Natural Foods for Severe Mini Macaw

Severe macaws (Ara severa) provide pet owners with the personality of a larger macaw wrapped in a smaller package. The Severe grows to 16 inches tall; regular macaw species reach up to 36 inches. Along with proper care, it is important to feed a mini macaw a natural diet consisting of 30 to 40 percent fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholesome people food. Feed a diet consisting of organic foods made without added pesticides and toxic chemicals.

  1. Fruit

    • Add fruit to a mini macaw's diet to increase a mixture of healthy eating options for these birds. Feed them blueberries, grapes, bananas and plums. Experiment with a variety of citrus, melons and berries to determine the bird's preferences. Remove pits from peaches, and pick out seeds from apples and pears before feeding the fruit to the bird. Peel kiwi skin before giving it to the macaw.

    Vegetables

    • Severe macaws enjoy eating a variety of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. Some even like hot peppers. Avoid giving macaws avocado and onions. The pit and skin of an avocado are toxic to parrots, according to Dr. Margaret A. Wissman, board certified avian specialist. Onions are known to be harmful to dogs and cats by a causing a medical condition known as hemolytic anemia. At time of publication, the extent to which onions harm birds was not known. To be safe, avoid feeding Severe macaw parrots onions.

    Seeds and Nuts

    • Severe macaws enjoy both a variety of seeds and nuts. Limit the amount of fortified seeds because they contain larger amounts of fat. Try giving the macaw a selection of nuts, include pine nuts and walnuts, to determine the bird's preferences. Offer nuts inside toys where the objective is to give the bird a challenge.

    Other Natural Foods

    • Offer a mini macaw people food that contains nutritional value. The parrots like to eat whole wheat pasta, rice and beans. Again, experiment to see what the bird likes. Feed organic cereals and beans without preservatives. Avoid chocolate and other foods or drinks that contain caffeine; a parrot's metabolism works differently than a human's, and does not metabolize caffeine.

    Pellets

    • Bird pellet manufacturers do not label packaging to represent a truly natural diet. Most pellets advertising that they are "natural" contain preservatives, salt and vitamin supplements. While they are not unhealthy for Severe macaws, advertisers do often incorrectly label their product. If you wish to give the bird pellets, feed the macaw a diet consisting of 60 to 70 percent of this type of food.