Amazon Parrots The background shows one of our Red Loreds The Amazon parrot is an amazing creatures. In the wild that can be found in parts of South and Central American. I have friends that spent some time in Mexico at a cancer treatment center, and they marveled at how these beautiful birds flocked in for snacks much like our pigeons and crows. In the wild they mainly eat seeds, fruits, nuts, berries, and buds and are considered a pest by farmers. There are four subspecies of this Amazon parrot: Amazona autumnalis autumnalis, Amazona autumnalis salvini, Amazona autumnalis lilacina, and Amazona autumnalis diadema. They range in size from about 8 - 21 inches depending on the species. Females usually lay from 2 - 8 eggs. They are popular in the pet trade and very long-lived. Some can live 75 years or longer. Green is the predominant color, with some color, markings, and geographic differences amongst the subspecies. They like to gather in large flocks and usually pair up for life. In captivity In captivity they can be a delightful pet, especially if hand fed, but not to the exclusion of wild caught parrots. Wild caught parrots can become as trusting and loving as a hand fed baby, but it does take time and patience. If you do not have time and patiences, you should not have a parrot.
Shown here-a Mealy Amazon An Amazon parrot will require a great deal of attention and social interaction. He will also require a great deal of stimulation from toys. Without the mental stimuli of social interaction and toys, he will become a parrot with stress and behavioral problems. People who are willing to devote a considerable amount of time to their parrots will have a delightful companion pet for many decades. The Amazon parrot is the most trainable of all parrots, some believe. The Amazon parrot is highly intelligent. They have the capacity to learn a large vocabulary of words. I have Amazons that spend hours mumbling or singing to themselves and then all of a sudden blurt out a completely new word or sentence. The parrot loves to learn new tricks and will be glad to show the tricks off to you and visitors.. The downside to the Amazon parrot is that they can be very noisy and they can also be very destructive. They will chew up wood furniture, moldings and any thing else that they want to chew up when left unsupervised. Keeping an Amazon healthy is a complex issue. Toenails need to be trimmed. The wing feathers need to be trimmed so he does not escape. You could accidentally cut a blood feather while trimming and the bird can bleed out very quickly, so care and concentration is important. The parrot should have a yearly check up with an Avian Veterinarian-not just a regular vet. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious behavioral and health problems. A parrot should have 12 hours of darkness every day year around. If his cage is in a room with others, cover his cage with a cage cover. Play Amazon parrots are intelligent and complex. The need for toys is immense. Boredom is unhealthy for a parrot and can be fatal. Puzzle toys made for the destructive parrot are great. There are some great interactive toys where a nut needs to be extracted. Chew toys are needed for these chew happy birds. Get untreated blocks of wood at the lumberyard. Color them bright with the sugarless variety of Kool-Aid. They love to swing on ropes. Anything new and different that is safe for a parrot. Anything that will confound him or her for a little while, because it does not take long for them to figure out each new game or puzzle. Most of all, they love to interact with you. So, the question is, "Is an Amazon Parrot right for???"
|
