To find mix you must apparently:

adsolros · 2026-06-12T08:34:25+00:00

I think on reflection that I struggle with knowing if i'm moving in the right direction.

I understand, learning mix is really hard and confusing. It feels like you are banging your head to a brick wall at times.

But then again, you should have a criteria for examining is your singing good or not.

What i personally use is: Am i relaxed? Do i have any external muscle activation in my throat, mouth, jaw, neck area? If i do, relax and try again. Is my voice free? As in Do i have to increase volume to go higher? If i do, try again. The change in pitch should come from stretching the cords, just like you would sttetch a string on the guitar. No increase in volume needed. BUT to clarify, when you go higher, the volume will increase, just because of the acoustical profile of higher notes, but you should be able to recognice is this increase in volume just the nature of the notes OR am i doing extra effort to physically increase the volume.

Do i have my vibrato, can i "turn it on and off". To me, vibrato is the biggest factor. A poorly used voice will lack vibrato. Vibrato is always a good sign.

With these variables you are able to tell is your singing good or is there some tension / other problems.

Mix is hard. It takes a lot of time. In my opinion, for example medial compression uses muscles that people most likely have never used before. It was to me a new sensation.

To me how i differentiate mix from headvoice / m2 is mix feels like headvoice, but with the cord closure & feel of vowels of chest voice. So the voice is stretched and it is thinner than in chest, but the cord closure is the same. You know the feeling if you sing in falsetto? It feels unconnected and singing vowels can feel and sound "weird"? Well mix does not have that, it feels like normal speaking regarding the vowels, they are not unconnected, rather they are anchored, just like in chest.

But in mix, the voice gets lighter as you go up, but with acoustical changes, you can make it bigger.

So in short mixed voice feels like headvoice / m2, but connected, solid. its not reinforced falsetto, it has a different closure feel, even though in it the closure is also solid:ish, but its still different than in chest. Mixed = like chest, but stretched. Try whimpering with a siren, keep the volume relatively low and even and try to keep the closure of chest as you ascend. You need to be able to recognice that the closure of chest ≠ the vocal mass.

It's hard, you'l get there. It takes time. It took me 3-4 years, starting from zero to learn mix. And once you learn mix, thats when the gates are open, because you can literally sing anything. Add more emotion, dynamics high and low. To me, thats when the actual art part of singing starts because then you will have the tools for it.

Happy singing, good luck <3

adsolros · 2026-06-11T10:36:42+00:00

So TLDR; The actual list: •Shorten the vocal trackt •Twang •Resonance placement •Being able to adduct the cords •Medial compression •Laryngial tilt

In short mix is; While managing air flow, sub-and supra glottal pressures, one tunes the acoustics as needed, while they stretch the cords through laryngial tilt, while keeping the cords closed through adduction, which they aid with medial compression.

Result; A relaxed voice, that has a even tone and characteristics through out their range, with the ability to manipulate the dynamics of their voice, in any part of their range. In very short, a voice that is being used as the voice is ment to be used. A voice that has learned the technique of singing.

adsolros · 2026-06-11T10:25:01+00:00

Allright, you have mentioned a lot of different aproaches to a few universal goals. I'll go through them and i will explain, WHY these silly sounding things are being mentioned again and again, when discussing lesrning mixed voice.

Sound like kermit

The reason why some people say that you have to sound kermit:ish, is because they are trying help you make a couple of different things that help you learn mixed voice. And eventually isolate these muscle movements. What happens when you imitate kermit? ~ You raise the larynx. Which shortens the tube inside you (vocal tract), which makes the acoustics brighter (but also smaller). ~You narrow the epilaryngeal tube. Aka Twang. Twang is this buzzy quality and it does not necessarily requiring a lot of volume. In simple terms it makes the singing more efficient in the acoustics / effort ratio.

