Jamaican Amazon

There's a local shop that breeds, sells and takes in rescues. I have a little problem with their rescues because most of them are priced the same as the other birds and there's no requirments for "adopting" them other than paying for them.

Anyway, this shop does often have a lot of the more unusual species. I was there this past weekend and they had a 30 year old Jamaican zon. I've never seen one or even heard of them. I started talking to him and he came over to the side of the cage that I was standing on and started talking to me.

I'm not a zon person and I've never met one that didn't try to eat me, but this one seemed pretty calm. I asked the lady working the counter and she said he's aggressive, but has quite the extensive vocabulary.

Anyone here have experience with this species? I was curious since I've never heard of them before.

I had never even heard of one so googled it. The one link I found said it is also called a Yellow-billed Amazon?
If that is him, he is sure a pretty guy!
Hopefully someone else knows more about them, I would love to hear that as well!

Do I see a Zon in your future?

I'm curious to see pictures of the bird! Half wondering if the bird was simply mis-identified, or if it really is such a rare species that few really know much about them.

Next time I go there I'll take a pic. From online pics it looks the same to me, but I know NOTHING about zons, so it could be misidentified or the shop owner might just be going what she was told. It's one of their rescue birds.

Literally an act of God would have to occur before I'd bring one home. Zons and I have an understanding...I don't bug them and they don't bite me.

I have not heard of anyone who has one within captivity, but I have come across people who own red bellied macaws here in the USA - something that completely shocked me!

I was thinking maybe the white fronted, aka spectacled amazons are similar looking, but they aren't exactly!

I've never heard of a Jamaican zon.... Maybe he's confused it with a Cuban?

Jamaicans exist, you can read about them on Aves International. Gail used to breed them, but until I saw that one and looked online I had never heard of one either.

What an interesting bird with an interesting history.

I have heard of and seen pictures, but I didn't think they were ever kept as pets. Second thought I do seem to remember Gail from Aves used to breed them. But like Monica said, maybe it was misidentified too. I'd love to see pics next time you go there if he's still there.

Could very well be misidentified....have no idea where zons are concerned. If it's still there when I go back I'll take a pic.

thekarens said:

Anyway, this shop does often have a lot of the more unusual species. I was there this past weekend and they had a 30 year old Jamaican zon. I've never seen one or even heard of them. I started talking to him and he came over to the side of the cage that I was standing on and started talking to me.

I'm not a zon person and I've never met one that didn't try to eat me, but this one seemed pretty calm. I asked the lady working the counter and she said he's aggressive, but has quite the extensive vocabulary.

Click to expand...

That is a myth! They only become aggressive if you mess with their GANJA... Ya mon!

These guys are one of the rarer species of amazons. I have never actually seen or worked with one in the flesh. But it is one of the smaller zons, which tend to be the mellower of the species. And, oh by the way, we are into amazon breeding season, so "hormonally challenged" also applies.

"Aggressive" and amazon usually means people don't know how to read amazon body language, or "cage bound" or both. Zons are among the most territorial. If they get cage bound, the will bite in and around the cage.

That's not interpreted as "aggressive" per say. That's amazon-speak for "THAT'S MINE AND I WILL PROTECT IT!" (The tail flairing, hunched over, "line of death" dance is the first clue... ignore that one, get bit.) Get the bird away from the cage, in another room, that stuff stops. (Nothing to protect.)

The smaller zons also tend to be the shy ones. Which means they can be reluctant to step up for strangers, and that means, guess what, fending off intruders who are foolish enough to stick their hand in the cage. (Like minimum wage pet store employees... ) Calm until the door opens? That isn't aggressive either. That's shy and afraid. Once they do it once or twice, it's generally not a problem. Getting them to try it the first time?! Well... they are stubborn and determined.

The Cuban Amazon hen I had (not really Carribean) but close? was a small (220g) shy zon. I got her "on sale" at a bird store because she was an adult already and didn't sell since she seemed to not like anyone. Actually she was a VERY gentle bird, and extremely shy.

I think pretty much everything red-lored sized and below (except yellow crowns) tends to be on the shy side, which doesn't mean they won't come out of their shell. It means you have to be patient and teach them to trust before you get that whole "display-ey" goofy amazon thing. For that matter, Mealey's can also be shy birds.

The NOT shy amazons are the hot 3's, and the yellow crowns. They are the opposite of shy. "Caution may get worked into a state at the drop of a hat!"