Hahn's, Nobles Macaws or Red-shouldered (Mini) Macaws
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The Hahn's Macaw or Red-shouldered Macaw (Ara / Diopsittaca nobilis nobils) is the smallest macaw available in the pet trade. These mini-macaws range from 12 to 14 inches in length (~ 30 - 31 cm) - a little larger than a cockatiel. They average 165 g in weight. These small macaws have excellent speech mimicry.
They are common in the commercial pet trade, but their numbers have been dropping in the wild due to habitat loss. They are endemic to Guianas, Venezuela, Brazil - North of the Amazon. They are not yet considered to be an endangered species, but they are listed in Appendix Two of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. This status greatly limits the ability to capture or sell wild birds.
Description
Like all macaws, the Hahn's macaw has a long narrow tail and a large head. It has bright green feathers on the body, with dark or slate blue feathers on the head just above the beak. The wings and tail have feathers that are bright green above and olive-green below. The leading edges of the wings, especially on the underside, are red. (These red feathers appear at puberty.) Their eyes are orange, and the skin around the eyes is white without feathers, just as in the larger macaws. This bare patch of facial skin is smaller in proportion to the head than the one seen in larger macaws.
The two sub-species listed at the bottom of this page look like this nominate species, except they are slightly larger and their upper beak is horn-colored rather than blackish.
Their sex is undeterminable by appearance. DNA sexing is recommended if identification of correct gender is important (for example, for breeding stock).
Breeding:
The breeding season commences in February or March and may go on until June / July. In the wild, they breed mostly in hollows in palm tree trunks. Occasionally, they have used arboreal termite mounds.
When considering this species of bird for your breeding program, you have to understand that this is a medium-noisy to noisy macaw. Their voices carry some distance and if you have sensitive neighbors or can't tolerate shrill calls yourself, this may not be the species for you. They are especially noisy when alarmed or when something exciting is going on in their environment; this includes the keeper taking care of daily husbandry tasks.
They can be very strong chewers and metal construction of an aviary is advantageous. Lots of natural branches should be provided to satisfy the urge to chew. A breeding log with an 8 inch- (20 cm) interior diameter or a nesting box with the following dimensions (~ 8 x 8 x 24 inches or 20 x 20 x 60 cm) can be used. Some birds favor one over the other, mostly depending on what they were raised in themselves. The dimensions of a sample suitable flight would be 9 x 3 x 6 ft (3 x 1 x 2 m) with adjoining shelter - heated if temperatures get below 41 F (3 C) in your area.
A clutch consists of 4 to 6 eggs that are incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge when they are about 2 months old and are independent about one week after leaving the nesting box.
Diet:
They should be fed a quality seed mix consisting of sunflower and safflower seeds, wheat, oats, canary grass seeds and millet seeds. Various fruits and vegetables as well as green food should be provided. Also mineral supplements need to be available to them at all times.
- Click here for information on Bird Nutrition
Wholegrain bread and biscuits, as well as other soft foods are especially important when rearing.
- Click here for information on nestling / weaning foods.
Hahn's Macaw As Pets
They are wonderful "mini-parrots" for the right owner who is willing to provide them with lots of space, attention, toys and appropriate care -- and someone who looks beyond their loud voices and occasional nippiness, which can get out of control unless the owner puts in the time to train the macaw. Not a beginner's bird, as they can become nippy and need guidance. They are very demanding and can develop behavioral problems, such as aggression or plucking. On the other hand, Hahn's Macaws are more easily trained than the larger macaws.
Maggie Rosenthal, owner of a Hahn's Macaw describes her pet Maxyx as follows:
"She is actually a rehomed bird who was spending 18-20 hrs a day in a covered cage because of her screaming. In the five years she lived with that family they never bonded because of the human's lack of understanding.
1) They didn't know that Hahns macaws are shoulder birds, and saw her wanting to be on their shoulders as a sign of insecurity.
2) They were disappointed in her limited speech, though they didn't talk with her very much.
3) They took her as a young chick but never taught her how to fly or encouraged her attempts - so she is still flightless.
4) They left her alone most of the day - but Hahns are social birds and need companionship. They'd come home and feed her, but since they heard her flock calls as complaining, they'd just cover her cage.
Imagine then, that she arrived to share 400 sq feet living quarters with me, two dogs and a cat; and her days with as many as 6 babies, toddlers, pre-k + kindergarten children. A badge of courage among the oldest children is to have her ride on their heads, with close supervision.
The children have learned that when Maxyx calls, it is to be reassured of where her "flock" is. They know she can never have chocolate or avocados - which I use as an example to teach them of food restrictions in their own families or cultures. They love that she has learned to whisper during quiet time; she has! And they think it's hysterical to watch her in the shower, "pretending to be a bat" or airplane, depending on her pose. Within 3 days the excessive screaming stopped - I don't consider flock calls screaming - and together we embarked on a path I never expected; and I bet she didn't either ! (So what if I have been described as "prematurely" eccentric...I'm almost old enough to earn the title!)
I love her very much, worry that if I die before her she will not ever find someone who loves her as much as I do again, worry that if she dies before me my heart will break into pieces."
AvianWeb's Note: I appreciate Maggie's heartfelt input with regard to her pet bird and believe that it should be considered an important tool in deciding as to whether or not to add a Hahn's Macaw to your own home. The Hahn's can be a wonderful pet in the right home. For individuals who are sensitive to noise and are not willing to deal with the special needs of this particular species of parrot, should consider other species or birds or even entirely different pets, such as a cat or a dog.
Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Macaw ownership generally presents multiple challenges, such as excessive chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined macaws will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires.
They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation. Not everybody can tolerate the natural loud call of a macaw and even though it can't (or should not) be entirely eliminated, there are ways to discourage screaming / screeching in your pet macaw.
Overall, it is important to guide parrot behavior, but even more so if your feathered family member is a magnificent and powerful macaw.
- AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:
- Macaw General Information
- Procuring your Parrot
- Pricing: Between $500 - 850
- Recommended Breeders
- Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- The 3 Key Elements to Keep Your Pet Bird Happy & Healthy
- Housing Your Bird
- Bird Nutrition
- Parrot Products
Taxonomy:
Genus: Scientific: Ara ... English: Macaws ... Dutch: Echte Aras ... German: Eigentliche Aras ... French: Aras
Species: Scientific: Ara nobilis nobilis aka Diopsittaca nobilis nobilis / Ara hahni ... English: Red-shouldered Macaw, Hahn's Macaw ... Dutch: Roodschouderara, Nobilis Ara ... German: Hahns Zwergara, Blaustirnzwergara ... French: Ara noble
CITES II - Endangered Species
There are at least two subspecies:
Noble Macaw / Noble Mini Macaws / Lichtenstein's Noble Macaws - Ara / Diopsittaca nobilis cumanesis:
Range: The Noble Macaw is native in Brazil south of the Amazon. It's rare in the pet trade.
Description: Looks similar to the Hahn's Macaw described and featured above; however, this mini-macaw is larger than the Hahn's Macaw, averaging 13 inches (33 cm) in length. Also, it has a horn-colored upper beak.
Taxonomy: Genus: Scientific: Ara ... English: Macaws ... Dutch: Echte Aras ... German: Eigentliche Aras ... French: Aras
Distribution: Brazil, Goias, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Espririto Santo, Central Bolivia
Description: This is the largest mini-macaw, averaging 13.75 inches (35 cm) in length. Other than that, it looks like the Noble Macaw described above.
Taxonomy: Genus: Scientific: Ara ... English: Macaws ... Dutch: Echte Aras ... German: Eigentliche Aras ... French: Aras
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
