Amazon parrot and its species in the wild. Reproduction and life expectancy of the Amazon parrot

Amazonian parrots are wonderful birds that have long won the love of the inhabitants of our country. If you are the owner of this parrot, do not hesitate, it will become a pet for you and your family. Amazons are a genus of birds that has approximately 26 species, some of which are listed in the Red Book. These are large parrots with a dense physique, reaching a length of 45 cm, with a short, straight, slightly rounded tail.

The color of their plumage is not particularly bright, as a rule, the main color is green, there are multi-colored marks on the body - red, yellow, lilac, blue, by which the subspecies of these birds are actually identified. The most popular among amateurs are the following types:

• yellow-fronted amazon
• Amazon Muller
• blue-fronted amazon
• red-faced amazon
• Venezuelan (Orange-headed) Amazon

A distinctive feature of the Amazons is their powerful beak, rounded and of moderate length, and the mandible, which forms a sharp rib at the base. In young individuals, the iris of the eye is gray-brown in color. By the age of 4, it becomes red-orange or chestnut. And from now on, it will be very difficult to distinguish these birds by gender, since there is no sexual dimorphism in the Amazons. This means that males and females of these parrots look almost the same, only the beak may not be much larger in the male and the color of the feathers is slightly brighter than in the female. Gender can only be established by games and behavior during the mating season. They reach sexual maturity at about 4 years of age. Amazon parrots are long-lived proper care in captivity will live up to 60 years! A good character trait of this bird is its willingness to communicate.

Amazons are active, easy to train, they quickly find " mutual language» with their owner, they are artistic and friendly. However, there have been cases when even "tame" Amazons during the mating season became aggressive. The least aggressive are yellow-fronted parrots, even during the mating season. Their natural cry does not hurt the ear, sometimes it is confused with the barking of a small dog, sometimes it can resemble a "coo". The Amazonian yellow-fronted parrot is able to memorize and reproduce many sounds, he is especially good at copying whistles, laughter, and coughs. Can speak in whole phrases, but copying human speech - often distorts it.

Amazons easily adapt to living conditions in captivity, but there are a number of principles for keeping them at home. These are large parrots and, accordingly, they need a fairly spacious cage, such that they can freely flap their wings. Its dimensions should not be less than a meter on each side, always metal. Driftwood, rings, ropes, etc. are placed in it. In the form of drinkers and feeders, metal bowls on holders are best suited.

Amazons are vital for daily flights or walks around the apartment. He will be grateful to you if there is a specially equipped place in the house for his games. A stand made of dense branches with ropes will do, they simply adore them. Many Amazons like to play with children's toys - wooden blocks, rattles, pyramids, etc. In general, anything is suitable as a toy for such a bird, if it is made of dense material and painted in a bright color.

Since Amazon parrots come from places close to the equator, there is an urgent need for ultraviolet light. In summer, they are taken outside in cages or equipped with special enclosures so that they can bask in the sun, and in winter you can buy a lamp for birds. The air in the equatorial zones is quite humid, so the Amazons need to bathe. Buy a bathing suit for your pet or spray it with water from a spray bottle.

Particular attention should be paid to the diet of the parrot. It will be an erroneous opinion that the basis of his nutrition is ready-made grain mixtures. In fact, this is not the case, most of his diet is wet food, i.e. berries, fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs. However, you should not completely exclude the grain. In wildlife, Amazons eat mainly the buds and leaves of trees, practically not using crops. In choosing ready-made feed mixtures, give preference to food for medium parrots than for large parrots, because. it contains more small seed (canary millet).

If your pet is picky about food, try to treat him with millet on a spikelet, some birds eat everything to the last grain with great pleasure and excitement! It is desirable that the grain be germinated. To do this, it is soaked in water for 7-9 hours. It will be good if you accustom the parrot to branch food. It is better to do this in the spring, when trees are blooming (cherry, apple tree, you can treat it with lilac inflorescences, rowan, currant, birch, willow, dandelion rhizomes will do). Fruits and vegetables are plentiful in summer! Pamper the Amazon with strawberries, cherries, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries. Categorically contraindicated: papaya, mango, watermelons are undesirable.