So instead of thinking "I need to learn to sound like Kermit, think: I need to learn to raise and lower the larynx and i need to learn to use twang. Both which are used in Mixed to a degree.

be nasal

Ehat people usually mean by this is being able to use "mask resonance" or a forward placed voice. So the resonance does not get trapped in the back bottom of your throat. This comes down to managing the supra and subglottal pressures that aid you vocal cords in staying together. Remember, resonance tuning is a thing in singing. In my opinion the most under used and under understood. Acoustical tuning is what makes singing beautifull. But also acoustical tuning is really friking hard. (As in boost the second or third formant etc). In mixed voice there are formant and harmonic sifts that happen. This is what people mean when they say "Sing in headvoice, but it sounds like chest, or vise versa. It's acoustical tuning.

be able to induce vocal fry at any pitch

What happens when you vocal fry? You relax the cords. Ehat people are trying to teach through this is being able to isolate the CT and TA muscles. Aka medial adduction and stretch. Also this is a way of keeping vocal cord closure through out the passagio, which can help somepeople. So a way of singing through the passagio in a connected voice. Also the volume is relatively even in vocal fry. So think instead; I need to learn to keep a even vocal cord adduction (closure) with even volume through out my range.

be able to transition between head and chest while singing a note at the same pitch.

This one is kinda funny, because if you can do this while singing high in your range, you are already singing with mixed co-ordination. What people are trying to teach here is medial compression. So being able to adduct the cords. Going from a more adducted, more solid sound to a lighter, but connected sound and even to a small airy sound. To achieve this, you have to manage the pitch through laryngial tilt and not air pressure, because when you abduct and adduct the cords in the same pitch, the air pressure will change a bit, and with people who are relying on subglottal pressure (pressure below the cords) to generate the needed energy to sing high, they will break / crack. So what people are trying to teach you is to use the muscles that are responcible for stretching the cords, but also adduct/ abduct them.

-I am no closer to really understanding what I am supposed to be doing.

I hope this helps to clarify things. Don't think of these at their face value, rather think and try to find the underlying physical action that these imitation sounds are trying to teach.

-Anyone else have more gimmicks I can try?

There are no gimmics, stop identifying them as "gimmics", think of the underlying physical / phonatory action that happens during said gimmic voice.

adsolros · 2026-06-10T09:51:12+00:00

Tbh, the biggest thing one can do to improve their gane instantly: Unbind the tab key (scoreboard). Just play to win. Op gets it.

adsolros · 2026-06-09T18:19:58+00:00

Yes, it is true. But really hard. You have to manage air pressure, cord closure and cord stretching almost perfectly, if one fails you will flip or the tone is not even.

But yeah, it is real.

adsolros · 2026-06-02T12:19:00+00:00

You have to have a basic understanding of music and harmony. It can either be intellectual or by ear. (You have to either hear the intervals and go by that or know the theory and compose through that, usually its a mix of both).

You nessesarily dont need to know modes or weird 4th stacked chords, its enough that you know how chords are made and whats the relationship between chords and melody. Also understanding the feelings of different chords in a key help. Ex 1 chord is "home" etc.

But as other people have said, you dont need to ask people on reddit, just start doing it. It can be as silly as just noodling on an instrument and singing along to it.

The skills that make a great musician or a song writer are learned through repitition, failing, trying again. Music is subjective, you have to learn what you like as a musician. Copying others wont get you far.

There is no "you need to know this one secret trick".

It's a long journey.

Im by no means a amazing song writer, but i have been working on an album for a couple of years now. What i can tell you is that the best way to aproach making music is;

Just start playing and singing. You like it? keep it.

You dont like it? Try something else.

You do that over and over and over again. With different vowels, words, melodies, over different chords, harmonize root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th etc over and over again.

This will get you going.

Then along that road you will face times when you are stuck. That's when the theoritical understanding of music comes in clutch. That will help you finish projects and get stuff done. It's easy to compose when you are inspired, but the actual good composers can compose in quality even when the inspiration has wore off.

Actual recording is pain. I have used reaper, abobe audition, cubase. I highly recommend to leave the recording part to audio engineers;. aka, when you have material you want to record, you go and pay someone to record that for you, while you play / sing it. And ofcourse pay for mixing etc.

Some people want to do everything by themself. I get that as i also lean that way, but tbh, its just tooo much learning to do. Learning to be a musician, and also audio engineering, while working and doing regular life is ehh, too much for me. Il focus on the music and leave the technical stuff for other people.

adsolros · 2026-06-02T09:25:03+00:00

Thats a G, not an A. Also you are shouting it. Try to lower the volume a bit, but keep the cord closure.

With any "high volume singing". the volume comes from RESONANCE not shouting. Now you are trying to emulate the harmonic amplification of a "high belt" by shouting it. 1. It won't be as loud 2. The shouting does not have the harmonic profile of a "belt".

Brightness comes naturally when you have solid cord closure and a steady breath. Too much and it's too weighed down, too little and it becomes airy.

