The Amazon Yellow Headed Parrots

The Amazon Yellow Headed Parrots

If the African Gray Parrot is number one in popularity the Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot is a close second. One of the breed characteristics is the distinctive feather pattern of the parrot. It has a bright yellow head with a striking green body and wing feather coloration. They have a small patch of red color on each wing to create quite a handsome bird. They range in size from 14-15 inches in length with a wing span of 8-9 inches. That places them in the largest of the Amazon parrot species.

In the wild they prefer the tropical and subtropical forests of the Mexico, Central America and South American Amazon basin. They prefer to nest in trees that are spaced among the mangrove swamps and savannahs of those regions. In the wild they are among many of the Tropical parrots that are on the endangered species list because of loss of their native habitat. As civilization moves into the rain forests it destroys the trees and breeding grounds that they frequent.

Even though they are on the endangered list you can find them readily available from a reputable breeder. These breeders raise Yellow Headed Amazon's and therefore allow the breed to continue without extinction and this is a good thing for parrot lovers. They can be pricy, as larger parrots are, but if you shop around you might find a breeder with an overstock situation and be able to strike a bargain.

If you are looking for a talker these are second to the African Gray. They can be quite loud and are known for their vocal squawk and screech. Don't choose a Yellow Headed Amazon if you are looking for a quite bird. They seem to become the noisiest at dusk or dawn so be prepared to wake up early with these fellows. They are very good imitators of sounds they hear. I have seen several articles on line dealing with training these birds to favor talking vs. the noisy squawking and screeching that is inherent with their nature.

Be sure to provide them with chewing toys, branches and such. They use their beaks for climbing and this makes them chewers. If you have the room for an aviary you will make your Yellow Headed Amazon very happy because the love to fly. They are one of the more energetic parrots. A larger cage with many perches will satisfy their climbing desire and will give them the daily exercise they need to maintain a healthy existence. On a scale of 1 to 10 they score very high on the intelligence scale. This makes for a bird that will learn very easily if it has an environment that satisfies its active nature. If you neglect these birds be prepared for confrontation. Most intelligent birds need physical and intellectual stimulation to keep them from becoming bored.

These birds like most vegetation, berries, nut and fruits with a mix of pellet food. Their preferred diet makes them a pest in the wild as their flocks will raid agricultural crops as a "free lunch" and this does not sit well with local farmers. This conflict has contributed to the decline of the species as their natural habitat is invaded by humans.