Best Food for Macaws
Macaws are big, powerful birds with big appetites. Compared with most parrots they do well with more healthy fat in their diet, and they need food that stands up to a beak built for cracking nuts.
What macaws need
- Healthy fats. Nuts are an important part of a macaw diet, more so than for many other parrots.
- Something to work on. Whole nuts in the shell and large pieces give macaws the chewing and foraging they crave.
- A balanced base. A fortified pellet base with fruits and vegetables fills the gaps that nuts and seeds leave.
Our pick: Cockatoo/Macaw Paradise Ultimate Blend
This is a big-bird version of our original Ultimate Blend, made for macaws, cockatoos and other large parrots. It includes:
- Nuts in the shell
- Larger pieces of dried fruits and vegetables
- Fresh herbs
- Fortified, non-colored pellets
It's made fresh daily in our store and is ideal for weaning a macaw off a seed-only diet.
Shop: By the pound · 5 lb bag · 10 lb bag · 20 lb bag
Switching to a new food
Mix the new blend with your macaw's current food and increase it gradually over two to four weeks. Watch that your bird is eating well and keeping a normal weight.
Our blends are made fresh, so keep about two weeks' supply at room temperature in a sealed container and refrigerate the rest. Don't freeze it. Big birds go through food fast, so the 20 lb bag is usually the best value.
More species guides
See food guides for every bird we carry
Every bird is different. If your bird has a health condition or you're making a big change to its diet, check with an avian veterinarian.