Everything you need to know about Amazon parrots

Feathered friends enjoy love and well-deserved popularity, since the reviews of those who owned them are only positive. These are very intelligent birds, active, inquisitive, able to reciprocate their owners. The size of the Amazons does not require large rooms and cages; as for the intellect, they are perfectly amenable to training, talented. Their disposition is friendly, non-aggressive, they get along great with children. Amazons originate from the Caribbean tropics, they also live on the American continent.

Amazona is a genus of parrots with nearly 30 species. The predominant color is greenish, however, there are representatives of slightly different colors. Distinctive characteristics:

• strong build, short stature;
• short-tailed;
• rounded tail;
• strong, well-developed beak, round, with a rib at the base.

The varieties of these birds can be distinguished by the multi-colored specks that cover almost the entire bird. Spots are found on the tail, wings, occipital zone, neck, head. The colors of the spots can be bluish, lilac, blue, reddish or yellowish. Many species of Amazons live in captivity, we offer you a list of the most common representatives:

• Amazona farinosa, or Müller;
• Amazona amazonica, Venezuelan;
• Amazona ochrocephala, yellow carp;
• Amazona autumnalis, red carp;
• Amazona aestiva, bluebik;
• Amazona auropalliata, with a yellow neck;
• Amazona albifrons, white-fronted carp;
• Amazona dufresniana, blue-eyed;
• Amazona festiva, or festive;
• Amazona leucocephala, Cuban.

When purchasing an Amazon, pay attention to the iris of the eyes, it will allow you to find out the approximate age. Until reaching the age of three, it has a brown-gray, dirty color, older representatives are distinguished by a rich red iris in color, with a raspberry, chestnut or orange tint. More precisely, the age is not determined, especially after the third year it is not possible.

Determining the sex is also not an easy task, since the bird has no sexual characteristics. Therefore, it is possible to accurately find out the gender only during the mating season, in the presence of several individuals. It is during the courtship and mating period that conclusions can be drawn about the sex of the bird with absolute accuracy. There is also an endoscopic method that is unpleasant for parrots, which requires anesthesia, surgery and very good specialists. You can try to determine gender using a blood test or feather test, but it is not considered 100% successful.

This is the most popular variety of Amazons, it is enough for it to spend a little more than a week in a new room to get used to it. They are most often chosen for home breeding. They do not like to be alone, so it is recommended to purchase at least two birds at the same time. They live for a long time, from 15 to 70 years, they get used very quickly, are smart, calm - this explains their widespread prevalence and popularity among pet lovers. At the same time, in the company of people, they like to talk, repeat not only words, but also phrasal speech.

In order for the feathered pet to be healthy, develop well and feel great, he needs proper nutrition, a competent approach to organizing the diet... Amazons are not too picky, however, their life and appearance depend on their nutrition. Both overfeeding and underfeeding are equally harmful. A bad diet leads to weight gain, the parrot begins to pluck itself, gets sick, his psyche is disturbed.

If it so happened that an Amazon with similar signs fell into your hands, do not despair. The situation can be improved by keeping the bird on a special diet. Food and sufficient protein will help with this. After a certain period of time, the bird will certainly recover, return to health and beautiful appearance.

Observe the following dietary guidelines:

• eggs are very useful, they contain the protein necessary for birds;
• meat is strictly forbidden, although the Amazons will not refuse it, but this will very soon disrupt the digestive system and lead to diseases;
• the basis of the diet should be a grain mixture of canary grass, millet, oats, millet;
• fruits are required, among the most useful are lime and lemon, tangerine and orange, cherries and cherries, goura, apple, banana;
• do not forget about vegetables: they are necessary in the parrot's menu on a regular basis, you can give cabbage, pumpkin, carrots;
• it is worth feeding the feathered pet with berries, herbs and nuts;
• include mineral-type supplements in the diet on an ongoing basis;
• remember that Amazons love to eat no matter how they feel.

This type of parrot reproduces well at home: up to three eggs are laid, which hatch for almost a month. After about 2 months, the chicks are ready to start flying. If your female is hatching a chick, take care of special food during this period.

You need to feed it with soaked grain and seeds. Mating games affect the Amazon negatively, making it aggressive, attacking and destroying.

Before you buy an Amazon, you need to prepare optimal living conditions for it.A tropical guest does not tolerate hypothermia, so the temperature should be above +18 C. In addition, you should take care of high humidity, especially during the heating season.

It is best to buy a hygrometer, thermometer and monitor the level of humidity and temperature. Parrots feel best in rooms with a temperature not higher than +28, but not lower than +23 C, with a humidity above 60%. If you have dry air, do not be discouraged - a humidifier or other methods will solve the problem. You can cover the batteries with a wet cloth, dry clothes in this room, spray the air, put containers with water next to heating devices.

The Amazon parrot loves to swim, it can be sprayed periodically, and it is enough to wash it a couple of times a month. You can bathe your bird in a tub or under a warm shower. In the summer heat, you can give the bird the opportunity to enjoy the water, tumble, splash, and not just perform the washing ritual. If you do not follow these recommendations, the following problems may occur:

• feather loss;
• dandruff;
• itching;
• feather crumbling.

Ideally, Amazons are kept in aviaries, but if this is not possible, a spacious cage will do. If you want the parrot to feel comfortable, make sure that its parameters are not less than 100 x 100 cm. Place the feeders higher, not at the bottom of the cage, as parrots are more accustomed to getting food on the tree. Amazons need to waste their energy, so they need to fly and walk outside the cage. In order for these walks to bring pleasant moments to your pet, but not interfere with your life, observe the following rules:

• before releasing the bird, hide small things, details;
• close windows and doors;
• arrange a walking area so that the parrot has fun, but does not damage things and does not climb where it is not needed;
• a play-type stand will occupy a bird for a long time, so take care of its interesting organization.

In order for the Amazon not to scream too loudly and shrilly, the bird needs to be taught and educated. Without parenting, the Amazon can become quite arrogant and his behavior will bring a lot of trouble. As a rule, they sing in the morning and in the evening, therefore the first thing to be taught is that darkness is equal to silence. The mood of birds is changeable - there is no need to be surprised at this, this is a quality of their character. They can have fun and immediately quiet down somewhere on a twig.

This type of bird is well trained. If you want your parrot to listen to you, be sure to teach him a few commands. Experts recommend observing the following rules.

• "Forward". Learning is most often started with this command, since it is given the easiest way. After you teach your pet this, he will begin to feel the owner in you and will be more obedient, trusting.
• Don't spend too much time training. It is enough to limit yourself to a quarter of an hour, otherwise the bird will get tired.
• If you are not in the mood or if it is negative, it is better to stop exercising.... Parrots are very sensitive.
• Game form Is the best method that will please both of you.
• Create silence during training so your pet is not distracted. Be sure to close doors and windows. It is better to keep other pets and animals in another room during this time.

In order for the parrot to speak and start repeating, you must at least be persistent and believe that this will happen soon, in no case get irritated. The younger the bird, the easier the learning process will be. Follow these guidelines:

• do not tease;
• speak more and gently;
• praise the bird;
• be friendly;
• do not insist and be patient;
• keep track of the time of the lessons, they should not be too long;
• try to do this in the mornings and evenings, little by little, but regularly;
• start with short words;
• it is better if a woman does it;
• the first words must contain consonants - "k", "p", "t", "p", vowels - "and", "a";
• if you already have a talking bird, have it participate in the training;
• a bird covered with tissue perceives information better, but forms constraint.

For information on how to choose and equip a cage for a parrot, see the next video.