Amazonian parrots are very fond of various kinds of porridge (buckwheat, rice, corn), mix them with honey. Can be added to diet quail eggs, but quite rare, because of all the species of parrots, only the Amazonian parrots are prone to obesity due to malnutrition and, as a result, their quick death. It is also worth including clay in the diet. Ordinary pharmacy white clay is suitable, without additives and dyes. It is combined with a small amount of water and added to the feed along with sand.

We hope that our tips will help you keep such birds.
Good luck!

Amazons have been known since ancient times, they are very beautiful, have large sizes, and are able to pronounce human words. They are capricious, the bird demonstrates the mood with all its appearance, and when it is unimportant, the parrot will not be calm. However, if the mood is excellent, then he will entertain you with his pranks and chatter, and quite meaningful. From the video materials it is clear that they can imitate a lot of sounds. Parrots of this breed have good memory and their mood often changes.

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Breed overview

There are 29 species of Amazons in the world. Parrots of this breed reach a length of 45 centimeters and are distinguished by a dense physique. The photo and video show that almost all parrots of this genus have feathers Green colour, while individual species are distinguished by spots in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe wings, tail or head: red, blue, blue and yellow. They were included in the group of parakeets, which are distinguished by increased communication. The average life expectancy of Amazons is 45 years, and some individuals live up to 70 years.

In the wild, parrots of this breed live in packs, but for the production of offspring they are divided into pairs. To do this, they look for a suitable hollow high on a palm tree and lay 2-5 eggs in it. The female is engaged in incubation of eggs for a month, during this period the male provides her with food without moving away from the nest. The female only occasionally a short time leaves the nest. After hatching from the eggs, the chicks do not leave the nest for up to eight weeks.

Birds eat fruits, nuts, various seeds and even the fruits of the coffee tree. Occasionally, flocks of Amazons devastate orchards.

Origin

The very name of the species indicates that these birds live in the wooded area of ​​the Amazon River. Their homeland is the territory of South and Central America. Parrots of this species can also be found on the islands. caribbean. Some types of Amazons settle on tropical plains, others - in tropical forests. More often they choose to live in coniferous and tropical rainforests, as well as plains, but up to a height of a thousand meters above sea level.

Appearance

Judging by the numerous photos and videos, as well as the reviews of the owners, the Amazon parrot looks like a large bird with a dense build. The length of parrots varies from 0.25 to 0.45 meters. The feathers of birds are painted in green tones, certain types there are red spots on the head and tail, others have the same markings on the wing (see photo). Main Feature parrots of this breed is a powerful beak of medium length and rounded shape, as well as the mandible, turning to the base into a sharp rib. The wings are of medium length and do not reach the tip of the tail.

One of the most popular captive species is the Venezuelan Amazon. This bird has a length of 31-33 centimeters and a weight of 350-450 grams. The photo shows that the feathers of the bird are painted in green tones, and the forehead has a bluish tint. chief hallmark The Venezuelan Amazon is the presence of feathers orange color in the wings, the cheeks have yellow feathers, the legs are gray-brown in color. It is impossible to visually distinguish birds by sex.

In young parrots, the iris of the eye has grey colour. Upon reaching the age three years it changes color to red or brown. During this period, it is not easy to establish the age of the bird, as well as its sex.

Sounds

Amazons are by nature loudmouths who like to draw attention to themselves. Watching the video, you pay attention to the fact that they are by no means quiet in captivity, especially in the morning and evening hours. This character trait should be emphasized in order to protect yourself from unexpected surprises in the future. Parrot Amazon can remember up to a hundred words and short sentences except for the songs.

