Angry macaw biting damage????????????

Question

if a really REALLY angry macaw got a hold of your face or hand, how much damage would it do?

Answer 1

Macaws have large powerful beaks designed to tear apart hard nuts and fruits. They're estimated to have a bite force of 200 pounds per square inch, which is more than enough to severe a finger. As tactile appendages, fingers contain a lot of valuable nerves that can easily be damaged permanently. The same is true of your face, which could be irrevocably damaged without much force. Imagine how easily a sharp powerful beak could gouge your eye or take off a large piece of your ear or lip.

To answer your question, a "really really angry" macaw could do some serious damage. Whenever you're around macaws you should stay aware of their position and their body language. Even mild bites involve a fair amount of blood and a lot of pain.

Generally it's a good idea to keep them away from your head (sitting on your shoulder is a dominance problem anyway) and mind your fingers while they're on your arm. If at some point you do unfortunately find your finger in their beak (and you still have some amount of sense in the moment) push your finger to the back and hold their beak. It may seem like a bad idea, but their beaks are most powerful at the tip and won't do much damage at the back. It's much better than the tearing you'll cause by pulling away in a panic.

Answer 2

I've been to the emergency room twice for serious macaw bites. Learn to read their feathers, eyes and watch those beaks! They can do severe nerve damage and leave horrid scars...or lop off a finger, if they get a good grip! kjl

Answer 3

I have a bird rescue and I have gotten some pretty aggressive macaws. I have been bitten by a scarlet macaw and it broke my finger. You must remember that they can crack brazil nuts with not problem. I have ran over a brazil nut with my car and it didn't do a thing. All macaw handlers will tell you to never put a big bird like that on your shoulder because they could take out an eye with no problem. You must handle these birds with caution.