Amazon Parrots
Useful Webpages: Amazon Species ... Amazon Photo Gallery .... The Diseases of the Amazon Parrots
Relevant Products: Amazon Parrot Books ... Amazon Parrot Cages: Medium (acceptable) - Large-size (preferred) ... Bird Toys ... Amazon Nutrition / Diet
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.
- 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 Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
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
If you are considering one of these magnificent parrots as pets, please visit the following websites for information:
- Procuring your Parrot
- 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
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)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
