Amazon Parrots Joanie Doss (page 10)

Post

I am looking to get my first Amazon and I am pretty sure that I have decided upon a lilac-crowned. Does anybody have any suggestions of the best kind? I a lilac a good idea?

Reply

A Lilac-crowned Amazon is an excellent choice for the novice Amazon person. Although personalities differ with each bird but as a whole, the Lilac-crowned is not as excitable as the male Double Yellow, Yellow Nape or Blue Fronted Amazons. Lilac Crowns are not as popular as the other three as they are shier birds. In stores, the Double Yellows, Napes, and Blue Fronts attract more attention because they are more apt to talk when excited. Lilac Crowns generally will become silent when scared or excited. (They may scream in parrot but they are not as apt to talk).

For years people thought Lilac Crowns were poor talkers, but that is not true. Wild captured Lilac Crowns were scared and not as bold as the more popular three. Therefore, they did not talk when just captured and put into pet stores. Now that more Lilac Crowns are being domestically bred, people are finding that some of these once over-looked species can become remarkable talkers.

They may not strut and flare as much as the "Hot Three" but they make up for that by being more even-tempered. Females of all Amazon species are less aggressive than the males. A female Lilac-crown should be a pretty mellow bird. A male will be much more mellow than most other species of Amazons and probably more mellow than a female Nape or Double Yellow.

These are very pretty birds and it is a shame that so many breeders have stopped raising them because the demand is low. What a shame as they really are great birds.

Joanie Doss / The Amazing Amazons

All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission from the author.

Post

I took Igor out of his cage. He came willingly. Then he started to flash his eyes, and his tail half way flared. He did not bite or seem to want to bite. He was talking a little on my hand. Since I read that flashing eyes and tail flaring was a warning, I put him back in his cage. Do amazons tail flare and eye flash if they are happy?

Reply

Igor is a young boy yet so the chances of a serious bite or very low. However, you don't want to encourage any nipping as when he becomes mature that nipping will turn to blood-letting bites. Although Panamas aren't as bad as their cousins the Double Yellow Heads and Napes, they still can be fairly excitable.

The flashing of the eyes along with the fanning of his tail means that he is very excited. The more the eyes flash and the fuller expanded the tail the more excited the bird. When they are in breeding mode and excited they will go into a full Amazon strut. This is something to behold. I still just stand with my mouth open and watch when my boys strut. Many people think that when an Amazon pins his eyes and flares his tail that this is sexual. It can be sexual excitement but it can also be excited to get out of his cage, excited to see someone, etc., with no sexual overtones.

Excited Amazons often talk a mile-a-minute. This is one reason why the "Hot Three" were such good sellers. They are easily excited and often would talk while in the pet stores with many people around them.

Amazons will bite when excited. During the breeding season some males will bite even if they are slightly excited. They have hair triggers at this time of the year and it doesn't take much to get them going.

Remember to keep your face out of striking distance whenever an Amazon is in display. He may not make a move to bite, but then again there is a very good chance he will. Just because he has never bit does not mean he won't bite. My TJ was a good example of that. For 8 years he never even nipped. He was in full display and I tried to turn him to his back........something he had been doing almost every day for 8 years. He flared and pinned and I thought, "He won't bite. TJ never bites." Wham. He bit me so hard that he did nerve damage to my hand. I still have an indention from the that bite of 5 years ago! It was spring and he was a healthy, mature 8 year old male. I should have known better.

Joanie Doss / The Amazing Amazons

All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without permission from the author.

Post

How can I really tell if "Sassy" my Nape is Fearful or just plain old "Self Will"? Once out of her cage she is Fine, A couple of Growls here and there, Yet there just that a Growl.

Reply

This is hard to explain and it is something you pick up on when you really know the bird. If the bird pulls back when you put your hand in the cage (even the slightest little bit), growls, or avoids physical contact with you, there is a good chance this is fear.

Watch the facial expression as the the same behavior and posture can mean just the opposite and to keep them straight you need to look at the eye and facial expression to determine if the bird is refusing to come out because of fear or just is exerting her will.

I This bird may need to be worked several times a day on the Up command. The lunging can be from fear or self-will. She may have a problem with your hands. She is brave enough to have you service the cage but to be on them might be more than she is ready to accept right now. She may not be afraid of you but afraid of your hands. Outside the cage she may step up because the hands are not as scary as other things around her.

It is pretty hard for me to tell you if she is scared or self-willed via computer. You will need to observe her very closely and then decide why she is not wanting to step up to come out of her cage.

Post

He plucks his feathers out on the top of his wings at times. I make sure there is no stress or other factors that may trigger this. Does anyone have any suggestions? I hate to see him this way.

Reply

Often when a bird plucks the top of both wings it is hormonal picking. In many cases of hormonal picking it will be to equal sides of the body... i.e., top of both wings, both legs, etc.