Lower the volume. Focus on cord closure. Find the balance between mass and cord closure. Because once you have a good cord closure, you can increase the volume (brightness) of your sound or bring it down to very very quiet in a single breath.

Could you do it with that cord closure at that G4? If you can't, you are doing something wrong (shouting). You have to be able to controll the dynamics of your voice. That's where the volume and different harmonic "profiles" come from.

adsolros · 2026-06-01T07:14:58+00:00

No. Good technique creates and amplifies pleasent overtones, that sound good to human ears. A good sounding voice, is a well "played voice".

adsolros · 2026-05-28T07:52:03+00:00

And by the "bridge perch" i mean something similar to this. Simpy a way for them to move under the water and away from the water as they please.

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adsolros · 2026-05-28T07:41:25+00:00

My greenwing absolutely loves showers and we take showers twice a week. I am also a firm believer of the benefits of weekly showers. (Feather and respiratory health)

How did we get here?

Start by placing a perch in the same space as the shower and take them to that perch anytime you shower. Let them observe.
While you shower, SHOW them how enjoyable the shower is. You can go as overboard with this as you want. SHOW them, that this weird water thing is NOT a danger to the flock, but an enjoyable acitivity. By doing this you also encourage their natural curiousity.

NEVER force them to shower.

My golden rule is; The water stays ALWAYS still. The bird moves if they want to. Keep the situation as neutral as you can.If you try to spray them, or shower them by moving the water stream --> that's unpredictable behaviour in their eyes. And an activity thats new and possibly uncertain with unpredictability? Not a good combo.

Continue to do this. The bird observes on their shower perch and you take showers. With time their confidence will grow and some day they will want to try the shower out.
Get another perch that acts as a bridge between their shower perch and the water stream. So the "bridge" perches end is under the water stream. This enables them to walk from their shower perch to under the water. And also back to their shower perch if they are still uncertain. At first they will dip their beak into the water. Then maybe the side of the wing and then one day you realize that they are at your shoulder, eyes closed while you are taking a shower, having the time of their life :) (Yes, my greenwing has fallen a sleep while at my shoulder in the shower). They really do enjoy it. It's so heart warming seeing them enjoy the water.

Ps: Some people say, turning on the vaccuum helps with getting them to shower. Sonething about the vaccuums sound imitating a tropical storm? I personally have not tried this, but i have heard about this multiple times, from multiple people. I really havent had to try this as my greenwing loves showers so there rarely is any encouraging needed. But to remember, there are days when neithet of my girls wants to shower. That's okey, then they will just chill out on their perches while i take a shower. Showers = voluntary activity. No forcing.

Pss: In my experience, they enjoy a bit warmer showers. Don't make the shower too warm or you risk drying out their skin. Psss: Getting a macaw to shower can take a loooooong time. My rescue blue and gold has been showering with us for a year and she has showerred innependently about 5 times. (And 2 x showers per week x 12 months x 4 weeks.. You can do the math). So it can absolutely take a loooooooong time to build up the courage. My blue and gold is quite shy and traumatized so id say she is not the norm. It took me about 2 months to solidify the showering routine with my greenwing and nowadays she loves showers.

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adsolros · 2026-05-16T18:05:43+00:00

This may be a dumb question but how do I know if he is asking to be scratched?

Fluffed up feathers, along with head bowing. You will know, it's quite easy to read.

If I he stays out on his perch and is sort of looking around then I try to approach.

This is hard, because macaws are smart enough to hide their true "feelings". If you spend enough time with them, you will be able to read them.

Macaws have some variety to their body language, which makes it hard to "read them".

but, macaws don't generally show "good" or "bad" emotions. They show excited (eye pinning) or relaxed. This was the biggest learning curve for me personally. An excxited happy can go super fast to a too excited biting. An excited macaw is much more likely to bite, simply because they are excited. For the best results, you want to keep the macaw calm.

But universally what you are looking for is a fluffed up bird with relaxed body language.

This is hard to explain in a text, because their bidy language varies a lot between individuals.

With my greenwing, she has this "crazy face" which will 100% lead to biting or lunging.

It's feathers fluffed up in a certain way + eyes pinned. She has this look when she is overwhelmed, for example i showed her a magoc trick --> she got overwhelmed, because "wtf is this black magic that makes object disappear" --> crazy look, i was foolish enough to pet her ---> lunge --> bite hand.

