[header] How to bond with a macaw [title] Learn how to correctly pet your macaw. [step] Proper handling is a vital part of acclimating and socializing your new bird. Pet or caress its head and feet only, as it might interpret full strokes from the head to tail as mating behavior. 
It might become more possessive of you if it views you as a mate instead of as a companion. [substeps] It'll appreciate head scratches, where itchy new feathers grow that it can't quite reach.