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 amazons does not require large rooms and cells; with regard to intelligence, they are very amenable to training, talented. Like their friendly, non-aggressive, they get along great with the children. Amazons originate from the Caribbean tropics, and live on the American continent.

Amazona is a genus of parrots that includes almost 30 species. The predominant color is greenish, however, there are several representatives that differ in color. Distinctive features:

• strong build, short stature;
• short-tailed;
• rounded tail;
• strong, well-developed beak, round in shape, there is a rib on the base.

Varieties of these birds can be distinguished thanks to multi-colored specks that cover almost the entire bird. Spots are found on the tail, wings, occipital area, neck, head. Spot colors can be bluish, lilac, blue, reddish or yellowish. In captivity, many types of amazons live, we offer you a list of the most common representatives:

• Amazona farinosa, or Muller;
• Amazona amazonica, Venezuelan;
• Amazona ochrocephala, yellowhead;
• Amazona autumnalis, redhead;
• Amazona aestiva, cyanobic;
• Amazona auropalliata, with a yellow neck;
• Amazona albifrons, silver carp;
• Amazona dufresniana, blue-faced;
• Amazona festiva, or festive;
• Amazona leucocephala, Cuban.

When purchasing Amazon, pay attention to the iris of the eyes, it will determine the approximate age. Before reaching the age of three, it has a brownish-gray, dirty color, older representatives differ in a deep-red iris, with raspberry, chestnut or orange tint. More precisely, age is not determined, especially after three years it is not possible.

Determining sex is also not an easy task, as the bird has no sexual characteristics. Therefore, it is possible to know sex precisely only during the mating season, in the presence of several individuals. It is during the courtship and mating that you can draw conclusions about the gender of the bird with absolute accuracy. There is also an endoscopic method that is unpleasant for parrots, which requires anesthesia, surgical intervention and very good specialists. You can try to determine the gender using a blood test or feathers, but it is not considered 100% effective.

This is the most popular variety of amazons, it is enough for her to spend a little more than a week in a new room to get comfortable. 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 a time. They live a long time, from 15 to 70 years, get used very quickly, smart, calm - this explains their widespread and popular among pet lovers. Moreover, in the company of people they like to talk, they 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 a diet. Amazons are not too picky, however, their life and appearance depend on food. Both overfeeding and underfeeding are equally harmful. A poor diet leads to weight gain, the parrot begins to pinch itself, gets sick, its psyche is disturbed.

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

Follow these diet guidelines:

• eggs are very useful, they contain the protein necessary for birds;
• meat is strictly forbidden, although the Amazons will not refuse it, but it will very soon violate the digestive system and lead to diseases;
• the basis of the diet should be a grain mixture of canary, millet, oats, millet;
• fruits are mandatory, among the most useful are lime and lemon, mandarin and orange, cherry and cherry, gura, apple, banana;
• do not forget about vegetables: they are needed in the menu of the parrot on a regular basis, you can give cabbage, pumpkin, carrots;
• it is worth feeding a feathered pet with berries, herbs and nuts;
• include mineral supplements in the diet on an ongoing basis;
• Remember that Amazons love to eat, regardless of how they feel.

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

You need to feed her soaked grain and seeds. Mating games negatively affect Amazon, making it aggressive, aimed at attack and destruction.

Before you buy Amazon, you need to prepare for him the optimal living conditions.A tropical guest cannot 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, a thermometer and monitor the level of humidity and temperature. Parrots feel best in rooms with temperatures not higher than +28, but not lower than +23 C, with humidity above 60%. If you have dry air, do not worry - a humidifier or other methods will solve the problem. You can cover the batteries with a wet cloth, dry clothes in this room, spray air, put water tanks next to heating appliances.

The Amazon parrot loves to bathe, it can be periodically sprayed, and washed enough a couple of times a month. You can bathe the bird in the bath or under a warm shower. In the summer heat, you can give the bird the opportunity to enjoy water, somersault, splash, and not just perform the washing ritual. If these recommendations are not followed, the following problems may occur:

• pen dropping out;
• dandruff;
• itching
• feather painting.

Ideally, the amazons are kept in enclosures, but if this is not possible, a spacious cell type is also suitable. If you want the parrot to feel comfortable, make sure that its parameters are not less than 100 per 100 cm. Place the feeders higher, not at the bottom of the cage, as it is more common for parrots to get food on a tree. Amazons need to spend their energy, so they need to fly and walk outside the cage. In order for these walks to deliver pleasant moments to the pet, but not interfere with your life, observe the following rules:

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

In order for the Amazon not to shout too loudly and piercingly, the bird needs to be trained and educated. If you do not engage in education, Amazon can become quite arrogant, and its behavior will bring a lot of trouble. As a rule, in the morning and in the evening they sing, therefore the first thing to be taught is that darkness is equal to silence. The mood of the birds is variable - this does not need to be surprised, it is a quality of their character. They can have fun and then quiet down somewhere on a twig.

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

• "Forward". With this team, training is most often begun, as it is given most easily. After you teach your pet this, he will begin to feel the master in you and will be more obedient, trusting.
• Do not devote too much time to training. It is enough to be limited to a quarter of an hour, otherwise the bird will get tired.
• If you have no mood or it is negative, it is better to refuse training. Parrots are very sensitive.
• Game form - The best method that will be pleasant to both of you.
• During the training period, create silence so that the pet is not distracted. Be sure to close the doors and windows. Other pets and animals are best kept at the same time in another room.

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

• do not tease;
• speak more and fondly;
• praise the bird;
• show friendliness;
• Do not insist and be patient;
• watch the time of 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;
• 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, let it participate in the training;
• a bird covered with a tissue perceives information better, but forms constraint.

See how to choose and equip a cage for a parrot in the next video.