Many Amazons have the ability to make sounds characteristic of the violin, as well as imitate many musical tones. The parrot pronounces human speech with a bird's accent and at the same time burrs a little. Amazons are also excellent at imitating the sounds of a siren, the meow of a cat, or the barking of a dog. The greatest talent in the conversational genre was noted in the Yellow-headed and Blue-fronted Amazons, slightly less ability in the Venezuelan.

Content Features

Amazons are quite demanding on living conditions. When kept in an apartment, you need to provide them with a large cage so that the bird, waving its wings, does not touch the bars of the lattice. Square cells are considered the best, minimum dimensions which is 80 by 80 centimeters. Inside the cage, it is necessary to equip wooden perches, hang ropes and rings, and fix metal bowls. At the same time, do not put them on the bottom of the cage, because in their natural environment these birds almost never descend to the ground.

The main food of these parrots is a grain mixture. It is imperative to give the birds mineral supplements and vitamins.

Along with the following should be offered:

• vegetables;
• fruits;
• berries;
• carrot;
• young tree buds;
• quail eggs.

According to the owners, Amazons love water procedures, they need to be sprayed up to five times a day with a spray bottle and bathed twice a day.

Watching the video, you notice that the Venezuelan and other subspecies of the Amazon are birds with a noisy temperament, not easy to keep. It is unacceptable to deprive the parrot of attention, ignore it or cover the cage with a cloth on long time. He will experience stress, which will end in plucking of feathers and nervous diseases.

Photo gallery

Video "Amazon parrot bathes"

This video shows how the Amazonian parrot Grisha bathes. After watching the video, you can understand with what pleasure the bird takes water procedures.

The first mention of the Amazon parrot dates back to the era of Christopher Columbus. This is a large and beautiful bird that can imitate human speech. Amazon perfectly copies human behavior, and by the way a bird behaves, you can immediately determine what mood he is in right now.

Amazons are native to southern and central America. Preferred habitats are rainforest and damp plains. Parrots keep in flocks, but during the mating season they are divided into pairs. Almost all the time the birds sit on the branches of tall trees. With the morning dawn, they begin their day by loudly greeting their brethren. The main occupation of parrots is to find food and water.

Description of the bird and species

Amazon is a large bird, the length of which ranges from 25 to 45 cm. The weight of a parrot is from 50 to 700 grams. It has a short, rounded tail and a large beak. The color of the birds is mostly green. with yellow, blue and red spots that adorn all parts of the body of parrots, except for the body. These spots determine the type of parrot. The Amazon genus includes 29 species of birds.

The most common types of Amazons living in captivity are the following species:

Of all the known species of parrots, 18 are endangered and are listed in the International Red Book.

To find out the age of a bird, you should pay attention to the iris of the eye. In the first 3 years, it has a grayish-brown hue. Later, the iris turns reddish or chestnut-colored. Brown color. If the parrot is more than 3 years old, it becomes unrealistic to determine its age.

It is even more difficult to determine the sex of a bird. This can only be done if the parrots have gathered in flocks and are divided into pairs during the mating season. By way of care behind individuals of the opposite sex, it becomes clear what gender the bird is in front of you.

Venezuelan Amazon

The most popular type of Amazon is the Venezuelan Amazon. This is a relatively calm bird, which in two weeks after the acquisition, you can accustom to the house. Close the doors so that the bird cannot leave the room and let him walk around the house. What the Venezuelan Amazon looks like - look at the photo. Catch a pet if it does not want to return in a cage, you can use a special net. It will be good if you buy a fixture, the size of which will be approximately the size of an adult bird.

Put toys in the parrot's cage. It can be a wide variety of items that he can gnaw. The bird will love to play with them. Venezuela do not like loneliness. Therefore, so that he is not bored, it is better to get one or even several more birds.

