Out of cage play area — show me yours!

I want to set up a proper play area outside the cage for my blue and gold macaw but I'm not sure what to get. Looking at play gyms and java trees. Anyone in Aurora know where to buy them? Pictures of your setup would be amazing!

Totally agree with this! My blue and gold macaw is exactly the same way.

I've done a ton of research on this because my cockatiel had the same issue. Here's what I learned: the most common cause is molting — they get uncomfortable and cranky. What worked for us was switching from seed to Harrison's pellets gradually over 2 weeks. I also started joining an online support group for blue and gold macaw owners and noticed improvement within a week. It's a process but it gets better.

So what I ended up doing was keeping a super consistent daily routine — birds thrive on predictability. Within a few days there was a noticeable improvement. Definitely worth trying.

I know how stressful this can be. Just know you're not alone and most of us have been through something similar.

One thing that really helped was positive reinforcement with their favorite treat every time they do the right thing. Give it a try — can't hurt!

Welcome to the club! My African Grey trained ME in the first week. They're way smarter than they let on.

Welcome to the club! My Senegal parrot trained ME in the first week. They're way smarter than they let on.

I respectfully disagree. I think it depends heavily on the individual bird. My Ruby is the total opposite.

Just wanted to come back and say the advice in this thread WORKED. My budgie finally stopped being hormonal and aggressive after I tried introducing new foods by eating them in front of the bird — monkey see monkey do.