Amazon Parrot

The Amazon Parrot, commonly known as the Amazon, belongs to the Amazona genus. These mid-sized parrots are basically green in color. They are endemic to the New World which includes regions from the South of America to Mexico and the areas of the Caribbean.

Amazon parrot Quick Facts

Common name	Amazon parrot
Scientific name	Amazona
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Family	Psittacidae
Type	Bird
Diet	Fruit, nuts, vegetables and grubs
Native range	Mexico, Central and South America, Caribbean
Size	28–33 cm long
Lifespan	50–70 years
Colours	Mainly green
Special feature	Good at copying human speech

These parrots are well-known for their ability to talk and mimic human speech. They can also create different sounds that they pick up from their surroundings. The birds from the 30 species, including more than 50 subspecies, display different sizes and appearances.

Description

Amazon Parrots are medium sized birds that are mainly green in color. They attain a length of 28 to 33 cm and weigh around 0.3 to 0.7 kg. They have square and short tails. Their body is stocky, and they have a strong beak. They possess bands of different colors around their neck. Similarly, the colors on the wings and under the tail are not visible in their rest position. The actual beauty and the vivid colors present in the body can only be seen in flight. The expected life span for these birds is around 50 to 70 years.

Reproduction

The breeding period of Amazon birds starts during the warm season, that is, from the month of April or May. For the egg laying process, provide them with a nest box that is 80 to 100 cm in height and have a diameter of 30 to 35 cm inside. It should also have an opening of 10 to 12 cm. The female bird lays 2 to 4 eggs, white in color. It is the female that incubates the eggs for 26 to 28 days.

Behavior

The Amazon birds are one of the most talented and intelligent parrots. They are very social and loving birds. They have an extra-ordinary ability to mimic human speech and other sounds, this skill make them a pet lover’s first choice. They are highly vocal, and create loud noises like screaming and squawking. They are attention seekers and love to spend time with their human counterparts in the surroundings. With an expert trainer, these birds can become a family member in your house.

Amazon Birds At Home

Cage

The cage requirements for the Amazon parrots are similar to that of the African birds. They need plenty of space inside their cage, hence a cage of 32w x 23d x 38h should be provided, Also provide enough bird toys and perches to keep them engaged. The cage should be made of premium quality. There should be enough space to keep the food vessel, water vessel, play gyms and perches. The cage bar gap space should not be more than 1 inch or they can choke their toes or wings.

Food

The Amazon birds are basically food lovers, they like all types of food. In the wild, they prefer eating fruits, nuts, vegetables and grubs. At home, you can give fresh or cooked vegetable and fruits, nuts, lentils, pulses or seeds. A pellet mix is absolutely best for the pet birds. Select a good branded pellet mix that consists of all the essential nutrients like Vitamins and Calcium. You can occasionally provide them human food.

Care

The Amazon Parrots like to bathe; hence you can find them often in the water dish, playing in the water. You can also provide them with warm water in a shallow dish to bathe. They also enjoy water sprays. They are often found to be obese due to excess intake of fatty foodstuffs; this can lead to many diseases. You should be very careful while deciding your pet’s diet, and avoid those foodstuffs that will make the pets obese. Always keep the cage and food dishes neat and clean. Provide fresh water to drink in a daily basis.

Amazon parrot FAQs