Amazon parrots

It is not difficult to train Venezuelans. To teach the bird to feed from the hands, taming sticks are used, which contain a sharp tip. Prick a piece of food on a stick and offer it to the bird. On the initial stage give a treat from a long stick, and over time it can be shortened.

The life expectancy of Venezuelans is 50-70 years. They quickly get used to home conditions. Keeping parrots in an apartment or house has positive influence for the duration of their life.

Venezuelan Amazon- a relatively calm bird, unlike other talkative and noisy species. But they will not remain silent all the time either. Once in an unfamiliar environment, the bird first looks around, and then, realizing that there is no danger, begins to communicate with the owners.

Venezuelans are very intelligent birds. They are not afraid of noisy companies. It is the representatives of this species are talkative in the presence of people. Birds are quite curious, they easily repeat the words they hear and even phrases. They can imitate the sounds of animals. Birds scream loudly and piercingly, but they can be weaned from this.

Features of care and maintenance

All parrots require good conditions residence and care. Amazons are no exception. Remember the following features of bird care:

In order for the skin and feathers of parrots to look well-groomed, birds need to be bathed or sprayed with water regularly.

Amazon training

Amazon parrots are highly trainable. At the very beginning, you need to teach your pet the “forward” command. Usually parrots master it with ease. After that, the bird will begin to trust you, at the same time recognizing you as the owner.

The training cycle should not take more than 15 minutes. Do not start with bad mood, the pet will feel it. Organize game training so that both you and the parrot will enjoy it. There must be silence in the room. So that the bird can safely fly around the room, do not forget to close the windows and doors. If you have pets, you should take them to another room.

All owners are usually interested in how to teach a parrot to talk. If you decide to start training a pet, follow these recommendations:

If you cover the cage with a bird with cloth during training, the process goes much faster. But remember that in this case, the parrot may become shy and not talk in public.

15.03.2018

The species of the Amazon parrot has been known since ancient times. It attracts with its amazing appearance, size, ingenuity, wayward character. Differs in longevity and the ability to imitate human speech. The words and phrases uttered by the bird are striking in their meaningfulness.

Amazons have complex nature. All emotions are expressed as clearly as possible. They show their mood to the owner and act up. But if the pet good mood, then the bird will not let you get bored. Will play and "talk" non-stop.

The Amazon parrot does not require special care, it adapts perfectly to life in captivity, easily tolerates moving. Birds quickly get used to hands and prefer to spend more time in the company of people than relatives.

Appearance description

The color of plumage in most species is predominantly green. Some individuals with bright multi-colored spots in the head, tail and wings. An important feature some species is a color change after molting.

The length of the Amazon parrot reaches 45 cm. Weight is from 320 to 450 g. The strong beak has a rounded shape. The average life expectancy is 50 years, but long-livers are also known, whose age reached 70 years.

Amazons belong to big birds and are divided into 26 types. The most famous parrot is the Venezuelan Amazon. Among ornithologists, another name is common - orange-winged. Each wing has 3 orange feathers.

Common types:

• green-cheeked;
• red-tailed;
• wine-breasted;
• luxurious;
• white-headed.

Birds are native to the Antilles, Central and South America. They live in forests along the Amazon River. Some species are listed in the Red Book. Many are on the verge of extinction and are prohibited from being exported from the country.

The right choice of parrot and care features

The most trainable and mild-tempered is the white-headed species. It is better to buy from breeders in the nursery. When choosing, pay attention to appearance chick. The plumage should be neatly laid, the beak and claws should be free of growths, the cere should be clean (no mucus secretions). In a healthy young individual, the iris of the eye is brown. Otherwise, the bird may be an adult, wild or sick. The optimal age is 4 months.

Before purchasing an Amazon parrot, you should prepare a spacious aviary. The cage size is not less than 100*100*100 cm. Only metal is used as a material. The space inside should be as free as possible so that the feathered one can freely spread its wings without touching the bars of the aviary.

