Who on earth would have an Amazon??

[cnyguy]

Here is someone else who would be happy to have an Amazon. For 40 years, my best friend and constant companion was a Yellow-crowned Amazon named George. George passed away in February, 2010, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him and miss his company. Someday, I hope I'll be fortunate enough to share my life with another Amazon.

 

[chickymonkey]

Here is someone else who would be happy to have an Amazon. For 40 years, my best friend and constant companion was a Yellow-crowned Amazon named George. George passed away in February, 2010, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him and miss his company. Someday, I hope I'll be fortunate enough to share my life with another Amazon.

Wow, that's a long time. I can't imagine the pain of your loss. I'm sorry. RIP, George.

 

[Tammy]

I adopted a 10 year old Amazon whose only owner died. He bounced through at least 3 homes after her death as people couldn't handle him. He was the first bird I ever had & after a few months to bond, he is my best friend. He takes a shower with me & whistles at me. He tells my dogs to "Knock it off" & "Stop it" if they're getting too rowdy. We play tag & take long walks together. I always tell him I can't wait to grow old together & argue over what to watch on TV.

As I have never had another bird to compare him with I can't help you much, but in my experience, my Amazon is loving, NOT loud or messy, smarter than most adults I know, loyal & fun. I never stop laughing when he starts talking to me. He flies all over the house to follow me around & watch what I'm doing so he can say "What are you doing?"

If you are patient & put in the time & effort, I can't imagine an Amazon being less than the perfect companion.

 

[henpecked]

Sorry a little off topic, Hey Tammy glad to hear your OWA and you are doing good, what's his name , Ollie ?

 

[Tammy]

Sorry a little off topic, Hey Tammy glad to hear your OWA and you are doing good, what's his name , Ollie ?

His name was Precious when I got him. I didn't want to change it so I put a Mr. in front & now he is Mr. Precious. More commanding of respect, don't you think? I got a large tattoo of him on my back with his name underneath so I can carry him with me everywhere & always.

 

[WharfRat]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

now he is Mr. Precious

Mr. and Precious together...........I think I would bust a gut LOL even if the guy looked like "Mr. T" if I met someone with that name in person

just sayin'....LOL

 

[henpecked]

Sorry a little off topic, Hey Tammy glad to hear your OWA and you are doing good, what's his name , Ollie ?

His name was Precious when I got him. I didn't want to change it so I put a Mr. in front & now he is Mr. Precious. More commanding of respect, don't you think? I got a large tattoo of him on my back with his name underneath so I can carry him with me everywhere & always.

Sorry Mr Precious, i forgot your name.

 

[grassyfairy]

Hello,
I just read your post wanting a blue front amazon. I know a breeder in charlotte nc that has those type birds. I don;t know if he has any babies at this time however if you are interested I could find out for you. Let know if you are and I will call him.

 

[3Greenies]

I for one cannot see myself with any other bird species other than a Amazon. Now that I know and see of many in need of homes, I would have adopted an older bird.

They are not scary, they can bite, they can be hormonal but there are species that are lesser of the hot three and the blue front is one of the hot zons.

White fronted, Panamas, Lilac crowns, Mealy's, Red Loreds and Orange wings are some of the more mellow zons you can find.

 

[Kiwibird]

ALL species of large parrots have terrible reputations, unfairly placed upon them by stupid humans who took home an animal they don't have any understanding of behaviorally, were not able to properly care for nor willing to work with and properly train. I grew up with 2 amazons and a cockatoo, who were all wonderful birds. I missed them terribly once I grew up and moved away from home, so once I was settled enough to be able to care for a pet, my husband and I looked into adopting a parrot. Because of space constraints, we looked at the "smaller" large parrot species (amazons, grays, eclectus, mini cockatoos and mini macaws) and did a lot of research into each species. It didn't matter what species we looked at, the same bad things showed up over and over- "loud, messy, mean and antisocial after sexual maturity". I concluded this was all a load of BS written up by inexperienced and misinformed prior owners. We ended up adopting a 10 y/o, neglected blue front, and I won't lie, he wasn't very nice when we first brought him home.Of course he wasn't very nice or trusting of us, the only experience he had with humans was negative. This is sadly, a very common scenario. Even parrots in pet stores are often older birds who have had negative human interactions in the past (the store may or may not tell you this), being sold into their 3,4,5th+ home. And this is exactly why parrots get such a bad rap. First owner buys them on impulse as a baby without understanding parrots are messy, noisy, destructive and may occasionally bite by nature. Parrot acts lik a parrot, owner won't put in the effort to train them and teach appropriate behavior, parrot gets locked up indefinitely (and likely yelled at, food taken away, squirted with water, no toys ect...). Eventually, the novelty has worn off, the person sells the bird and onto the next home. It's a vicious cycle for the bird. Ok, I'll stop my rant now and get back to the subject