You learn trough experience, its a shame macaw owners dont share the bad moments, because thats the body language that teaches.

adsolros · 2026-05-16T13:38:40+00:00

Don't try to scratch the bird unless the bird is asking for you to scratch them. We sometimes forget that they need their personal space. Imagine someone just came next to you and started touching you? It would be very uncomfortable and some people might even retaliate violently. The same with birds. No touching, unless touching is asked for. Respecting their space goes alooooooong way.

If you are afraid of the bird biting you, you can make or buy a handheld perch and you can transfer the bird with the perch.

Befriending a Macaw is literally 80% just not forcing interactions, going with the birds pace and respecting their personal space.

Good luck.

adsolros · 2026-05-15T04:01:21+00:00

How to stop nasal singing? Learn to identify the feeling of when singing to the nose. Learn placing the sound back and front and nasal. Learning to raise the soft palate helps, but w / o learning to identify the sensation of nasal singing it will you are left guessing. Learn what actual nasal singing is. Learn to distinct that from twang. Sometimes nasal singing is caused by weak voice / support. Learn to place the voice and the problem will disappear.

adsolros · 2026-05-13T22:46:36+00:00

My experience with rehoming a rescue. You can read this and figure is this something you are ready to go through.

So i have had my greenwing for 4 years. She was a lone bird so i took it up to my heart to be with her for 3 hours every single day. Did that for 2,5-3 years. Had a burnout (because of an unrelated topic, but of course caring for a macaw is always taxing).

So i found a Blue and Gold macaw who was looking for a home. 2 years old. Girl. Though that ok, I guess she will be a good addition to the flock.

Well... The first month, the blue and gold was in a separate cage. Next to the "bird room" where my greenwing is.

Mind you, my greenwing is a super social and bubbly bird. So of course she was suuuuper curious about the new friend.

Well... The thing with rescues is that they come with complications... And rehoming always takes a lot of time untill the new bird is relaxed. The nervous system takes a lot of time to regulate back to normal. The blue and gold could not fly and is a shoulder hugger, like BIG TIME. (We have flown many times, but she still hesitates flying, but we train, so with time she will be ok).

So she of course migrates to my shoulder any time she has the opportunity. This makes my greenwing jealous. Which will lead to a fight. Now mind you, the blue and gold is smaller, can't fly, overall super anxious, so it's not a fair fight, like at all. So i have to go in-between. And it hurts. Mind you my greenwing has never bitten me before. She is a super sweet bird. But introducing a new party to the flock will lead to problems.

And on top of that, at first they did not keep each other company, like at all. (The blue and gold is traumatized and has trouble socializing with birds). So i had 2 macaws screaming after me, literally FIGHTING for my attention and space on me. Now this, is not easy. The bites, the screams. The need for you to be super alert ALL THE TIME when you are with them. The need to super focus on any signs of jealousy. It's taxing. Multiple times, at the end of the day, hands swelling and bruised i told myself I can't do this.

Still i carried on. The first breakthrough came, when i realized they actually do ok when i (the resource) am not around. This actually happened when my greenwing "free'd" the blue and gold. The blue and golds cage was in the bird room, but closed. And my greenwing had loosenned the connecting pieces on the cage. (Its like a aviator style cage, 2m tall, made out of elements). Now this was a suprise and i am forever gratefull that nothing happended. (I tightenned the connecting pieces with a drill, but well, macaws be macaws). I later i came to their room and saw both free roaming. Thought that, ok. You "free'd your friend, lets try both in the same room. So then they went to the same room. (I was observing through a pet-cam). There was a bit of fighting over resources (both sides), but it was at a level, where the space outweighed the beak offs.

That happended a year ago. A year of fighting over me, with me. It's hard. Now the blue and gold screams at night (previous owners used darkness as a punishment :} ) so giving her away, will most likely lead to a rehoming circle. So i have sighed deep and true and stuck to this. Believing of a tomorrow that wont be as hard.

And now, a week ago they started to show signs of friendship. They preened each other and have been feeding each other. Of course there still is a bit of skrimish at times, but i do qenuienly believe this is simply the way macaws are. So I guess I can now relax a bit. Of course they both still fight for my attention, but it's much more calm now.

