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Red Fronted Macaw Diet

The red front macaw is becoming more and more popular in captivity yet there is little information on them whether it be in books or the internet….I am aware a Hyacinth macaw has a different diet than other macaws but what about the red front??? Since they really haven't been around as long as the Greenwing, Blue & Gold, etc etc does anyone really know if they require a different diet than the others???

I wish someone with years of experience with them would sit and share the information they have obtained throughout the years including diet, personality, etc etc…I have had Sara for little over 2 years now and she is just a joy…

In a pet bird setting, there really should not be any specific dietary requirements for the red fronted macaw, Ara rubrogenys. A base diet of a commercial formulated product, some degree of controlled seed intake, and fresh vegetables should serve as your foundation.

As you get to know your bird, there will be many behaviors that will be individually and possibly species-specific that you will come to know. Probably most importantly, sound husbandry, training and behaivoral guidance and some degree of preventative health management will be important to make sure to have in place.

About Brian Speer, DVM

Avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer was raised in a small town on California’s coast. He received his BS in Biology from California Polytechnic State University in 1978, and his DVM degree from the University of California at Davis in 1983.

An active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), Dr. Speer is a much sought after guest speaker and has presented at numerous conferences in the avicultural and zoological communities both within the United States and abroad. He is well published in the AAV annual proceedings, has served as guest editor for the journal Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, the Veterinary Clinics of North America, and authored chapters in several recent veterinary medical texts on pet bird, avicultural and ratite medical topics. In 1995 he co-authored the extensive avicultural reference, The Large Macaws, and helped to co-author Birds for Dummies in 1999.

Since 1989, Dr, Speer has run a “bird’s only” practice in the San Francisco Bay area and is the President and Director of The Medical Center for Birds. He is a consultant for The Veterinary Information Network (Avian Medical Boards) and the Maui Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Lafeber award for excellence in private practice of avian medicine and surgery and in 2006, was named Speaker of the Year for the North American Veterinary Conference.