Blue fronted Amazon - Click to Enlarge
Amazons are companion parrots that do very well without a feathered friend for company. They thrive on interacting with their humans. The dog and cat, the kinds and their friends, television and radio – being accepted as integral part of a family is what makes these parrots happy.
Amazons do well on a daily structured routine. They know when you are coming home from work. if they can watch cartoons, listen to the radio, have toys to play with and perhaps a window to see what is happening in the outside world, the will wait for your arrival. They know that you will have some time for them, perhaps share your dinner or watch the evening news. Knowing they are secure in a loving home makes up for absences during the day.
In general Amazons are fantastic talkers, but sometimes we tend to expect too much of them. If you Amazon can say “Hello”, he is capable of human speech. Some parrots, like people, are born “natural hams” – outgoing, talkative. Others are shy and reserved. Baby Amazons that are going to be those great talkers are usually emoting as early as 12 weeks. If your Amazon is exposed to a variety of music, talking tapes and is stimualted by your facial expressions to express itself, it will. It can be very frustrating to a proud parrot owner to listen to your beloved pet yak up a storm all day and then when company comes, and you want to show off your bird’s talking talent, it sits like a stuffed bunny gazing off in the distance. The other side of the coin is a bird that never stops talking. Have you ever listened to a parrot repeat “Come here” over and over for hours on end?
Some Amazons may just have nothing to say. They might prefer to sing then talk in sentences. Amazons can sing opera, country and western, but ask them to say “How are you?” and the silence is deafening. Find your Amazon’s special talent, and praise it for the quality that makes it priceless. They all have one.
Amazons need time to expand the excess energy they have built up while you are at work all day. Even a spacious cage with toys is still considered confinement to a parrot. They need to stretch and strut for their chosen person, letting you know how gorgeous they think they are. Examine the coloring on his wings and tail when he flairs. It is spectacular. Nature made him an exhibitionist. Read his body language. Talk to him gently and let him know how pleased you are to see him. Amazons are full of the zest for life and can be highly emotional. We must learn the virtue of patience when handling them.
