Macaws are often thought of as the most spectacular of all the parrots, because of their dazzling array of colors, their large size and beautiful long tails. They are very comical and clownish in the behavior, and they delight in performing for a crowd. Most trained parrots shows feature Macaws due to their intelligence and adaptability at learning entertaining, yet complicated, tricks - such as roller skating, bike riding, basketball, etc.
While all delight in watching them, they are definitely not a pet for a meek individual. Their large, powerful beaks can be quite intimidating to most people, particularly after watching them quickly crack a Brazil nut with ease. Amazingly enough though, those large powerful beaks are generally quite gentle when it comes to the fingers of their beloved owner. Make no mistake though, they can bite hard if they so desire, but the bites are rarely as severe as one would expect. (All the macaw owners I know still have all their fingers intact and in proper working condition!) They do seem to be one-person birds though, and will attempt to intimidate others by striking with their large beak. Generally, however, if the person is not intimidated and reaches deliberately for the bird to perch upon their arm, they're mostly bluff and are really great big pussy-cats. But they will know if you're scared and will play on that fear. I must admit, I have no desire to handle anyone's macaw other than my own, which I raised from a baby. But he is a very loving and gentle pet towards me, and I even trust him enough to give me kisses! However, they love to play and can get a little bit rough during the excitement of the game. If you find your Macaw getting overly excited while you're playing, back off and let him calm down, as an excited macaw's bite can be much harder than he actually intended.
A Macaw's natural call can be quite loud, though not necessarily frequent if not provoked, so they might not make a good choice for an apartment pet or someone with a low noise tolerance. Their voices are as big as they are, so be prepared for an occasional loud call. My own Macaw seems to be very quiet, and doesn't do much of the natural calling. He yells more when he wants attention. Be careful not to reinforce this behavior by yelling back, letting him out of his cage (if this is what he wants), or giving him treats to keep him quiet. You will only reinforce such behavior - better to ignore him or leave the room. Reward him with what he wants only when he is quiet and behaving, and the calls will be very rare and infrequent. Macaws also expect a certain amount of attention, and will let you know, rather loudly, if they're not getting their fair share. Macaws are not known to be the best talkers, although my Blue and Gold is only a little over a year old and talking quite well, and I know many other Macaws that are very good talkers.
Most Macaws enjoy being pet and loved on by their favorite person, but you should always be mindful of their large and powerful beak. For me they are a little too large and heavy to carry around a lot - even with trimmed nails their weight can leave indentions and marks on your arm. However, some people are evidently much tougher than me, and lug their large bird around very frequently.
Macaws seem to be very intelligent, and love to clown around to get your attention. You can easily teach them many tricks with only a little effort. If you feel comfortable with a bird this large, and are not easily intimidated, a Macaw may be just the bird for you.
I should also point out that there are many species of "mini-macaws", such as Yellow Collars, Nobles, Hahns, Severe and Red Bellied Macaws. These smaller macaws have basically the same general behavior characteristics, without the large size, and their voices are slightly smaller like their bodies. If you like the personality of Macaws but are intimidated by the size, you may want to check out the mini-macaws, as their smaller size makes them somewhat more comfortable to handle. In addition, they don't require such a large cage.
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