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HELP

CanIkeepit

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IM looking to get a amazon but every time I do more research I cannot decide on a species. I'm being so careful not to jump into anything because I want to make sure I have the time to give the bird I get and I want to make sure I have all the knowledge! I always come back to the DYH amazon but would love some advice!
 

iamwhoiam

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Welcome to AA. Have you gone out and interacted with any Amazon parrots? If you have the opportunity to do that I would recommend giving that a try.
Have you ever had a bird before? Why an Amazon?
 

CanIkeepit

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I have interacted with a DYH and fell in love with her, but at the time I wouldn't have enough time or a good place to keep her. I've had some changes to my life and will have time and a good place for her but when I went back to see about getting her she was sold. I have not interacted with other species. I have had a bird before in a strange situation. My old teacher was going away and asked me to watch her bird (cockatiel) for her for a few months and I did and she asked me if I wanted to keep him. Fast forward after about 6 months she wanted him back! I was sad to give him back but it just made me want a bird even more! After meeting an amazon, and reading up about them I fell in love. Their ability to talk is amazing but I really love their size and how long they live. I do not want to rush into choosing the right species so I am being cautious.
 

Tracieb

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In the spirit of full disclosure I must admit I may be biased, but my recommendation would be one of the red headed varieties (lilac crowned, red-lored, green cheeked/Mexican red head, lilacine, festive, etc). In my experience I have found them to be less hormonal when they mature (though every bird can be an exception to the generalization) and more even keeled in general with less highs and lows. My favorite being the Lilac Crown with a the Festive/Bodini being a close second. Of the group my Bodini amazon is the loudest in volume, but it could be because he thinks I spoil my Lilac Crown over him.

I would follow this group up with mealy amazon's but they are the largest of the amazons so space for a large enough cage would be a consideration with them. I have known a number of mealy amazons and found them all to be consistently more accepting of multiple people and again not has moody as their yellow feathered cousins. I have lived for a number of years with the other group (red-heads) so I am more confident in recommending them.
 

sunnysmom

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Are there any rescues near you? Meeting some birds is a good way to decide what kind you like, etc. And often rescues offer classes on bird care too.
 

Hankmacaw

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This was written by @melissasparrots, who has lots of Amazon experience and I believe she breeds them.

"Adult male double yellow heads, yellow napes and blue fronts can be frighteningly aggressive at maturity. Females can be too, but they tend to pick their targets and not be so bad. Some of these males will throw everything they've got into a bite, fly across the room at you or generally just have a very short temper. They will go from sweet playful little testing the limits bites as juveniles to bleeding and scars over night. Speaking as someone who's 8 year old male just made that transition. And yes I have a new scar to show for it. None of my girls have done that to me though. My girls have tended to be worse as just weaned babies but get better with age. Boys, not so much. "

I may be a good thing for you to read this entire thread; What are the "hot three" | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

I own(ed) two Greenwinged Macaws, one of whom was a real handful, neither scared me - ever - but I'm very cautious of "The Hot Three'.
 

melissasparrots

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If you feel you are a true amazon person, get a female double yellow head and learn to read the bird's body language. You should be okay. Possible point of failure would be if your family members fail to learn to read body language, get bit, bleed badly and blame the bird for their failure and then pressure you to rehome the bird. Female amazons can be nearly perfect. But, you will still get bit and you can prevent a lot of those bites by learning to respect your bird and not pestering it constantly to accept affection that it isn't in the mood for right then. Accept that they are moody and might go through a few days, weeks or months or not wanting to deal with humans so much. If you respect them during that time, chances are excellent they will come around and reward you with months or years of accepting and even seeking out scritches and affection. Amazons are very different from each other. Some can be snuggly almost to the extent of a cockatoo. Others will be mostly don't touch me birds. Most will be in between and fluctuate from near one extreme to the other depending on mood. Failure to respect an amazon's mood means you bleed. A good amazon owner blames themselves for most of those bites. It gets harder with mature males although the same concept applies.
 

melissasparrots

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I'm being so careful not to jump into anything because I want to make sure I have the time to give the bird I get and I want to make sure I have all the knowledge!
Major point to consider, amazons are independent. It always worries me a little when people want to make sure they have time for the bird. These birds do need attention and affection. But, this is not a species to schedule your day around. If you schedule time to give the bird affection and its not in the mood for it, and then you try to persuade it to accept affection anyway because you feel you haven't given it much lately, you will bleed. Or at least feel pain. If you continue to pester your amazon to accept affection that you want, but it could care less about, you will teach your amazon to bite first in order to get rid of you. This is not a species that you can just assume that it should want attention from you. Mine do very well with a lot of ambient attention. Playing on their cage while I do the dishes. A quick scratch when I happen to walk past them, or maybe not depending on what body language they are giving me. Sometimes I walk by and can just tell they want a scratch. But usually they don't. Maybe a few minutes sitting on my shoulder in the evening. Or not, depending on what body language is telling me. Probably mostly not if they have a toy they are interested in. Or if I have them step up and try to sit with them and they just act frigidity and point their body somewhere else and flutter their wings like they just aren't feeling it right then. Trying to sweet talk them into staying with me just results in pain. Its best at that point to walk the bird over to its cage or gym and let it be a bird. Usually I try to keep my face turned away, avoid the dog or hated people, and not draw attention to my fingers while making the transfer.
 

iamwhoiam

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I have a Blue-fronted Amazon and a Yellow Naped Amazon. My BFA, Casey, is the friendlier and gentler one but the YNA, Shannon, is mellowing out a bit. I had an opportunity to get a Lilac Crowned Amazon recently and that bird was very sweet although still a baby. Everyone I talked to about Lilac Crowns told me that they are very different from my BFA and YNA. They are usually gentler and more affectionate.
I have had Casey since he was 3 mos. old. When he hit sexual maturity he ran at me and bit me. That was the first time that happened. Shannon's previous human also got her when she was 3 mos. old and she also starting biting when she became mature. He used to be able to carry her around on his shoulder but one day she bit and almost pierced his ear and that ended the shoulder rides. Shannon loves certain foods and I've used those to work with her and modify the biting and lunging behavior. Amazons generally give you warning signs regarding their moods and intentions so you have to learn to read those.
 
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