My adult blue and gold macaw, which I've had for a week, loves hard plastic beads that she pulled off her bird toy. The beads are 1/2 inch in diameter. I thought there was nothing wrong with her playing with them, as she has shown no interest in actually swallowing them. But, after an animal shelter guy told me all plastic is suspect because she can swallow bits and they can get stuck in her crop, I stopped giving her the beads unless I was watching her.

This time, she was chewing on a red bead and then she wasn't. I didn't hear it drop and I can't find it, though the way she drops things and the way my room is pretty cluttered, it's not unusual for something she drops to roll into a corner and for me to not find it for a day or so.

She's acting pretty normal, though I don't have a solid grasp on what "normal" is for her because we've been together for so short a time. She doesn't seem sick, but how can I know for sure? She never lets me touch the front of her neck, so I can't really feel it to find out. I'm freaking out a little here.

I know I could bring her to a vet, but she doesn't trust me very much. Getting her into the carrier alone would be an ordeal and a half, and would probably do nothing for the relationship I'm trying to build. And if this is just my paranoia, I don't want to traumatize her unnecessarily.

I asked the internet in general and was told that anything can get stuck in a crop, even food. Anyone have a foolproof way to know whether my bird is ok? And how to keep her ok? I'm new to this adventure, I've never had a bird this big before, and I want to do right by her.

I am hoping you find the bead ... I can only advise you to watch her droppings and see if there is loose running droppings or maybe blood? She might have an issue passing the bead so you might see anything odd in her feces.


If she acts extremely tired or lethargic and doesn't want to play and sits puffed up and very quiet then you know you have a problem. Watch for her to see if she tries to vomit.


Give her cage a serious clean and see if you can find that bead!


Best of luck to you both .... I hope she didn't eat it.

I found the bead! It took two days, during which she kept acting fine. I mean, she was acting pretty weird, but she's a weird bird, so she was acting fine for her. So I figured everything was ok.

Then I found the bead IN MY BED. Her cage is in my room, and when she's done with things she kind of throws them, so the bead must have landed in my soft bed which is why I didn't hear it fall.

Giving her plastic beads is one of the best ways I can get her to stop barbering, but I don't think my heart can take another scare like that. We're on wood, paper, coconut shell, and cardboard only right now.

YAY! I'm so glad you found the bead. Theres a load off your mind with worry!!!!!

I was so glad to read that you had found the bead. Birds do just love to scare us!