Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot – Intelligent and Beautiful

Yellow headed Amazon parrots hail from the coasts of Mexico and are loved for their striking green, yellow, and red markings.  While they are called Yellow headed Amazons, they are mostly green with a bright yellow head and a patch of red on each wing.  They love tropical and subtropical climates and can also be found in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, nesting in forests, mangrove swamps, savannahs, or anywhere with trees suitable for habitation.

Due to poachers, illegal trading, and deforestation, the wild Yellow headed Amazon is now on the endangered list.

Buying a captive-bred Yellow headed Amazon parrot is easy but can be quite expensive due to their popularity and vocal abilities. The only parrot species that can speak better than the Yellow headed Amazon is the African Grey parrot.  While all Yellow headed Amazons are capable of speech, the ability varies depending on the individual bird.  Some birds never speak, while others are very chatty.

These birds are intelligent and funny and love being active, loud, and playful.  When they want attention, they will demand it through screeching. Luckily, you can train your Yellow headed Amazon to “use his words” when he wants attention.  Your parrot loves to fly, so an aviary is an ideal environment for him. If you must use an indoor cage, let your bird out daily to stretch his wings and exercise.  Be sure you provide your parrot with toys designed for chewing, otherwise he will find chew toys among your belongings!

Yellow headed Amazon parrots can grow to about fifteen inches in length. Female birds tend to be a bit smaller than their male counterparts. They have a stout beak with a hook used for grasping items and cracking shells from seeds.  Amazons love to climb, using their feet and beak to grip the climbing surface. Their feet have two toes that point forward and two that point back, giving them excellent grasping skills. You will even seem them using their feet to hold food while they eat.

Traditional food for the Yellow headed Amazon parrot in the wild includes fruits, nuts, berries, flowers, and leaf buds.  Sometimes they even raid local farms to eat maize.

In captivity, they need proper nutrition from pellet food, but it can be supplemented with vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and berries.

Remember that these beautiful and talkative pets are a lifetime commitment. A Yellow headed Amazon parrot can live to be eighty years old! Dedicated owners choose a “godparent” for their parrot and include the future caretaker of the bird in their will. If you’re looking for a pet that brings a lifetime of joy and entertainment, a Yellow headed Amazon may be the perfect fit.