Features Of The Amazon Parrot

Info

Among bird breeders, there are many lovers of truly exotic birds. Particular attention is paid to the Amazon parrot family, which has about 30 species. The great excitement around these parrots is due to their original appearance, intelligence, ability to speak, and loyalty. But keeping these birds requires certain knowledge and endurance because such original pets have a wayward character.

Credit: Flickr

Features and appearance

Popular types of Amazon Parrot

Scientists know about 33 types of Amazons, among which 12 varieties are considered the most popular and widespread. They all have green plumage. The main difference is the multi-colored spots that are scattered on the neck, head, wings and tail.

Credit: Wikidata.org

Common types

Credit: Wikimedia

Population and species status

Ornithologists have noted a significant decline in the numbers of some species of Amazon parrots in recent years. The main factors that negatively affect the number of birds in nature:

• Illegal catching (poaching).
• Deforestation.
• Anomalous climate change.
• Introduction of alien fauna species.

Thirteen species of Amazon parrots are under strict monitoring by scientists as their numbers have begun to decline sharply, and six species have already approached the brink of extinction and are listed as endangered on the International Red List. The Martinique and Violet subspecies are already lost forever to humanity; they are extinct.

Near-vulnerable and vulnerable species

Critically Endangered Listed in the International Red Book

1. Imperial

Amazona imperialis

The number in nature is about 100 individuals

2. Yellowhead

Amazona oratrix

3. Red-browed

Amazona rhodocorytha

4. Green-cheeked

Amazona viridigenalis

5. Puerto Rican

Amazona vittata

Only 26 individuals were found in the wild, and another 56 parrots live in the nursery.

6.Amazona vinicea

Amazon Parrot in the wild

Habitat

The birds got their name from their place of residence. Since most of the birds in this family live in the Amazon River basin, they were named Amazons. But besides South America, bird populations are found in the vast expanses of Central America, as well as on the islands of the Caribbean.

Lifestyle

They prefer to live in small, related flocks. Birds do not like to change their location, so they often choose one territory to live in, from which they rarely fly long distances. In the early morning, they gather for a kind of roll call, after which they fly off to look for food. After eating, they rest throughout the day among the treetops. The evening roll call smoothly turns into sleep.

What does it eat?

The main foods are nuts, fruits, seeds, flowers, and fruits. Grain is very rare in the diet, mainly when there is a shortage of other foods.

Reproduction

Amazons become sexually mature at 3 years of age. They do not observe fidelity and are separated into pairs only for the breeding season, from February to June. Parrots are characterized by mating, which is accompanied by the “dancing” of the groom.

The female lays up to 5 eggs, which she incubates on her own for 4 weeks. During incubation, the male guards the nest and feeds the partner. After incubation, both parents are actively involved in the process of feeding the offspring.

Strong parrots leave the parent’s nest at 2 months of age, but at the same time they remain in the flock and spend their entire lives among their relatives.

How long does Amazon live?

The Amazon parrot is considered a long-lived bird, living for approximately 70 years. But when kept at home, the lifespan is limited to 40–45 years. Not everyone is able to provide the bird with comfort, the necessary conditions and proper nutrition

Keeping a Amazon parrot at home

If there are children in the family or there is no experience in keeping medium-sized birds, then the idea of ​​purchasing Amazon parrot should be abandoned. Ornithologists are completely categorical on this issue and believe that such parrots are not suitable for living in a cage. If you really want to buy these exotics for your home, it is better to choose yellow-winged, white-headed, or yellow-headed parrots. They are more compliant in nature, less demanding in care, and quickly adapt to home life.

Cage or aviary

The optimal type of housing is an aviary. The size of the bird’s housing should be 65x45x80 cm so that the straightened bird’s wings do not touch the cage bars.

The recommended sizes of metal rods are 3-5 mm.

It is better to choose a padlock with two bolts.

The home is equipped with the necessary equipment:

• metal feeders and drinkers;
• poles;
• toys;
• bathtub for bathing.

Place the bird house on a hill away from radiators, direct sunlight, and drafts.

The optimal diameter of the pole should be such that the bird covers ⅔ of it. It is better to make poles yourself from the following trees:

• birch;
• linden;
• maple;
• aspen;
• and you;
• rowan;
• plums;
• alders;
• apple trees;
• cherries;
• ash;
• currants;
• hornbeam;
• beech;
• elderberries;
• hawthorn;
• viburnum;
• citrus fruits

Nutrition

Recommended proportions in the Amazon diet:

• 65-75%: berries, fruits, vegetables;
• 35–45% grain mixes.

