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Honesty
02-05-2014, 09:26 PM
Amazon Parrot care guide:

I have Codie who is a Yellow Crowned Amazon Parrot and have had him since he was 11 weeks old. He is very comical and likes lots of attention! He has quite a varied vocabulary and spends hours chatting away :) One of these days, I will catch him on video :) I have even tried hiding it and just recording him talking, but, he just knows it is there :th_eek: He is a very picky eater and I have spent ££'s trying different types of food for him. I would say his favourite veg is Corn, Green Beans, Brussel Sprouts and Butternut squash! His favourite fruits are Grapes and Strawberries. He also loves all types of nuts. I have to limit him with these, as he would eat them all day long!

On the whole, Codie is a good boy :) He is not a great chewer and has never damaged any furniture! He does have his little mood swings though! When he is like this, I just know to leave him alone. This saves having a chunk taken out of my arm! :th_LOL:

Amazons do have quite a bad reputation for being very aggressive, but I would say, it is really just a case of reading their body language, which is very easy to detect with a Zon. If they are angry, they pin their eyes and flare out their tails!

Amazons are native to Mexico and South America, in Brazil.

They mature at around 5 to 7 years old and can become very hormonal during this time and also very aggressive! (I have this to look forward to)

Housing needs:

Amazons need quite a large cage. They are very active and need lots of room to swing about! Codie's cage is 40" x 30"x 72". It is also a must to have a large playstand with lots of toys to play with :) Codie will quite happily play on his stand for most of the day :) As long as he can see me, then he is fine!

Noise Level:

Amazons are loud, so I would not recommend as Apartment birds. Codie tends to scream when I have company, or if I leave the room. They can also become one person birds as Codie is!

Diet:

An Amazons diet needs to be watched closely, If they are fed the wrong type of food they can become obese very quickly, so, a diet of pellets, a small amount of seed, (no sunflower seeds) fresh veggies/fruits, bean/rice mix would be a good choice. They need a low in fat diet as they are very prone to fatty liver disease. In the wild, they eat fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, and flowers.

Lifespan:

Amazons can live up to 70 years!

Extra info:

Amazons need at least 2 to 3 hours of one to one time with the owners each day. They also need between 10 and 12 hours uninterupted sleep per night!

Amazon species (which are mainly kept as pets)

Blue-fronted Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona aestiva
Double Yellow-headed Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona oratrix
Green-cheeked Amazon or Red-crowned Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks])- Amazona viridigenalis
Lilac-crowned Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona finschi
Lilacine Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona autumnalis
Mealy Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona farinosa
Orange-winged Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona amazonica
Panama Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona panamensis
Red-lored Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona autumnalis
White-fronted Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona albifrons
Yellow-crowned Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona ochrocephala ochrocephala
Yellow-naped Amazon ([Users must be registered and logged in to view attached photos or hyperlinks]) - Amazona auropalliata

The not so common species:

Cuban Amazon or Rose-throated Parrot, Amazona leucocephala
Yellow-billed Amazon, Amazona collaria
Hispaniolan Amazon, Amazona ventralis
Puerto Rican Amazon, Amazona vittata
Yellow-lored Amazon, Amazona xantholora
Black-billed Amazon, Amazona agilis
Red-spectacled Amazon, Amazona pretrei
Blue-cheeked Amazon, Amazona dufresniana
Red-browed Amazon, Amazona rhodocorytha
Red-tailed Amazon, Amazona brasiliensis
Festive Amazon, Amazona festiva
Yellow-shouldered Amazon, Amazona barbadensis
Kawall's Amazon, Amazona kawalli
Scaly-naped Amazon, Amazona mercenaria
Vinaceous Amazon, Amazona vinacea
St Lucia Amazon, Amazona versicolor
Red-necked Amazon, Amazona arausiaca
St. Vincent Amazon, Amazona guildingii
Imperial Amazon, Amazona imperialis

If I think of anything else, I will add it here :)

Please feel free to add your own experiences with your Zon :)

Maddy
02-05-2014, 09:34 PM
This is a very helpful post for anyone thinking about getting a amazon!

I think we should have threads like this for all bird species, and make them stickies! (:

Honesty
02-05-2014, 09:57 PM
This is a very helpful post for anyone thinking about getting a amazon!

I think we should have threads like this for all bird species, and make them stickies! (:Thanks Maddy. Yes, this is what we are hoping to do :) I have started us off with Amazons and we hope to eventually have a thread on every species :)

Maddy
02-05-2014, 10:51 PM
Awesome! I can help with one for budgies and conures, if you'd like. (:

Honesty
02-05-2014, 10:57 PM
That would be great Maddy :)

Grey
02-06-2014, 03:17 AM
I have had my Lola, a Cuban Amazon, since the day she was born. Cuban Amazons are not readily available outside of Florida and California as a Federal Permit is required to sell across State lines. She is much quieter than most of the larger amazons, perfectly content to whittle a chew toy for hours. There are the regularly schedule 8:30-9:15 am and 4:30-5:00 pm jungle noise concerts, advance reservations not required. Dietary requirements are the same for the larger amazons (she weighs 233g). Amazons generally require effort on the part of the keeper to get meaningful exercise as they are quite content to sit on the top of their cage and do very little. At a minimum, 1 hour of unfiltered natural sunlight (preferable) or full spectrum lighting (acceptable) is required to keep them in tip top shape. Additionally, Amazons are quite fond of bathing. Each individual will have their preferred method, but they should be allowed to bathe a few times a week. A content amazon will release an aroma that most 'zon owners find absolutely heavenly. To me Lola emits a flowery scent when she is happy. Doug on the other hand says she smells like gym sock.

Turquoise
02-06-2014, 06:48 AM
That's a great idea Wendy to start these. I guess I'm elected to make one for the Pionus species since I am the only owner here who has posted about their bird. :)

Honesty
02-06-2014, 12:43 PM
That's a great idea Wendy to start these. I guess I'm elected to make one for the Pionus species since I am the only owner here who has posted about their bird. :)Ah yes De'Andrea, you are definitely elected to make one for the Pionus species :)