Yellow Headed Amazon Parrots

Yellow headed Amazon parrots are originally from the coastal regions of Mexico and they have become very popular pets because of their attractive markings.  These parrots are mostly green with their striking yellow head plus a stunning flash of red on each wing.  They can also be found in Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.  They prefer habitats such as tropical or subtropical forests, savannahs, mangrove swamps, or cultivated land where trees are available for nesting. Yellow headed Amazon parrots are now considered rare and they are on the endangered list because of poaching and illegal trade plus deforestation has resulted in the loss of their natural nesting habitats.

One of the Best Talkers

It is easy to find a captive, bred Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot for pets but they can be somewhat expensive.  Because they are great talkers, they are an extremely popular parrot species to raise.  The best talker in the World is the African Grey Parrot, but the Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot is a close second. Although all Amazons are capable of talking, some do not.  The ability to talk varies with each parrot.  Some parrots are excellent talkers while other may never talk.  Yellow Headed Amazon Parrots are extremely intelligent, funny, and active birds. These parrots are easily tamed and trained. They love attention and get it by sometimes being loud and playful.  They are the loudest of all the Amazon parrots.  But, you can replace their screeching with human speech through training. They need an environment that allows them to fly and move around since they are very active by nature.  The best environment for a Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot is an aviary but they can also adjust to indoor cages as long as you offer sufficient daily exercise. A word of caution; like most large parrot species, Yellow Headed Amazons can be destructive.  You need to provide your bird with plenty of chewing toys and branches.

Their bodies and Their Habits

Yellow headed Amazon parrots can grow to a length of fifteen inches or more, and females are slightly smaller then males.  Yellow Headed Amazon Parrots have a stout, hooked beak that is used for cracking the hard shells of seeds and nuts and also for grasping, exploring, and climbing. It is almost like another hand for them, but of course, they also use their feet to climb.  Amazons’ feet each have two toes pointing forwards and two toes pointing backwards which make them perfect for grasping.  They also use their feet to hold food while eating.

Parrot Nutrition

In the wild, Yellow Headed Amazons eat a variety of fruits, berries, nuts, blossoms, and leaf buds.  They have also been known to raid agricultural crops like corn.  When living in a home environment with a caretaker, these birds enjoy vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, berries, and pellet food.  Nutrition is very important to their health and to their lives.

Your Commitment to Your Parrot

You must consider the longevity of your commitment in having one of these beautiful birds as a pet.  Yellow headed Amazon parrots can live to be eighty years old.  Although no pet is perfect, these parrots are sure to give you hours of entertainment and pleasure.