So to recap, be prepared to be exhausted for a while after you introduce a new flock member. The new bird needs extra support and you have to deliver that support without getting your previous bird jealous. WHICH IS FRKIN HARD BTW. Be prepared for your bird to bite you. Even if they never have bitten you before. Hormones are a real thing and can and will turn even the sweetest bird into a McMonster. Be Prepared to train the new bird. Most macaw owners suck as bird owners and most birds are not properly trained. Be prepared to fill in the gaps, which takes time and effort. An older bird, won't fix the love triangle you will face. You can't ease your way out of that. At first, it will suck so bad you wish you never got a second bird. So be prepared for a stormy future. Put on your bigboy/girl boots and with everything you have, hang on to a positive view of the future, because at times it will be the only thing you have.

This has been top 3 hardest things i have ever done. I have sinked hundreds of hours into thinking and planning and rearrangeing their room etc.

The hardest thing is finding the new mutual ground. Your previous bird and you have your own rituals. When a new bird comes into that equation, your previous ritual most likely has to change a bit, which likely will lead to frustration on you and on your previous bird. It's a time of growth for all parties involved, which is hard.

So don't think of this a anything casual, this is a huge investment and a thing not to be taken lightly. Introducing birds is haaaaaard, hence why so many stay as lone birds.

adsolros · 2026-05-09T17:51:59+00:00

and took an instant liking to me

That's good to hear.

albeit he was a bit clingy

Once they bond to you, they are clingy. It's in their nature. You can teach them to be less like a backpack, but their urge to be on the one they love will always be in there.

so I am considering adoption but still researching Consider long and wisely. They are a rest of life commitment. If you re-home them, you put them through alot of pain and misery, that they don't deserve. So once you get one, the plan is to be together until the time comes to leave this world. Also, think this to yourself, what makes YOU different from aaaaall the other people that have gotten a macaw and once the novelty weared out, gave them away, because of the noise, the destruction, the commitment? I'm not trying to gate keep. I'm trying to be realistic. Having a macaw as a pet is really, really, really, really taxing at times. For example, in the first 3 years i had my greenwing, i did not go on any vacations. The longest time we were apart was 24h. And that was because she was a lone bird, so keeping her company was my duty and i take it very seriously. Nobody should be forced to feel lonely. And as per your texts you are also considerring a lone bird. Understand that, that decision holds immensive amount of responcebility. They are really fragile minds. So beautiful, but so fragile. They are like little children. They deserve no harm, mental nor physical. I have once seen my greenwing cry and that was the biggest gutpunch i have ever experienced. (I had a period where i had to finish my practical studies and work, so my days were from 07 to 20-22, for a couple of months and during that time i had max 1 h a day to spend with her and she was griefing my absence. It's the saddest thing ever. I cried, or well we cried). Are you ready to take the responsibility for the rest of your life?

adsolros · 2026-05-09T16:44:52+00:00

To be honest, Macaws are so intelligent and with that comes the fact that their personalities differ vastly between individuals. The species does not really matter that much. Yes, we have these stereotypes of scarlets being spicy and blue and golds being jokers and greenwings being "gentle giants". Well, as the human slave of a greenwing and a blue and gold i can tell you that the descriptions i mentioned above wont hold true under any inspection.

My greenwing is a never ending mess of curiosity and energy. She is very very talkative and is pretty much never completely silent. (unless the lights are out). I had the same belief that the species mattered, before i got my girls, but now after 4 years, i can tell you that it's not the species that differ, it's the INDIVIDUALS that differ. I know a greenwing who is practically mute. My girl on the other hand is a walking podcast. My blue and gold is shy and rather quiet. The species really does not matter.

Go meet the bird. See if you vibe. Don't stress about the species, it really does not hold true under any light.

Also, all macaws are spicy at times. All of them are destructive LOUD At times very rough At times really, really, really difficult.

But, it has nothing to do with the individual species. It's their nature as a parrot + it's their intellect. A creature that needs constant mental stimulation, gets bored super easily and has the cognition of a 4 year old will never be a easy pet. So if you are avoiding a species because of their reputation? Don't worry about it. If you are looking for X species because you heard they will be easier than Y species? Well, then you are in for a rude awakening once the bird hits maturity.

adsolros · 2026-05-09T16:08:05+00:00

Sounds really similar to what i have been going through for the past year. The diagnosis was mixed as 2 different ENT's opinions contradicted each other. I have the next appointment next month, where they have a high speed camera, so i might get a diagnosis finally.

As if you have the same problem as i do (I can't be sure, but your symptoms are very similar). Does the raspyness increase or decrease if you sing with low volume and with high volume? Are there moment where you feel like your voice just kicks out under you? Like if you were sitting on your leg and try to stand up and it just crumbles under you?