Birds love heat very much. The temperature of the pet should be constantly 25 degrees. Avoid drafts and direct sunlight. Humidity at least 60% (the higher the better). When the air in the room is dry, you need to install a household humidifier.

Amazons are playful birds and you can put various toys in the cage for fun. Install perches and ladders. Pets really like water procedures. You should put a bath for bathing twice a day. Spray with a spray bottle several times during the day.

Diet

The basis of the food of the Amazon parrot is a grain mixture. Pet stores provide a wide selection of food from different manufacturers. When purchasing mixture packages, you should look at the production date and shelf life. Ready food is disinfected, balanced, has various additives (vitamins, dried fruits).

As an additional feed, the diet should be diversified with vegetables and fruits, berries:

1. Carrot;
2. Beet;
3. Tomatoes;
4. cucumbers;
5. Greens of sprouted food;
6. Raspberry;
7. strawberries;
8. blueberries;
9. Buds and leaves of fruit trees;
10. Boiled eggs.

The feeder should be installed in special cells or hung in a cage. Birds practically do not descend to the ground. The water in the drinker is always clean and at room temperature.

List of prohibited products:

• papaya, mango, persimmon, avocado;
• potatoes, meat;
• unpeeled citrus fruits;
• salty, fried, fatty, sweet food.

During the molting period, the feed in the feeder is replaced with a special mixture for the growth and strengthening of feathers. To maintain the general condition of the chick, liquid vitamins are added to the water.

Diseases and treatments

Diseases can be transmitted as a result of contact with an infected individual or improper management.

1. Avitaminosis. Accompanied by lethargic behavior, increased nervousness, the appearance of viscous saliva, inflammation of the respiratory tract;
2. Obesity. Incorrectly balanced nutrition, inactivity, inappropriate conditions of detention.
3. Diseases of the respiratory system. There are wheezing, rapid breathing. It may even seem that .
4. Infectious diseases. Associated with fungal pathology (papillomatosis, poxvirus). If a parrot is diagnosed with a poxvirus, then in most cases this is fatal.
5. Tick ​​infestation. Itching, nervousness, the formation of naked areas on the body, as a result of self-plucking.
6. Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Liquid droppings, poor appetite, vomiting.

IMPORTANT! If you find any symptoms of the disease, you should contact your veterinarian. Correctly established diagnosis allows short time heal the bird.

Caring for an Amazon parrot is not difficult. Birds love to be the center of attention, demonstrating a very sonorous voice. A tame pet will saturate life with new emotions. The right content will make you a friend for life.

Amazons (Amazonian parrots) are large, dense birds, whose body length is from 25 to 45 cm. The wingspan is not very large: the wing in length reaches approximately the middle of the tail. The tail is short, with a rounded tip. Sexual characteristics are not pronounced.

Amazon parrots have a strong beak that is black, brown (red) or gray-yellow. The length of the beak is medium.

The main color of the plumage is green. Depending on the species, birds have various combinations of bright spots on the body. For example, red spots on the head, tail or wings. In total, there are about 26 species of Amazonian parrots in nature.

In general, these are large, very beautiful birds with a contrasting effect color.

How long do Amazon parrots live?

Under ideal conditions, Amazons live up to 50 years or more. There are also 70-year-old parrots.

Content Features

Like all large parrots, Amazons require a lot of space. For their maintenance, you will need a large spacious cage in which the birds can safely move around and spread their wings. It must have various perches, rings and swings, because. Amazons are very mobile and love to play.

Particular attention should be paid to the diet. The diet of large parrots has its own characteristics and differs from the diet of the same budgies. They need to choose the right food for them.

Amazon parrots are very intelligent. Some species are easy to train, learn tricks and talk with pleasure. Vocabulary may include several dozen words.

Spreading

AT wild nature Amazon parrots are common in Central and South America, as well as in the Antilles. They inhabit the rain jungle and flat areas with shrubs and cacti.

Some species of Amazonian parrots are listed in the Red Book.