Though the Caloshua Macaw is a very large bird, it is very sweet-natured when well-socialized!

The Caloshua Macaw is a hybrid cross between a Blue and Gold Macaw and a Hyacinth Macaw. It is a first-generation macaw, meaning its parents are two species of naturally occurring macaws. The Blue and Gold Macaw has been one of the most popular pet birds in the trade. The Hyacinth Macaw is a majestic, but quite pricey bird, that most macaw enthusiasts would love to own. It is the largest of the macaw species reaching up to 42″ in length. It is slow to mature, but is highly social and makes an extremely gentle pet. Hyacinth macaws in the wild are endangered, but they have done well in captivity and are becoming more firmly established today.

Hybrid macaws are bred for color. Because they are a mixture of more than one type of macaw, the offspring are influenced by the traits and characteristics of both of their parents. Fathers have the dominant gene, so this will generally influence the offspring’s coloration and overall appearance. The Caloshua Macaw is a pretty blue bird with the golds of the Blue and Gold Macaw on its underside and blue greens on its head.

The temperament and behavior of hybrids are areas of uncertainty and are unpredictable. But having parents that are both quite docile and affectionate macaws, the Caloshua Macaw should be a good-natured pet bird if well socialized in its developing years. All macaws require good socialization and consistent training to make good pets.

“Bee (seen above) is our special little girl. She is 28 years old, and loves hanging out with our Scarlet Jazz and Blue and gold Astro!”… Natalie Levasseur

See hybrid information, breeding combinations, and photos of hybrid macaws on the Hybrid Macaws page.

Scientific Name

   The Caloshua Macaw is a first generation hybrid, a cross between: Blue and Gold MacawAra ararauna and Hyacinth MacawAnodorhynchus hyacinthinus.

Distribution

   This is a captive-bred hybrid macaw. Hybrid macaws are rarely found in the wild.

Description

   Caloshua Macaws are a pretty blue hybrid with a blue green face and a gold or yellow underside. Both parents of the Caloshua Macaw contribute to the blended colors of their offspring, though the father’s have the dominant gene and this will influence their final appearance. Caloshua’s are a large full size Macaw.
   The Hyacinth Macaw contributes to the the rich blues as well as influencing the overall appearance of the head and size. The Blue and gold Macaw contributes the lighter blues along with the green shades on the head and the gold on the undersides. The skin tones of the Hyacinth are orangish and they are white on the Blue and Gold, giving a whitish or slightly yellowed skin color to the Caloshua.

Size – Weight

   A large full-sized macaw, they can get over 2 lbs. Lengths up to 106 cm (42 inches).

Care and feeding

   A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend most of their time on a play pen or parrot perch. They eat a variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and commercial pellets, as well as the same nutritional foods humans eat.
   In the wild, their parent species eat a variety of palm nuts, fruits, and seeds. A Hyacinth Macaw will eat mainly raw nuts. Provide your Caloshua Macaw with nuts and a good parrot mix which includes; formulated diets, seeds, dried fruits and nuts. Nuts you can provide them include Brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias, filberts, almonds, and hazel nuts. They will also like fresh coconut. They may also be offered fruits and vegetables. For good strong development, babies will need a high fat content in the hand-feeding formula.

Social Behaviors

   It is generally believed that hybrid macaws get the best attributes of the parents. In this case, a Blue and Gold Macaw parent makes a good family-type bird, and a Hyacinth Macaw is sweet, affectionate and extremely gentle. Hyacinth’s are not inclined to make a great deal of noise and have a very even temperament.
   The Caloshua Macaw is a very sweet, gentle bird that will get along with more than one person. But they are a typical macaw and can be cranky at times. To have a well-rounded bird that enjoys more than one person, make sure it is well socialized with lots of folks. See About Macaws: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well-rounded friendly macaw. (Also information on handling and activities)

Breeding/Reproduction

   This is a hybrid and it use to be that they were generally not bred, however, the breeding of hybrids is becoming more common. See About Macaws: Macaw Breeding, Bird Reproduction – Baby Macaws for information on breeding macaws.

Sexual differences

   No visible differences.

Potential Problems


   Can be noisy (as can all macaws).  See About Macaws: Potential Problems for information on illnesses.

Availability


   Finding these macaws for sale is generally hard as they are rare, and they are expensive. There are more and more macaw breeders however, so finding these macaws for sale becomes easier as they become more common.


Featured Image Credit: BaLL LunLa, Shutterstock