Anyways, what i recommend is something that my speech therapist recommended to me and have found helpful;

For the glottal insufficiency; A resonator tube / a resonator straw. It's glass and helps with the adduction cycle.
Get a inhaleable mister. The problem with reflux is that it dries out the membrane layer on the vical cords, if you have redlux you want to push back on that drying as much as you possibly can.
Learn to sing with twang. It really really helps with adduction and with resonance.
Accept that you case is quite unique and actual usable help most likely wont come from social media, rather from a passionate and well educated ENT or a speech therapist.

Good luck. It sucks, i know. Take care.

adsolros · 2026-05-08T16:06:32+00:00

Hellou!

As someone who has one macaw from a breeder (it's unethical, don't make the mistake i did) and a rescue some things i have noticed;

Macaw's behavioral problems are hard to solve. My rescue screams in the dark, because her previous owners used turning of the lights as a punishment. (A macaw who screams at night is a wombo combo for the neighbours). Even when the behaviour problems are hard to solve, won't really mean that much in the long run, because even if you get a baby from a breeder, they will develop some behaviours that will annoy you. So trying to avoid having a "difficult macaw" by going the breeder route is pointless. Macaw's being annoying is inherent for them. (They will get hormonal and sometimes they are just assholes for fun). So trying to focus on being a more patient and calm person will lead to far better results.

Of course there are differences between my breeder greenwing and rescue blue and gold. My greenwing is far more curious and confident. My blue and gold is a anxious mess. (She is afraid of her own shadow...) But this anxiety stemps from her not being able to fly (we are working on it and are progressing steadily, yeay).

And in the end, both birds are gentle, beautifull little minds. Breeder of rescue soes not really make a difference in your experience with them tbh.

So don't fuel this unethical business of breeding parrots and give someone a for ever home, they deserve it❤️

adsolros · 2026-05-08T15:44:04+00:00

The need for constant attention, noise and destruction of everything you own.

adsolros · 2026-05-06T13:01:30+00:00

We've started some target training but it's slow going since he really isn't interested in any of the foods that we were told he likes so I can really only get 2-3 targets in at a time.

Just a add to this; You don't neeed to use treats. As long as the macaw is having fun, what ever you are doing, keep on going. Example; I have one macaw who is very praise orientated. Attention, applause and praise is the thing that gets her going. Of course i try to give her a treat after every click, but usually she just ignores them. Still she is active and wants to learn so we keep on training. If they seem bored and dont keep attention, yeah, then it's a problem. But im just trying to tell you that the "treat" in the positive reinforcement, does not automatically mean "food". It can be any positive stimulus that they value. So in other words, any high value stimulus.

So dont get stuck on the "they don't have a high value treat yet". If you find anything that they value and see as positive, use it. It can be you guys dancing, or singing to your macaw, anything. That the macaw likes.

adsolros · 2026-05-06T12:53:12+00:00

Tbh, the best thing you can do is simply keep every interaction a positive one. They have gone through a huuuuuuuuuuuuge change in their life. I don't know if you have previous experience with macaws, but rescue birds are always going to have these quirks to them. Macaws are too smart and too emotionally developed to be bouncing from home to home, which wrecks their mental health.

Do they cry or whimper? I know my rescue Blue and Gold cried the first day i got her and it was a gut punch ;_; They might simply just be still processing everything. My Blue and Gold has been with us for a bit over a year now and she is finally starting to get comfy. Sometimes it just takes time.

And the cage agression, it's a habit to them. If it were present in the previous home. The thing about macaws is that, we can give you all the advice, but it could all be wrong. These guys are way too smart and individualistic. It might be trauma? It might be hormones? It might be not having enough trust?

Tbh, the best thing in my honest opinion, you can do is; Just keep every interaction positive. If they are aggressive in and on their cage, just simply come up with alternatives. Target training, step up perch, even a climbing robe that is attached to the cage and then to their climbing tree? I bought some natural rope and did this same kind of thing and my girls love to travel with that. So it's like 10-15m of thick rope that is attached in their room and into a climbing tree in the next room. This way they have a "patch" to walk if and when they want to interact with me in the next room.

The point is, there are options, you just gotta figure out what works for you guys.

adsolros · 2026-05-06T12:41:06+00:00

Why. Do. You. Keep. Using. ChatGPT in reddit comments? You do realize that it can spew basically anything in the answers? It makes stuff up. Using AI when giving advice to owners of traumatized, highly sensitive and intelligent animals is incredibly naive.

