Housing a Macaw: a 120 × 90 × 150 cm cage, fully fitted
Macaw : A massive cage at least 1.2 metres wide in heavy-gauge steel, often 800 to 2000 euros, with an aviary being the real answer. Macaws fall under strict protection conventions, some species on Appendix I: origin paperwork, identification and formalities are unavoidable.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Flexible pastel cotton rope perch, 35 cm, for budgies and cockatiels (€32.90) · the whole shop
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Budgies, Cockatiels and Canaries: The Starter Guide (€13)
In short: 80 to 95 cm including the tail for the large species, lifespan of 50 years and beyond, extremely high noise level. An intelligent, affectionate giant with a booming voice, playful and destructive, demanding space and occupation to match its size. Its jaw strength and need to fly make it a lifelong companion: a commitment of several decades, not an impulse purchase.
120 × 90 × 150 cm: the serious minimum
For a Macaw, the cage measures at least 120 × 90 × 150 cm, wider than tall: birds fly horizontally, not in lifts. Bars horizontal for climbing, spaced 2 to 2.5 cm — any wider and the head slips through and jams.
Perches and layout
Fitting out a Macaw cage starts with the perches: raw natural wood, mixed diameters between 2.5 and 4 cm, mounted at both ends to keep the flight axis clear and never directly above the bowls. Complete with no-waste feeders, a paper floor changed every two days and the bathing corner; rule out smooth plastic perches and abrasive sleeves, which wound the soles.
Placement changes everything
Set the cage against a wall, at eye level, in the room where the family lives — absolutely excluding the kitchen, where overheated non-stick fumes kill a bird in minutes. Natural light without direct sun, 10 to 12 hours of calm darkness at night, and remember the Macaw is among the loudest of parrots: piercing daily calls, incompatible with flat living: placement also manages your neighbourly relations.
Frequently asked questions
What cage size for a Macaw?
120 × 90 × 150 cm minimum, wider than tall, bars spaced 2 to 2.5 cm — plus daily free flight, the cage being only base camp.
Where should a Macaw’s cage go?
Against a living-room wall at eye height, away from the kitchen (toxic fumes), direct sun and draughts, with 10 to 12 hours of quiet darkness.
The guides that apply to you
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- Indoor Aviary: The Guide to Offering a Real Flying Space
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- A stressed budgie can stress out its cage neighbor: what a 2026 study shows
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- Where should you place a bird cage? The location mistakes that stress birds out
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