Dancing
Dancing! Play something catchy and upbeat; both you and the Macaw could dance. If you think it’s absurd, you can Google “macaw dancing.” If your new pet is one of the macaws, dancing will win them over, as they’re naturally inclined to dance!
It shouldn’t take much time for your Macaw to catch the beat and begin dancing. Once your Macaw’s cage is removed from its cage, he is likely to begin dancing and playing to convince the owner to join in or to perform a tune for him. It is an interesting way to play with your Macaw.
4. Whistling
Although Macaws can be excellent dancers, they can learn to whistle easily. When your young bird learns to create his music by blowing his whistle, he’ll dance more inside his enclosure.
If you can ever hear your little macaw whistle, take a moment away from other pursuits, walk over to his cage, and then whistle along with him. Macaws have been known to recollect parts of more than 10 songs.
5. Flapping
Let your macaw climb into your arm or your hand. Then gently move your hand upwards and downwards or move around in figure eight. Keep an eye out for the Macaw to flap its wings as you move it around in the air.
Take a break and give your bird a break when it starts to breathe loudly. As it reaches up and sits on your hands, reward it with a reward to keep it there.
It can be done when your pet rests at your side or on a different surface. Make sure you flip the flap of your “wings” to get your Macaw to join!
Vary your routine by dancing. Macaws are known to dance to their pet owners. You can play with your Macaw by adding music to keep you moving.
6 Games you can play with Macaw
1. Chase
Chase is one of the most enjoyable games you can play with your macaw. You must establish an excellent connection with your Macaw so that this can succeed. Because your Macaw is eager to be near you, you could place your Macaw in a comfortable spot and then scurry away. Tell your Macaw that you are nearby.
When the Macaw arrives, you should run to a different spot to encourage your Macaw to continue following your path. You could play for a decent duration to ensure that both of you have a little exercise.
2. Hide and seek
Hide and seek game is played according to the same rules played by a person, typically a child or toddler.
Inspire your Macaw to locate you to mix the game and make it more engaging. When you hide under an unweighted blanket, your Macaw has to open the covers and locate you.
Alternatively, you can cover yourself in a corner or behind a wall and assist them in finding them by calling their name until the little head appears.
3. Slam Dunk
You will find slam dunk an enjoyable game to play with your Macaw. Teach your pet how to put an oversized bird basketball into a bird-sized basketball hoop that could not be more enjoyable!
Buy a mini basketball set, and then show your Macaw how to do it using appropriate wording for the game, like “woosh,” “toss,” or “slam dunk,” to strengthen the game.
The Macaw you have is so smart that even though they don’t appear very interesting initially, If you demonstrate it enough times, it’ll be able to figure out exactly what it should do.
4. Activity Mat
Macaw activity mats are like toddler mats in that they can provide endless hours of fun and entertainment. Create your workout mat for your Macaw by layering various types of textures, shapes, and materials on an old towel or blanket to give it a distinct design.
Big pearls, buttons, bells, and strips of leather fabric or keys made of plastic can be sewn onto. Ensure that the materials are secured onto the blanket to avoid food-related accidents.
5. Fetch
Certain birds play fetch as dogs play. Teaching your Macaw to comprehend the game’s purpose may be necessary. However, playing with your Macaw is an interesting method once you’ve established it.
Begin with something easy. Throw a small ball around or rope, and then call your bird to return it. Once your Macaw has mastered this game, you can play the game with almost every small object.
Another variation of the game is to toss. Instead of taking the small object back, get your bigger macaws to throw it back at you. In certain situations, it is an excellent game.
6. Peek-a-boo
Peek-a-boo is a great game that you can play anytime with your Macaw. It is a very simple game that entices your Macaw to pull the blanket in front of your face. Using something similar to your couch or kitchen island, you can also make it happen.
Look at that Macaw, and then say, “Peek-a-boo!” Run to the other end of the sofa, island, or whatever you’re on, and repeat the exercise. The bird will start to race back and forth to greet you, giving you an excellent workout.
Final thought
Have you learned about how you play with your Macaw?
Spending as much time with a macaw is the most effective way to strengthen this bond and makes them all happier and more satisfied. Establishing a schedule for playing games and regular grooming are all excellent ways to build trust.
These are only a few things you could play with your Macaw. You’ll have the chance to establish an excellent bond with your Macaw and create a bond that will keep your macaw content. You could also create your games and ensure that your Macaw always is having fun with you.
These are one of the most memorable memories that you can make together. Be creative and keep playing frequently. Your adorable Macaw will be content when you create unique bonds.
Hi, I’m Regina Rios. Just another bird lover who loves to share knowledge from personal experience. I’ve grown up with pet birds since childhood as my mommy also loves birds. As I can’t pet many birds in open air in my house as my mom does; I created my first bird cage on my rooftop using wood, copper wire, and a metal shed in 2018 and start collecting pet birds. Now, I have so many pet birds such as Macaws, Parrot, Cockatiel, Parakeet, and others. Not only that, if I see natural birds are injured I keep them in my house until they get well. Now, my hobby becomes my income source as my home birds have babies and I sell them to birds lover like mine. I’ve created this blog to inspire others bird owners by sharing my personal knowledge. Good Luck!