Yes, you can keep Amazon parrots as pets. Amazon parrots are known for being amicable and playful.
Amazon parrots are medium-sized parrots in the genus Amazona. There are over thirty sub-species of this parrot.
They are amongst the most intelligent birds and are an absolute delight to the eyes with their colorful patterns.
They have several traits making them great pets.
So, let’s get right into discussing each of these traits in detail to find out what makes them a favorite pick as pets.
Amazon Parrot – Species Overview and Natural Habitat
Amazon Parrots, as the name suggests, have originating roots from Amazons. They belong to the family of Psittacidae.
Psittacidae is amongst one of the three true parrots’ families.
Amazon parrots are mainly found in the Caribbean and from South America to Mexico. Savannas, rainforests, and scrub forests comprise the natural habitat of the wild Amazon.
Amazon Parrots are starting to go extinct from some of their natural habitats because of pet trading.
It has even been declared illegal to capture them by specific international organizations.
If you wish to buy an Amazon parrot as a pet, then make sure to get it from an adoption agency.
You can even hire a professional parrot breeder or a rescue agent to help you get an Amazon Parrot for a pet.
Physical Appearance
Amazon Parrots are known for their human-friendly and comical nature.
These behavioral traits play an essential role in being chosen as house pets, but they are also one magnificent bird to look at.
As mentioned earlier, there are over thirty unique subspecies of this parrot. Around ten of these beautiful species can be kept as pets.
Each species offers a slightly different blend of colors and patterns.
All are predominantly bright green, but color variations around the crown, face, and wing feathers will be seen depending on the species.
They are generally medium to large-sized birds with short tails and wings.
Behavior and Personality
The Amazon parrot indeed is one of the most playful birds out there.
If you have not had any previous experience with pets and plan to get an Amazon parrot, be prepared to have the most playful experience of your life.
You may get tired, but this inquisitive parrot will not.
Amazon parrots require a lot of time to be spent with them. They love to play with wooden toys or wrestle with their owners’ hands.
Provide plenty of wooden toys in their cage. You can place a wooden block or a twig in their cage to play with and bite on.
It is also necessary to allow Amazon parrots some time out of their cages. This can vary from one to three hours per day.
However, it is crucial to supervise your parrot when it is out of its cage.
Allowing an Amazon parrot some time out of the cage allows them to explore their surroundings. It also helps them familiarize themselves with their surroundings.
The owner also gets to spend more time with this user-friendly parrot and build a closer bond. This time is often also used to teach the parrot some cool tricks and words.
The owner can easily read Amazon parrots’ expressions as these parrots are very expressive.
By observing their body language, owners can determine if the parrot is feeling low or in a hyperexcitable state.
Whenever these parrots get excited, they raise the feathers around their head or neck.
Fanning tail feathers or pinning the head down is another sign that a parrot needs to calm down.
Amazon parrots often fail to recognize when they have overplayed and need to rest.
In situations when they are playfully wrestling with their owners’ hands, parrots need to be handled by putting them in a cage to calm their bodies.
Male parrots of certain species like Yellow-naped Amazons are more playful.
They also tend to be more aggressive than females of the same species. However, aggressiveness can efficiently be dealt with some training.
The overall personality of an Amazon parrot can make them a very loving and affectionate pet. A pet that will surely keep you entertained as well.
Speech and Sound
Speaking of entertainment, the thing that makes Amazon parrots the best entertainers is their ability to imitate sounds.
Amazon parrot is sure to be a treat, not just for your eyes but also for your ears.
Amongst the family of parrots, Amazon parrots are the only ones with such well-developed speech. They are hailed as the best talkers.
Their ability to produce speech and speak coherent words like humans is what puts them high up on the list of best pets.
They can also sing songs, albeit off-beat, but it will still sound delightful to your ears.
These parrots love to be the life of the party, and rightfully so.
They can also be taught words and phrases of your choice, and be prepared to let them be the center of attraction.
They are also known to be one of the most intelligent birds.
They can learn to speak like humans and understand the meaning of specific phrases directed at them and respond to them.
In addition to producing speech, they can also produce other sounds like large shrieking noises or shrills. Each of these sounds can signify different meanings.
If they are excited, they may produce loud honking noises.
They can even produce a low shrill when delighted after consuming their favorite meal as a way of showing gratitude and joy.
Diet and Feeding Habits
Amazon parrots’ diet naturally consists of seeds, nuts, fresh fruits, berries, and vegetation.
However, they can be labeled as food-lovers as they usually demand table food from their owners.
Albeit it may seem like a cute act, but this habit should not be entertained.
When kept in captivity, Amazon parrots tend to become overweight.
The responsibility falls on the owner and all other housemates to ensure parrots are not overfed and that their diet is nutritionally well balanced.
It is best to feed Amazon formulated pellets and fresh fruits. Each of these foods should not go over half a cup per day.
Amazon parrots can occasionally be fed seeds and nuts as treats. However, seeds and nuts are high-calorie foods, so they should only be given as occasional treats.
For drinking, a small bowl should be put in the cage. The water should be replaced in a clean bowl daily.
Amazon parrots are not at all picky eaters and enjoy whatever is fed to them, but just a little attention should be paid to the quantity of food fed, and you are good to go.
Grooming and Care
Amazon parrots are very easy to groom. They may need regular showers to keep their feathers clean and fluffy.
What makes bathing so easy is the fact that they love to shower. Some owners even take their parrots for bathing with them, and this turns into a fun-filled activity.
Other than bathing, there is not much that an amazon parrot requires daily. Most other things are only a one-time investment, like buying a cage and a few toys.
Amazon Parrots require a spacious cage to live in. This gives them space to play as they are generally very active parrots.
Putting interesting toys in their cage-like small ladders allows them to discover new athletic activities.
Amazon parrots enjoy showcasing newly learned skills for attention.
Small twigs and wooden blocks should also be placed in the cage to bite on. For parrots’ safety, it should be ensured that the wood is not toxic for the parrot.
Common Health Issues
As discussed earlier, Amazon parrots have a natural tendency for obesity if their diet is not kept in check.
They should also be encouraged to exercise for this exact reason.
Exercising or staying physically active will also lower the chances of the parrot getting depressed.
When depressed, the parrots will be noticed plucking their feathers.
Amazon parrots usually have a life span of thirty to fifty years and are less likely to fall sick to severe illnesses.
Best Amazon Parrots to Keep as Pets
All Amazon parrots share the same characteristics as mentioned so far, with slight variations.
Best Amazon parrots to keep as pets are listed below:
- Blue Fronted Amazons
- Red Lored Amazons
- Yellow-naped Amazons
- Double Yellow Headed Amazon
- Panama Amazons
- Lilac Crowned Amazons
- Southern Mealy Amazons
- Green Cheeked Amazons
- White Fronted (Spectacled) Amazons
- Orange-Winged Amazons
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, I hope that all your doubts about whether an Amazon parrot can be kept as a pet or not.
I am sure that next time you see an Amazon parrot, you would want to keep it.
And why not? They are gorgeous, lovable, intelligent, and playful.
On top of that, they require minimal effort to groom and are perfectly safe to have around little kids, even with an open cage.
Keep an eye out for more informative blogs to learn about other bird species.
Other articles you may also like:
- Red Rump Parakeet — All You Need to Know
- Blue Parakeet — All You Need to Know
- Can You Keep Ravens as Pets? All you need to know!
- Can You Keep Pygmy Owls as Pets?
- Can You Keep Mallard Ducklings as Pets
- What Do Parrots Eat?
- Do Macaws Get Along With Other Birds?
- Do Macaws Make Good Pets?
- Why are Parrots so Expensive?