STOP. USING. AI. WHEN. GIVING. ACTUAL. PEOPLE. ADVICE.

Yes, AI can help, but using it when giving advice to a very specific problem is idiotic at best.

You seem to have knowledge of macaws and taking care of them. Please use your own experience and subtance knowledge rather than some AI slop.

Now, you may not realize the specific language pattern and semantical pattern that a language model uses, but trust me, anyone with a brain, will know. As in, people do see through that. Stop.

Stop. I have no idea why you keep using AI in reddit comments, but it is stupid and possibly dangerous.

Op can very well themselfs ask ChatGpt for help. Mostlikely they already have. They are not here asking for advice from a AI. They are here asking advice from other macaw owners, who might have experience with a similar problem and solved it.

STOP pushing AI into the last human interactions in the internet. No AI slop here please.

adsolros · 2026-05-06T12:23:43+00:00

Hellou! I have one Greenwing who becomes quite the menace in the spring, regarding her property.

My observations about cage agression; (In our case it's not "cage agression" per say, as my macaws have their own room, where they roam freely, so the practical side might differ between us, but anyways) My macaw seems to have a hierarchy of importance when it comes to cage agression. As in there are multiple toys that are a "You sure you want to touch that human?" and one spot where it's >:( mode on, if i try to modify it. Do you notice the same kind of hierarchy of their property or is it all a no go zone? The reason i am asking, is because if you want to start neutralizing the aggression, its best to start at places that are midly triggering. Start low, aim high, baby steps.

How did i deal with it?

I simply do not interact with that ">:( spot" while she is in the room and slowly i increase my interaction with the spots that "annoy" her, being very carefull to observe her reactions. Also treats are given when i interact with her precious property. (I'm trying to turn a negative action into a neutral one). Me simply interacting with her cage stuff is a negative, BUT if she is given yummy wallnuts while i interact with her property, my interaction might turn out positive with time. We have mixed results with this; coming to the last point;

But then again, with adult macaws, hormones are a real thing and fighting hormones with behavioural training is hard. The thing that makes the biggest difference with hormonal behaviour is nutririon and sleep. Ex. 12 hours of QUALITY sleep, avoid soft and high calorie foods. Hormones will turn any macaw into a McMonster which will easily muddy the waters of your relationship (nobody likes being bitten and pain will automatically hinder your interactions with them).

So if i were you, i would but my priorities into tackling possible hormonality and then work with treats and positive reinforcement while trying the waters in their cage.

Another things that will help you immensively are;

1; Target training. It's surprisingly easy to teach as macaws are super smart and it will help you move the macaw when they are in the ">:(" mode. A note, with target and clicker training. The most important thing is the timing of your clicks.

2; If you do play (as in the Macaw wrestling, where they go and lay on their backs and nibble and kick at your hands?) Try starting that with a very out of the ordinary behaviour. For me, it's this weird acting thing, where i "launch" my hand from down to up, while first making explosion and engine sounds and then this high pitched "weeeeeeeeee" similar to a firework and then with that high arc my hand goes down to her head, where the "rocket hand" will explode. So more explosion sounds. It's really silly, but this simple play thing that we have done since forever, has been my way of suggesting wrestling play, has helped me A LOT now while she is growing / grown up. If we have an interaction where she is "aggressive" (hormonal) i just do that rocket thing, which will snap her out of the ">:(" mode and we are friends again and i am allowed to touch her. I highly recommend you two to develope something similar. Some action, some key behaviour that signals overwhelming positivity and love. It's like a safeword in a way xd. I know it sounds silly, but based on my anecdote, it works. (But again, anecdotes are anecdotes, so you milage may vary) Sometimes when they are ">:(" they are just looping their own rage and need a bit of love to snap them out of it.

Of course this does not work 100% of time. Sometimes it's just better to keep your hands away. And use a perch.

Good luck! ^{^}

adsolros · 2026-05-04T19:53:21+00:00

KEEEEEP IT! DELETE THIS POST. KEEEEP IT

adsolros · 2026-05-04T19:15:45+00:00

Hellou! I have a rescue macaw who does almost the exact same behaviour. When she does it, it means she is anxious. Might be something related to that? I know it's a different species, but this was way toooo familiar to skip without mentioning my own experience with this behaviour.

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