Small grains—millet, oats, and canary seed—must be fed into the ears; otherwise, the parrots will ignore them.

Credit: Wikipedia

Care and hygiene

To ensure your pet’s comfort and maintain its health, you must follow these tips:

• Maintain the room temperature at +22–+27 °C and the humidity at 60–80%.
• Give the bird daily bathing procedures.
• Provide at least 12 hours of daylight.
• Turn on the UV lamp above the cage in the winter, and in the summer, take the pet out into the air for sunbathing.

As for wing trimming, many breeders find this procedure useful.

When walking, a bird with shortened wings does not fly around the apartment, which means it is protected from possible injuries and also will not be able to escape from the house through a slightly open window. Pruning is carried out periodically as the wings grow. When cutting, be careful not to touch the blood vessels.

It is recommended to trim 6-7 outer wings.

Character and behavior

After acquisition, a parrot must be given time to adapt. When the bird becomes familiar with its surroundings and its place of residence, you can begin closer communication. But we must remember that the Amazon parrot is a capricious bird. Among its features are loyalty, devotion, attachment to a person, which are combined with loudness, arrogance (will achieve what you want by any means), “stubbornness,” and a changeable mood.

Birds over 5 years of age may exhibit aggression caused by hormonal surges.

Training

Amazon parrots, once accustomed to humans, are highly trainable. It will not be difficult for them to perform simple tricks and “dance” to the tune, swaying to the sides. But birds are especially valuable because of their ability to imitate animal sounds and human conversation. Amazon can learn up to 100 phrases. It is worth noting that the bird remembers and reproduces words not only from “lessons,” but also those that it can hear from other family members.

Possible diseases

If the bird becomes lethargic, disheveled, has no appetite, does not drink water, or begins to tremble, then most likely it is sick. Dangerous symptoms include self-plucking, beak overgrowth, redness of the beak or cloaca, diarrhea, changes in feces, watery eyes, or discharge from the nostrils. At the first manifestations of pathology, the bird should be shown to a doctor to make a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment regimen. Amazons are susceptible to most avian diseases.

Among the most famous pathologies are:

• Gastrointestinal pathologies.
• Diseases caused by infectious pathogens (salmonella, chlamydia).
• Diseases of viral origin (papillomo-, parmixo-, circoviruses).
• Pseudotuberculosis.
• Tuberculosis.
• Herpetic lesion.
• Thrush.
• Bacterial invasions are caused by cryptococci, asprgillus, and megabacteria.

In addition to the above diseases, poor nutrition and care can also provoke deterioration in health.

• Overeating nuts and sunflowers leads to obesity and hepatitis (fat is harmful to the liver).
• A high-protein diet causes excess weight, self-plucking, and baldness.
• Lack of vitamins and minerals provokes skeletal deformation and nervous and reproductive system disorders.
• Dry air is the cause of dermatological problems (itching, flaking, and baldness).

Breeding Amazons at home

Amazons breed in captivity, but the process is very labor-intensive. In addition to the fact that you will need to acquire a pair of birds over 3 years old, you will have to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible:

• Large aviary.
• Equipped nest box.
• Complete nutrition with high protein content.
• Minimal human contact.

If you succeed in getting chicks, then you need to watch them. Sometimes adults refuse the brood and peck at it. Those who refuse are removed and transferred to artificial feeding. If everything is fine, then the chicks are fed by their parents until they are 2 months old, and then their stronger young are removed from the cage.

What to look for when buying, the cost of a Amazon Parrot

In order not to lose money and to purchase a completely healthy bird, it is better to make a purchase at official nurseries, where they will provide documents and advise on all issues.

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to a number of details:

• presence of a registration ring on the paw;
• habits;
• eye color.

A veterinary passport and all available documents must be issued for the selected bird.

Amazons are exotic birds that require special conditions in captivity. And everyone who wants to buy such a luxurious and expensive parrot should remember this. How long the parrot will live in the house and how it will feel will depend on the person’s relationship with the animal. After all, only a healthy and active pet can give a lot of joy and positive impressions to the people living next to them.

Also cheak: Rosella Parrot Maintenance And Care

Also cheak: King Lori Parrot

Follow as: Facebook