The Basics:

Amazon Parrots thrive when given a great deal of attention, but their behavior and general physical health can suffer when they are neglected. These deeply intelligent birds can have mood swings, occasionally displaying possessive and aggressive traits, including biting. However, this behavior can be prevented and addressed by training and socialization.  Amazon Parrots are not recommended for beginning bird owners.

Cage:

This brainy, energetic bird needs ample room to roam and stretch its wings. A cage should be at least 24” long, by 36” high by 24” wide. The larger the cage or aviary, the better, but even with spacious quarters, Amazons should be given time out of their cages with their owners on a daily basis. Most Amazons should be put in a cage with the space between the bars no larger than ¾”.

CAUTION

In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of an Amazon Parrot’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

An Amazon Parrot’s cage should be positioned in an area where there is plenty of family activity to keep this intelligent parrot mentally stimulated. However, the cage should also offer enough privacy to provide the bird with a sense of security. So, it isn’t a good idea to put an Amazon’s cage in the middle of a room, or by a heavily traveled walkway. Instead, it should be in an alcove or in area that has a wall on one or two sides of the cage. As a good rule of thumb, no family member should be able to walk all the way around the cage. If there is a lot of night-time activity in the room that houses the cage, such as a TV going after 9 pm, the Amazon Parrot should be provided with a small sleeping cage in another, quieter room. Another alternative is to have a cage on wheels, so it can be moved to a quiet area at night. It is critically important that the bird be provided with at least 10-12 hours of quiet undisturbed sleep time each night.  The cage can be covered at night. This cover should be washed weekly, since it will accumulate feather dust.  An Amazon’s cage should never be placed in the kitchen, since fumes from cooking can prove fatal. The cage should also never be placed in direct sunlight or draft.

Playthings:

Super smart birds, Amazon Parrots become bored easily. The best way to combat this is to provide a great deal of human attention and in-cage toys. New toys should be introduced to the Amazon on a regular basis, and kept interesting by being rotated in and out of the cage. A cage that is too cluttered with toys is less comfortable for the bird, and increases the risk of accident. Toys should be selected with the Amazon’s size and great beak strength in mind, so anything designed for a smaller bird should not be given to this avian Atlas. Mirror toys should also be avoided, since they will easily break under the Amazon’s powerful beak.

Perches:

Amazon Parrots need to have a variety of perches made from different materials and with different diameters in their cages. The perches serve many important purposes. In addition to providing the bird with an area for standing, they help keep his beak and nails trim. The perches in an Amazon’s cage should be between ¾” and 1” thick.  A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

Amazon Parrots require time out of their cage to be healthy. A cage does not allow them ample room to exercise properly. Since Amazons spend considerable amounts of time outside of their cage, wing-clipping is essential to their safety and well being. Parrot gyms and T-Stands make ideal outside-the-cage playthings for an Amazon. The Amazon’s owner should always make sure that the room is safe, all window shades are drawn, mirrors covered, and doors closed before an Amazon is let out in a room.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Bathing

Mist bird every morning. Provide a shallow bowl for supervised bathing. Remove bath when finished. Use chlorine-free water for misting and bathing. Water must be lukewarm to room temperature. Avoid drafts. A bird should not be bathed at night before going to sleep. In the winter, an Amazon Parrot should be provided with access to a bird lamp after bathing for heat. The heat lamp should be properly positioned to provide heat, but not so close as to burn or overheat the bird.  In the summer, a parrot can be completely soaked in water once or twice a week. Soap intended for humans and hair dryers should never be used on any bird.

Diet:

Amazon Parrots require diets similar to those offered to other parrots. Pellets should make up 75% of the diet, with vegetables making up 20%. Fruit and legumes can make up the majority of the remainder, with seeds given only rarely as treats. Vegetables and fruits should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird.

Fresh chlorine-free water should constantly be available, even when an Amazon is spending time outside of its cage. Check water regularly for debris, and change if necessary. On average, Amazons need between 5 and 8 teaspoons of water a day.

A Note About Water:

All water given to birds for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.  (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.