The Severe is the largest of the mini macaws and the one that most feels like a scaled-down full macaw - a green bird with chestnut on the face, blue flights and a long tail, with thirty to forty years in it. It is also the loudest of the mini macaws by a clear margin and the moodiest, and neither fact appears in the usual pitch for a macaw that fits a normal house.
The noise
Harsh, carrying and used freely, particularly morning and evening. Louder than a Hahn's and comparable to the larger macaws in how far it travels. If the reason you are looking at a mini macaw is noise, this is the wrong one.
They are moody and they mean it
Severes have a reputation for going through phases - affectionate for weeks, then standoffish or nippy, particularly as they mature and seasonally thereafter. Experienced keepers read it and work around it. First-time owners take it personally and stop handling, which makes it worse. Consistency through the sulks is the whole trick.
What is good about them
A great deal. Severes are clever, acrobatic, genuinely funny, and they talk better than most macaws of any size - a decent vocabulary in a clear voice. They bond strongly and they stay playful into old age. For somebody who wants the macaw temperament and cannot house a large one, this is a real option, provided the noise is honestly assessed first.
The beak
Small by macaw standards and still substantial. A Severe can draw blood and will during the difficult phases.
Living with one
Thirty to forty years. A large cage for the size, a pelleted base with vegetables and a few nuts, and a great deal of chew material - they are destructive out of proportion to their weight.
Buying one
Hear one call before you decide. Ask the breeder about temperament changes as the birds mature. Ask when it weaned and about disease testing. The breeders listed on this page raise Severe Macaws and can be contacted directly through the site.