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I can't believe how many people have been
asking about Yellow Shoulders lately. I never saved my answers on my
computer thinking it was the last time I would be using it. As a result
I am typing and retyping this info.
Here is the information on Yellow Shoulders
(Amazona barbadensis)
Howard Voren calls them "barbies".
He claims they are the Barbie dolls of the Amazon world. He says they
are perfectly proportioned and beautifully colored blue-fronted Amazon
in miniature--the major difference being that the Barbie has a white
forehead and a horn-colored beak."
Length: 12 inches to 13 inches Weight:
280-350 grams...newly hatched chick 10 grams Immatures: Duller with less
extensive head coloration. Some have blue on their foreheads. This bird
should not be confused with the Yellow Wing that is a subspecies of the
Blue-Fronted Amazon. Yellow Wings have dark grey beaks. Barbies eyes
change from brown to orange sooner than other species. By three months
most Yellow Shoulders have orange eyes where it takes a year for most
other species to change.
Subspecies: There is a difference of opinion
as to there being two subspecies or not. Howard Voren differs with
Joseph Forshaw on describing the two subspecies. A. b. barbadensis and
A. b. rothschildi.
They are on Appendix I of CITES. They come
from Venezuela...a small coastal area. They are on the international
endangered list but not on the federal list. That means they can be
freely traded within the US without permits. In Bonaire there are severe
droughts. Hungry parrots went into villages to feed on fruits and seeds.
Some died of starvation, some shot for eating cultivated crops, and many
were trapped. An estimated 200 parrots succumbed to trapping and
starvation in 1978. Now there is a program in time of drought to provide
food for the parrots so that the local population survives.
It was rare in aviculture but established
since it breeds successfully in captivity. When breeding these birds
care must be taken that the male does not become aggressive and harm the
female. Several experts claim the females have a bluish cast to the
cheeks and breast. Sexual maturity is reached at three years of age but
often the male is infertile til he is four. The average clutch size is
three. There is an incubation period of 26 days and the young leave the
nest in about 9 weeks.
Stoodley claims they are too excitable for
pets. The young nestlings are playful and inquisitive. As they mature,
they do become more aggressive and are kept in pairs as they are very
territorial and will defend it at all costs. He goes on to say, "It
will be interesting to see if the bold temperament of this parrot is
improved with several generations captive bred." I would not be too
upset with his assessment of the bird as a pet since he also considers
several other species as not good pets and yet friends have them and
they are good pets. Decoteau does not say much about their personalities
except that they were not broncos (birds that are hard or impossible to
tame).
Others have said that these are the top pet
bird in Venezuela. They are suppose to have excellent talking ability. I
have a post from another list that a breeder says, "They are one of
the sweetest Amazons you will find. She raises 4 - 7 babies a year.
Voren claims that the pet potential of Barbies is extraordinary. Most
remain sweet and gentle into adulthood. He states, "They also have
the advantage of being very quiet for an Amazon. These attributes endear
them to all who ever have kept them as companions."
In an article for Watchbird May/June 1995,
James R. Miller says: "What kind of Amazon would you get if you
combined the talking ability of a Yellow-naped Amazon, the affection of
a handfed cockatoo and the energy level of a caquie. You would almost
for sure end up with a delightful little Yellow-shouldered Amazon.
>From what I have heard, the going price
for a Yellow Shoulder in Florida is about $900. At one time they were
considered very rare and you would not be able to find them for sale.
Now enough are being bred that they are found in the pet trade. The
first breeding of the Yellow Shouldered Amazon in the US was by Ramon
Noegel of Florida in 1982.
Joanie Doss / The Amazing Amazons
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