why does macaw stand on wings?

Dec 23, 2011

Macaw and his wings
by: Deb Tindall

My green wing macaw will stretch a wing out, lift it over his head and bend it so it covers his face and he peers through it while he uses a foot to scratch/knead his head or neck. He also will stretch it out, grab it with his opposite foot and pull it and it seems like he is standing on it. He does this when he is preening or prepping for a nap. It seems to be a play, stretching or maybe a comforting exercise for him because if I ask him what he is doing he will straighten it out and fluff and shake back to normal. There isn't any pain involved and his wings sit normally when he isn't contorting them.

If your bird's wings are not hanging or sitting as they should at a normal standing posture, I would be concerned about an injury of some sort and get him to a bird vet immediately. If it is something he does because he enjoys the feel of it and doesn't have any pain involved, it may be just something he likes to do.

My suggestion for you is to always have them checked for physical or medical problems first, then try to figure out if it is mental or just normal behavior for that bird. All three of my birds have different personalities and quirks that make them special. They all rest, relax, play and interact with me differently. If you are interacting with your bird regularly you know which actions are normal to that bird - even if they are "odd". Birds do not usually show visible signs they are ill or hurt until it is too late to really help them - a natural inclination for a prey animal is to not show weakness or illness or you will get picked off by a predator - so it is paramount that you interact with your bird A LOT so you know what is normal behavior for that bird. If I have been extremely busy and not paid as much attention to each one as I usually do - they will let me know by their appearance and behavior that things are not right. My gray will start picking at her chest feathers, my amazon will get even louder than normal and my macaw will become extremely noisy and irritable and try to bite me through the cage to show he is upset with the lack of attention.

why does macaw stand on wings?

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why does macaw stand on wings?

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