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Amazon Parrots

Useful Webpages: Amazon Species ... Amazon Photo Gallery .... The Diseases of the Amazon Parrots ... Amazon Nutrition / Diet

Are you looking for a Yellow-naped Amazon? Click here for a listing of breeders

Relevant Products: Amazon Parrot Books ... Amazon Parrot Cages: Medium (acceptable) - Large-size (preferred) ... Bird Toys

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Overview

Kindly provided by Dr. Rob Marshall - http://www.birdhealth.com.au

The Amazon is a loving and sociable parrot originating from South America.

The affectionate and loyal nature of the Amazon make this bird a wonderful pet for those experienced with companion parrots. Amazons are highly intelligent and require a devoted owner who is willing to provide significant and meaningful attention, as well as stimulus such as chewing toys to keep them happy and healthy.

Hand reared male birds from aviary bred parents make the best pets. Amazons are generally easily trained and have an excellent talking ability. If not provided with the necessary training and socialisation, the Amazon can become aggressive and susceptible to other behavioural problems.

Distribution

Chart provided by Dr. Rob Marshall - http://www.birdhealth.com.au)

Amazon Genus - Amazona

Size: Up to 40cm

Pet Status: Very Good

Talking Ability: Excellent

Noise Level: Very High

Lifespan: Up to 60 years

Breeding Ability: Very Good

Number of Eggs: 2-4 eggs

Incubation: 29 days

Compatibility with other species: Mix well with other parrots, especially Conures.

Feeding: Seed and Fruit Eaters

Health Programmes: Follow the Parrot Health Programme.

Sexing: Surgical or DNA sexing is required.

The Amazon parrot is native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean.

In the wild, they feed primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.

Description

Most amazons are predominantly green, with accenting colors that depend on the species and can be quite vivid.

Amazons are known for their exceptional vocal abilities, playfulness, and dexterity with their feet. They are very loyal, loving companions; having them is somewhat like having a two-year-old-human child in ability and temperament for 50-plus years.

However, some amazons are aggressive (usually during their mating time), and they all require a lot of attention when kept as pets. Parrots require more attention and care than domesticated pets such as dogs or cats, and are not for the inexperienced bird owner.

All parrots need a lot of stimulating activities to keep from being bored and terribly destructive to themselves and their surroundings. In particular, since Amazons are cavity nesters in the wild, their desire to chew wood is strong, and they need to be provided with destructible toys to satisfy this innate urge. - Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from : Wikipedia.org.

Amazons as Pets

Great large parrots - with the complexity, time commitment that goes with owning a large parrot. People who are either inexperienced or unwilling to spend time on training / socializing a parrot will eventually cause (or allow) the parrot to become very nippy and overly noisy. They make great pets for the RIGHT home.

Training and Behavioral Guidance:

• Amazon Parrots generally present challenges, such as excessive screaming or chewing - especially at certain stages in their life. They do discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us" once they are out of the "baby stage" and they can generally be somewhat naughty, and it really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. Undisciplined parrots will chew on electric wiring potentially causing house fires. They regard anything in your home as a "toy" that can be explored and chewed on; destroying items that you may hold dear or are simply valuable. Even a young bird that has not been neglected and abused requires proper guidance; this becomes even more challenging when it involves a rescued bird that may require rehabilitation.



• About the Hormons: Amazons go through a stage that is difficult to handle for many but the most experienced amazon owners. Species such as Lilac Crowns and Mealies are less excitable than other amazon species during the breeding season. Females are usually calmer than males during the the breeding season. An attack by a hormonal male can be vicious and will not be limited to one bite. The time of aggression varies with the individual bird. It usually appears between the ages of 5 to 12 years. During this time there will be one to two years in which they will be very aggressive. Once they go through this, they generally settle down with little or no aggression shown when they are not hormonal and some aggression when they are.If your parrot is hormonal, this website will help you minimize or resolve the problem.
  
  
  • Web Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training.
  
  
  
  • If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
    
    • the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
      • Stop Biting
      • Perform Tricks &
      • Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
    • and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course.

The below video shows a nice aviary set up housing several amazon parrots.

The amazon species most commonly kept as pets include the following:

• Blue-fronted Amazon
• Double Yellow-head Amazon
• Lilac-crowned Amazon
• Mealy Amazon
• Mexican Redhead or Green-cheeked Amazons
• Orange-winged Amazon
• Panama Amazon
• Red-lored Amazon
• White-fronted Amazon
• Yellow-crowned or Yellow-fronted Amazon
• Yellow-naped Amazon

Listing of Other Amazon Species

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If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:

• Procuring your Parrot
  
  
  • Michigan / South West: Silver Cloud Aviary - http://www.silvercloudaviary.com
    Breeder of African Greys (TAG & CAG), Amazons (DYH, Mexican Red-Headed, Lilac- Crowned, Yellow-Naped), Cockatiels, Conures (Green Cheek [Pineapple, Cinnamon, Yellow-Sided, Turquoise and Normals] and Sun Conures), Eclectus (SI) and Rosellas (Stanley/Western) - Ship (weather permitting)
  
  
  
  • Ohio, Chillicothe: Jeff & Norma Steinbrook - Exotic Kingdoms Aviary, 1049 Baum Hill Rd. Chillicothe, Ohio - Tel. 740-626-2790 between 10am & 6pm or Call Cell # 740-649-9673 - e-mail Address is loveparrots@horizonview.net
    • Breeder of: Amazon Parrots: Double Yellow Head, Mexican Red Head, Orange Wing, and Yellow Napes - Will Ship Weather Permitting
  
  
  
  • South Carolina, Jackson (Aiken): Robin Fraser
    fraserproperties@aol.com, cell 803-215-3351
    • Breeder of Yellow Naped Amazons
  
  
  
  • Click here for more breeders. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.



• Housing Your Bird



• Training Your Bird



• Bird Nutrition



• Parrot Products

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Taxonomy:

Class: Aves ...Order: Psittaciformes ... Family: Psittacidae ... Subfamily: Psittacinae ... Genus: Scientific: Amazona ... English: Amazons ... Dutch: Amazonepapegaaien ... German: Amazonen ... French: Amazones

CITES I: Protected/ CITES II: Endangered Species or EXTINCT (as specified under each species)

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