Choosing an Amazon

Selecting an Amazon to bring into your home is no small matter. In some cases It is best to ask yourself if you want an Amazon at all. Although breeds of Amazons are reputed to have different natures, ALL have the capibility to be very noisey. This could be a big factor if you are planing to keep one in an apartment. They are also demanding of your time and attention. I have had little problem keeping my Yellow Fronted in an apartment and he very rairly screams (usually only while being ignored). When he does though, it is enough to make people several buildings over wonder if a murder is taking place! What some see as a boisterous bird though are actually endearing qualities to Amazon lovers. They constantly clown around and are very amuseing. T.V. watching has gone down dramaticly since this addition to the household.

Species

(This part of the page will be updated as research allows, and I would like to add pictures
of some of the different species mentioned here. If you have a picture of a listed species
that I may use, send it to me in my mail and I will select some for use on this page.)
I am only listing the most popular companion Amazons here by english name and scientific name, in parenthesis, along with a brief discription. In regards to the scientific names, an observant reader pointed out to me that they no longer use the ochrocephala in the sub-species with the yellows. What this means is that the Yellow fronted/ crowned is simply called amazona ochrocephela. The other Yellows drop the ochrocephala, so that the yellow naped, for example, is now known just as amazona auropalliata after dropping the ochrocephala. Thanks to that reader for pointing that out to me! I may also add a rare Amazon secton as well, but, for the most complete discriptions of these and other Parrots see the Parrot-lexicon on the WWW.

Yellow Crowned or Yellow Fronted (Amazona ochrocephala.)

Most of the pictures you see here are of my yellow crowned amazon "scooter" ( seen at top with my son), so I felt no need to put a picture of one here. These yellows are some of the most popular companion Amazons. They are considered able talkers and make good companion birds. Many believe them not
to be quite as "nippy" as some of the other male Yellows, namely the Double Yellow Head. In
the wild they range from Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Surinam. They are mostly
green with a yellow forehead, and some red atop the shoulders. Under the wings some of the flight
feathers will have red, moving to blue colors. The tail appears green, but upon display,
you will see some light green, to yellow orange to red color. Yellow fronts are about 14
to 15 inches tall and have red tuning to a dark gray on the beak or an ivory colored beak depending on sub-species.

The Panama Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala panamensis)

Panama's are similar in appearance to
the Yellow Fronted, except for size, which is 12 to13 inches. They are famous for their
talking ability and good temperament. They are somewhat harder to find, but make
a wonderful companion if you can get one. Range(as one might expect) is from Panama,
and Columbia.

Yellow Naped (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata)

Yellow Naped are green with a patch of yellow at
the back of the head or neck. Their voices are deeper and more human like than other
yellows, and they have the ability to use pitch while singing, and inflection while speaking.
The males of this species tend to be more aggressive after maturity so early manners
teaching is important with this group. Yellow napes are intelligent, boisterous and
amusing to watch. They range from Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. They
are from 12 to 15 inches tall.

The Double Yellow head (Amazona ochrocephala oratrix)

As the name implies, the
whole head is Yellow, or becomes so as the bird matures. They are from Mexico and are
the staple of bird trade. These are some of the most popular Yellows mostly for their
unmatched talking, and singing ability which is only matched by the African Gray Parrot.
Doubles are 14 to 16 inches tall and considered to be one of the most beautiful Amazons.
They can be "nippy", but they are intelligent and overall a lot of fun to have around.

The Blue Fronted Amazon (A.aestiva)

The blue fronted is also a very popular Amazon becuse they are plentifull and cheap. Blue Fronts are fair talkers and are known to be affectionate to their owners. They are about 15 inches tall and appear primarily green with blue feathers starting at the beak progressing to white at the crown. Most have some Yellow on their face, and red on the shoulders. The Blue Fronts are reported to be capable of being more noisey than others, but make overall good companion birds. They range from Southwestern Brasil, Paraguay, Boliva , and northern Argentina.

The Orange Winged Amazon. (A. amazonica)

Why do I include these with the Blue's? Well, they look just like a Blue Fronted except......? You guessed it, orange on the wings. Orange wings range in South America and are 15 inches tall. Temperament, affection and talking ability are about the same as the Blue Front, and, the Orange Wings make great pets as well.

The Lilac Crowned. (A. finschi) (also called Finsch's Parrot)

One of my favorites and what I consider to be one of the most beautifull Amazons. The Lilacs are from Mexico and are mostly green with the feathers edged in black. The crown starts above the beak as a dark purple fading to lilac across the top of the head and down the nape.

The Red Lored Amazons

The Red Lored Amazons are from Central America and the Amazon river. They are about 11 inches tall and are green with a red forehead, yellow cheeks and blue on the crown. They appear to be even tempered and quiet , but are indifferent talkers. As an unusual note they have a bone that alows them to sexed reliably. The Red Lored is an endangered species and should only be bought from a domestic breeder.

Tucuman Amazon. (A. tucumana)

These are striking birds as they are green with a bold black outline to the feathers, (which gives them a scaled appearance) and a red forehead. The Tucuman is from Bolivia and is 13 inches tall. These are also endangered.

The Mexican Redhead, or Green Cheeked Amazon. (A. viridigenalis)

These parrots are Green with a red forehead that can iclude the crown and nape. They also may have some blue in the nape and bright green on their cheeks. They come from Mexico and are 13 inches tall. In the wild they are considered pests by farmers who's crops they tend to destroy.

Age and Sex

In almost every case you will want a bird that has not reached maturity and has been hand tamed. Older birds can be hand tamed and friendly, but can have many more bad habits. This depends largely on who, and how, the bird was kept before you bought it. Generally, juvenile birds are less aggressive though, and adjust better to their new invironment. One word here. LOOK. Most reputable aviaries will not have a problem with you inspecting the conditions in which the birds are kept. A reputable pet store though may be the best way to go. They are usually knowledgable about Parrots, and should have a good stock of different birds. They will also have all the items for your new pet that you will need. Prices should be be higher at a pet store than will be with a local breeder.
Sex as a rule has little to do with what kind of pet an Amazon will make, but, the male Amazons can become more agressive during normal breeding times. How a male is raised during his younger years seems to have the most effect on this undesirable trait. Unlike the Eclectis Parrot, there is no external difference between the sexes (or sexual dimorphisism) in Amazons,so, the only way to be sure of the sex is either by DNA or surgical sexing.

Appearance of a healthy bird

You want to be sure when investing a thousand dollars into a pet that it is healthy. Amazons in particular are very robust birds. Some diseases are so asymptomatic though, that one day a bird will be fine, and the next day, dead. Generaly when looking at a healthy bird , the eyes should be clear and round with no discharge. The bird should appear alert and it's feathers alligned and neat. A bird could be molting and have bare spots, but they should not appear ragged as would indicate nervous feather plucking. The scales on the legs should be smooth and not inflamed. This is a sign of mites. The nostrals should be clearly visible with no signs of discharge. If the bird is sitting with it's feathers fluffed up and eyes half shut, and head carried low be wary. This could indicate serious illness, especially if it is perched on a lower perch or even on the floor of the cage.

Price

Six Hundred dollars will probably be the minimum you could find an Amazon for. A more realistic price is probably around a thousand dollars. If you desire a rare or unusal breed though, expect to pay as much
(or maybe more) than Ten thousand dollars. I would use caution though as many rare breeds of Amazons can only be had by less than legal means on the part of the importer.