Buffon’s Macaw
The second-largest macaw, gentle for its size, very loud, requires space, time, and experience
Origin
Central America (Honduras to Panama) and northwestern South America
Lifespan
60-70 years
With proper nutrition & care
Size
33-36 inches (84-91 cm)
1,200-1,400 g (42-49 oz)
Quick Facts
| Origin | Central America (Honduras to Panama) and northwestern South America |
|---|---|
| Size | 33-36 inches (84-91 cm) |
| Weight | 1,200-1,400 g (42-49 oz) |
| Lifespan | 60-70 years |
| Care level | Advanced |
| Noise level | Very loud. Deep, rolling, powerful calls at sunrise and sundown. Carries across multiple yards. Not appropriate for apartments or shared walls. |
| Talking ability | Fair. Vocabulary of 10-30 words with reasonable clarity, plus household sound mimicry. Not exceptional compared to African Greys or Amazons. |
| Beginner-friendly | 1/10 |
The Bird
Buffon’s Macaw at a Glance
The Buffon's Macaw, also known as the Great Green Macaw, is the second-largest macaw species in the world, behind only the Hyacinth. Adult birds reach 33 to 36 inches from beak to tail and weigh 1,200 to 1,400 grams. The plumage is a soft yellowish-green with a red forehead patch, blue along the lower back, and an orange-red and blue tail. At full size, perched on a play stand in good light, this is one of the most physically impressive parrots a private home can keep.
Honest first note: this is not a beginner bird and not an apartment bird. Buffon's are critically endangered in the wild, and U.S. captive birds come from a small breeding population. Pricing reflects this. A hand-raised Buffon's chick typically sells well above a Blue-and-Gold of the same age, and waiting lists are normal. Kalyn does not currently raise this species; if you find one offered, expect to verify legal source documentation, the breeder's track record, and the bird's veterinary history before any deposit changes hands.
What you get for the size, the price, and the long wait is one of the gentlest large macaws available. Buffon's are consistently described as calmer than Scarlets and more even-tempered than Militaries. They are not low-maintenance, since no large macaw is, but the temperament is more forgiving than the species' size and beak might suggest. With proper socialization, daily training, and a household that can absorb the noise and the space requirement, a Buffon's Macaw can be a 50- to 70-year companion.
Buffon's Macaws are intelligent and observant. They watch a household before deciding how to engage, and the time you spend with the bird in the first six months tends to set the pattern for the next two decades. Birds that are handled daily, exposed to multiple people, and given consistent rules around biting, stepping up, and cage etiquette grow into reliable, steady companions. Birds that are kept in a single quiet room with one handler tend to become one-person birds and may bite anyone else who tries to step them up.
The species is not as bold as a Scarlet and not as reactive as a Military. Most owners describe them as calm, almost dignified. A Buffon's will often simply walk away from a situation it does not like rather than escalating. That said, the beak is enormous, and a defensive bite from this species will go through skin and into bone. Children should never be alone with one regardless of the bird's history. Adults should learn to read body language (pinned eyes, tight posture, fluffed shoulder feathers) and back off before the bird has to make its discomfort obvious.
Mental enrichment is mandatory. A bored Buffon's will start screaming for attention, plucking, or destroying its cage furniture in ways that go beyond normal chewing. Provide a steady rotation of large foraging puzzles, palm-leaf strips, untreated pine blocks, and hardwood chew toys rated for large macaws. Plan on at least 30 minutes of structured training a day: step-up, target work, simple tricks, and recall in a controlled space. Mental work tires this species more than physical exercise does.
Vocalization & Talking
The Buffon's Macaw is very loud. The call is deep, rolling, and powerful, closer to the sound of a Hyacinth than to a Scarlet's higher screech. A wake-up call from this species will be heard by every neighbor within a few houses on a quiet morning. Daily noise pattern follows the typical macaw shape: a sustained vocalization near sunrise, a second one near sundown, and contact calls during the day when the bird hears household activity or wants attention.
This species is not appropriate for apartments, townhouses, or any home with shared walls. A detached single-family house with at least a small yard is the realistic minimum. Even in a detached house, neighbors with windows facing your bird's room will hear it. South Florida owners with screened lanais should expect the call to carry across several yards.
Talking ability is fair rather than exceptional. Buffon's will pick up a working vocabulary of 10 to 30 words with reasonable clarity and learn a number of household sounds. They are not in the same category as African Greys or Amazons for talking performance, but they will surprise visitors with the occasional clear phrase.
