Instructions
Teach your macaw proper limits. You'll need to do this if the bird is young and nips at any hand that reaches for it, or if you've acquired a bird that behaves like this because it was never trained to stop. Allowing the bird to nip at you playfully isn't acceptable when it doesn't know the limit between playful and painful. Don't allow it to "play bite," to hiss, to threaten to bite by snapping, or to show aggression. Puffing up and walking around with its beak open is the most common sign of aggression.
Take it to a neutral place away from its cage when it shows aggression. A bird that's locked in its cage when it's aggressive doesn't realize it's being punished. This may also lead to cage aggression, in which your bird attempts to bite you for opening the cage or trying to remove it from the cage.
Hold out your hand and have the bird move from one hand to another; get several family members to do this with you. If no one is available to help, just transfer the bird from your left hand to your right hand repeatedly. Birds are often aggressive when they're being moved against their will. The more you can do this with your bird, the more accustomed it will become to being moved.
Speak soothingly to your macaw while attempting any of the training in the previous steps. Speaking to your bird often comforts it once it learns your voice. A bird learns to trust people over time, and when it associates your voice with someone it can trust, it'll be much less aggressive. Using a sing-song voice is often helpful.
Reprimand it when it bites by frowning or speaking your displeasure quietly. Macaws are quite visual, and while it may sound unbelievable, some trainers have reported success in getting their birds to respond to facial cues such as smiles and frowns.
Wait for it to settle within the cage or use "perch training" before taking the macaw out of its cage. Perch training teaches the macaw to climb to a perch -- often located on top of the cage -- when you open the cage door. The macaw learns to understand that you're either letting it out, or that you need to get into the cage to clean it or add food or water. This keeps the bird away from your hands, which can reduce or eliminate bites if the bird is feeling territorial.
Avoid interaction during hormonal times. The most common hormonal shifts in macaws occur in the spring, during their 6-week mating season. The start of the season varies, but it's generally in early spring and is over before summer.
Other than mating season, hormonal shifts can be caused by improper day/night balance. If your bird is aggressive and it isn't mating season, put it to bed earlier each night. If you aren't putting a blanket over the cage to keep out light, you should start. This keeps out light -- both natural and artificial -- and tricks the bird into thinking it's nighttime. Most birds can sleep during the same hours you do, but others might need more sleep to keep from getting crabby.
How to Stop My Blue-and-Gold Macaw From Biting
Birds are popular pets -- more than 15 million are owned in the United States alone. Among the most popular are birds that can "talk." Parrots and macaws are fun to own and to train to do tricks. Blue-and-gold macaws are a particularly beautiful species. They're playful, easy to work with and bond with their owners. However, you must properly train your macaw or you'll have a nightmare on your hands, particularly in the spring when it becomes aggressive.