Ask a Country Vet: Bird Advice




Q: I recently inherited my grandmother's macaw. Is there an easy way to figure out the bird's age?

A: Not exactly. Macaws can live 50 years or more; however, each bird's appearance (including feathers, skin, and leg scales) varies widely. Further, a vet can't conduct a physical exam or run any blood work that accurately measures age — avian species just don't show wear and tear like mammals.

I'd start with hearsay and paper trails. Do family members recall when the pet moved in with your grandmother? Can you find dated photos of the macaw in her home? Was Gram a receipt keeper? Maybe the pet store or breeder filed records.

You can also check for bird bling. All macaws are tagged with a small leg band when they're born or imported. For U.S.-bred macaws, these rings typically bear markings that identify the breeder and year of birth. If you're lucky enough to find a legible band, search online to try to make sense of the letters and digits. Visit sites such as to connect with bird enthusiasts who will happily help decode your new pet's band.

If all else fails, is your macaw a talker? You could try asking the pet when he or she was born — though I hear that birds often stretch the truth about such matters.

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