Diet
Build the diet around a high-quality large-parrot pellet at 60 to 70 percent of daily intake. Harrison's High Potency Coarse, TOPs Mini, and Roudybush Maintenance Large all work for this species. Pellets handle the vitamin and mineral baseline that seed mixes cannot. The Buffon's metabolism handles fat reasonably well, since the species evolved eating palm nuts, but an all-seed diet still leads to vitamin A deficiency, fatty liver disease, and shortened lifespan over years.
Fresh vegetables should be 20 to 25 percent of intake. The high-value items are dark leafy greens (kale, Swiss chard, romaine, dandelion), orange vegetables (sweet potato, butternut squash, carrot, bell pepper), broccoli, snap peas, and cooked beans or lentils. Rotate weekly. Fresh fruit is fine but should stay around 5 percent of intake. Apple without seeds, berries, papaya, melon, and stone fruit (pit removed) are good choices.
Nuts are appropriate for this species in modest quantity because the wild diet leans on palm nuts. Two or three almonds, a pecan half, a Brazil nut, or a couple of walnut quarters per day is reasonable, used as training treats and foraging items rather than free-feed. Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, or garlic, which are toxic to all parrots. Provide fresh water daily in heavy stainless or ceramic dishes that the bird cannot tip, and offer a cuttlebone or mineral block.
Health & Lifespan
A well-cared-for Buffon's Macaw lives 60 to 70 years, and exceptional birds reach 80. Establish a relationship with a board-certified avian veterinarian through the Association of Avian Veterinarians directory before the bird arrives. Annual wellness exams are the baseline; baseline bloodwork every two to three years is standard practice.
The two conditions to track most closely are Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD), a viral illness affecting the digestive tract and nervous system that all macaw species are vulnerable to, and Pacheco's disease, a herpesvirus infection that can move through a multi-bird home rapidly and is often fatal. Quarantine any new bird for at least 45 days before introducing it to an existing flock. Weigh the bird weekly on a gram scale and write the number down; sudden weight loss in any parrot is the earliest, often only, warning before visible illness sets in.
Housing
Minimum cage dimensions are 48"W x 36"D x 72"H with bar spacing of 1" to 1-1/4". Realistically, an aviary or a custom-built indoor flight is a better fit for this species. Standard pet-store macaw cages are usually too small for a full-grown Buffon's to fully open its wings. The cage must be welded heavy-gauge steel; anything thinner than 12-gauge wire will eventually be defeated by a bored adult Buffon's beak.
Furnish with multiple perches at varying diameters and textures: a 2-inch natural hardwood branch, a 1-1/2-inch manzanita, a flat platform perch, and a thick rope perch all support different parts of the foot. Provide at least four large toys rotated weekly: palm leaf bundles, untreated pine and balsa blocks, large hardwood chunks, and foraging puzzles sized for a Hyacinth or Buffon's. Place the cage in a busy room of the house, against a wall, away from kitchen fumes (non-stick cookware fumes are acutely fatal to all parrots).
Out-of-cage time should be at least 3 to 4 hours daily, ideally split into a morning and evening session. Provide a sturdy play stand outside the cage. Bird-proof the room aggressively. Assume any wood, leather, book, or piece of furniture left in reach will be destroyed within a few hours. A free-flying Buffon's in a non-bird-proofed room will damage cabinets, baseboards, and door trim.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I keep a Buffon's Macaw in an apartment?
No. The species produces deep, powerful calls that carry across multiple yards and through standard apartment walls. A detached single-family house with some yard buffer is the realistic minimum. Townhouses, condos, and any home with shared walls are not appropriate for this species.
- How is a Buffon's Macaw different from a Military Macaw?
Buffon's are significantly larger (33-36 inches versus 27-33) and consistently described as calmer and more even-tempered. The Military has a sharper screech and a more reactive personality. Lifespans are similar (50-70 years), but Buffon's tend to live longer in well-managed homes.
- Are Buffon's Macaws good with children?
An older child who has been taught how to read parrot body language can interact with a Buffon's under direct adult supervision. The bird should never be alone with a child regardless of how friendly it has been. The beak is large enough that a defensive bite reaches bone, and even a friendly nibble can break skin.
- Why are Buffon's Macaws so expensive?
The species is critically endangered in the wild, and the U.S. captive breeding population is small. A handful of breeders produce the species each year, demand exceeds supply, and waiting lists are normal. Pricing typically runs well above a Blue-and-Gold or Scarlet of the same age. Always verify legal source documentation before any deposit.
- How much daily time does a Buffon's Macaw need from me?
Plan on at least 3-4 hours of out-of-cage time, plus 30 minutes of structured training, plus food prep and cage maintenance. The bird does not need every minute of attention, but it needs to be in a busy part of the house and engaged with the family for most of the day. A Buffon's left alone in a quiet room will become loud, destructive, or pluck.