Classification
Order — Psittaciformes.
Family — Psittacidae.
Subfamily — Arinae.
Genus — Amazona.
Species — Cuban amazon, Amazona leucocephala; Yellow-billed amazon, Amazona collaria; Hispaniolan amazon, Amazona ventralis; Puerto Rican amazon, Amazona vittata; Yucatan amazon, Amazona xantholora; White-fronted amazon, Amazona albifrons; Black-billed amazon, Amazona agilis; Tucumán amazon, Amazona tucumana; Red-spectacled amazon, Amazona pretrei; Red-crowned amazon, Amazona viridigenalis; Lilac-crowned amazon, Amazona finschi; Red-lored amazon, Amazona autumnalis; Lilacine amazon, Amazona autumnalis lilacina; Diademed amazon, Amazona diadema; Blue-cheeked amazon, Amazona dufresniana; Red-browed amazon, Amazona rhodocorytha; Red-tailed amazon, Amazona brasiliensis; Festive amazon, Amazona festiva; Yellow-shouldered amazon, Amazona barbadensis; Blue-fronted amazon, Amazona aestiva; Yellow-crowned amazon, Amazona ochrocephala; Panama amazon, Amazona ochrocephala panamensis; Yellow-naped amazon, Amazona auropalliata; Yellow-headed amazon, Amazona oratrix; Tres Marías amazon, Amazona tresmariae; Kawall's amazon, Amazona kawalli; Orange-winged amazon, Amazona amazonica; Scaly-naped amazon, Amazona mercenarius; Mealy amazon, Amazona farinosa; Vinaceous-breasted amazon, Amazona vinacea; Saint Lucia amazon, Amazona versicolor; Red-necked amazon, Amazona arausiaca; Saint Vincent amazon, Amazona guildingii; Imperial amazon, Amazona imperialis.
Habitat
The Amazon parrots are from South America and Central America, including the West Indies. Different species range in many different areas. Some range in the tropical forest climates, having constant high temperatures and humidity while others range in areas of the tropical savannah climates with short dry periods.
Outward appearance
Length: 28-33 cm.
Weight: 250 g.
Beak is strong.
Body is stocky.
Tail is short.
Plumage is predominantly green, with additional coloration according to the species. (The red-lored Amazon, for example, has a yellowish-green tail with red on the wing feathers, while the blue-fronted Amazon has spots of blue and yellow on the head and bright yellow and/or red on the wings). In many cases, an Amazon's bright colors are difficult to see when he is at rest, but once he takes flight, the wing and tail coloration are more noticeable.
Character
Amazon parrots typically play hard. An Amazon parrot might swing upside down from the cage, delight in destroying their wooden toys and even wrestle their owner’s hand with their beak. An Amazon parrot’s mood is one of the easiest to read among parrot species because it is excellent at expressing itself through its body language: pinning eyes, raised head/neck feathers, fanned tail feathers and broad stance, for example, indicates a highly excitable Amazon parrot.
Generally Amazon parrots are reasonably calm and peaceful, getting vocal only in the early morning and in the evening as it starts getting dark. They are very social birds and a single parrot will make a wonderful pet if it gets plenty of attention.
Maintenance care
The larger the cage the better. Amazons are quite active and very prone to obesity if they do not get exercise. Cages should be give adequate room for play and exercise. Spacing of bars depends on the size of the species. Make sure for smaller amazons the spacing is not large enough for them to get their head through.
Most Amazon parrots love to bathe; and bathing opportunities can include joining their owner in the shower, getting a spray bath, or jumping in their water dish and splashing water all about. Bathing is an important part of an Amazon’s feather health. Because of their love of food and their habit of begging for table foods from their owners, Amazon parrots tend to tip the scales toward being overweight. An Amazon parrot needs a spacious cage with toys and swings spread out, as well as a play gym/play tree, climbing rope and/or ladders to scale to encourage movement and exercise.
Feeding
An Amazon parrot often has a hearty appetite, especially for people food so owners need to make sure that they (and other household members) do not overdue it with treats and table foods. An Amazon parrot’s main diet should consist of a nutritionally balanced manufactured diet, as well as an assortment of healthy vegetables, some fruit and healthy treats that pack nutrition instead of empty calories.
Breeding
Most Amazon parrots are not dimorphic and you will have to have them sexed by either a surgical probe, endoscopy, a DNA test, or a chromosomal analysis. The sexes must be confirmed and the pair must be harmonious, bonded with each other..
To breed Amazon parrots, they will need a nest box that is 31"-39" (80-100 cm) high with an inside diameter of 12"-14" (30-35 cm) and an opening of 4"-5" (10-12 cm). Provide some soft bedding material inside on the bottom of the box.
In general the courtship will begin with the beginning of the warm season, generally in April or May, with the laying and brooding in the early summer. An Amazon female will lay between 2 to 4 white eggs and she will brood for 26 to 28 days.
The hatchlings are almost naked, barely fluffy, blind and very helpless. It will take them between 70 and100 days to develop to the size and weight of their parents, have their complete plumage, and be ready to find their own food. Be sure to remove the nest box after the brooding until the next breeding season.
Diseases
Signs of illness to be aware of are ruffled plumage, resting often with their head turned back, having no appetite, sneezing, discharge from the nostrils, cloudy eyes, and any change in the feces. Some of the common illnesses your Amazon could contract are internal parasites, intestinal influenza, coccidiosis, respiratory ailments, feather picking, and parrot fever also known as psittacosis.