Yes, amazons can and are absolutely wonderful companion birds. Their numerous positives include- they to be a little more independent than other species, they tend to enjoy trick training (a lot of owners enjoy teaching tricks too), they are absolutely hilarious to watch if you happen to have a more animated bird, many will learn to talk/sing and they are very loyal. Unfortunately, they have their downfalls too- they are not known for typically being very "cuddly", their normal am/pm vocalizations are loud (though short), they are known for occasionally biting when they get too excited, and have a notorious hormonal surges during their mating season. As with all parrots, they are also messy, need a lot of attention compared to a dog or cat, mischevious/destructive (like when they rip up carpet or chew a piece of furniture), and can bite. That's all stuff you should know, having owned a parrot for 25 years. And on a personal note, after 5 years, I wouldn't trade our blue front for the world. It took time working with him, but he's actually a very sweet little bird now. Well, maybe not "sweet", but very animated, playful and interactive. He will probably never like being petted, but he will (gently) nibble your ears or toes, makes all these adorable grunts and whistles (and he "honks" like a goose!), dances to music, and super shows off with preening when he sees you looking. Many amazon owners are very fond of their birds, and you should keep your mind open to them, IMO. Also, try to focus more on finding a bird you like and who seems to like you rather than being of a certain species only.

 

[94lt1]

Let's no forget the shadow boxing... many people get intimidated by it... definitely a zon thing lol

 

[blackhawk007]

2 months back I decided to visit a rescue to spend some time getting to know Amazons. The first one I met was a 16 year old DYH that took a chunk out of my finger. My other half pointed to the next cage over that had a Red Lored. I had no interest in them but she loved the looks of him. So I asked and was allowed to try and handle him, and was successful. So much so that he stayed on my hand for 2 hours and was the only bird I handled that day. This is because he was the sweetest thing and just cuddled me for that whole time. The video is at the rescue during this exact moment. They mentioned that he had just come of medical hold and was available for adoption after the application and background checks.

Two months later we still consider ourselves very fortunate. I did not like his name, Teka, and wanted to change it when the DNA results came in. Just hours before I got those results he decided to say "HI TEKA". So he has made his point and the name will stay. He has since gotten a double Java tree and is now living in 1/2 of a double macaw cage, completely spoiled. He never really makes a sound except for quietly singing opera like songs, or he chirps when I speak but that is about it. Ok now that I think of it, if I am upset and speak loud, or even yell, he will do the same. So he keeps me from yelling very often. But even with that its entirely controllable. This was my "large" bird and he has gotten me hooked.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vewETaXjqng&list=UUDr0opoNFSHDyb4e1f8g0cQ&index=2"]Red Lored Amazon Parrot - YouTube[/ame]

 

[WharfRat]

We have 2 Zon's (Ok, my wife has 2) I don't care that they are bonded to her, I will always do everything I can to at least let me pet them without getting bit. Zon's were always my first choice for a larger bird til my breeder "informed" me otherwise. She nailed it with no doubt, The GW's love me and I them, but still in the back of my mind is a Tres Marie or Magna.....One can only hope and dream ( and pay the price from a jealous GW for getting another Zon )

 

[RockysMom]

I would take another Amazon in a heart beat I love their personalities and love the musky smell , Rocky is a good boy he doesn't bite as of yet and he will let you know when he doesn't want to be bothered , he sends good warning signals
Greys are good birds to I like both species but if I could get another bird and had to choose between a grey and a Amazon it would be a Amazon hands down , with 4 birds here I'am at my limit so I just love careing for the 4 I have , their my babies

 

[ziggybird]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my DYH Ziggy!

She can be aggressive at times, very loud, and I have more scars from her than I can count (I'm her favorite chew toy), but I love her more than I can possibly say! She is so much fun, super sweet (most of the time), a great little talker, and I actually love her sounds even when she is being very loud.

She's also incredibly smart and we actually video chat together (she lives with my parents in Chicago) and she know's it's me on the other end (she's repeat words, react to things I show her, etc.)

I've heard they are more challenging then some other birds, and maybe I just lucked out with her... but I am so happy that she is apart of my life.

 

[Grinder]

I have a female African Grey who is a cuddly (almost too needy) bundle of love. She is a wonderful bird and she is definitely playful. We got her when she was a baby. On the other hand, we got our 2 1/2 year old DYH Amazon just a couple of weeks ago. He was an absolute horror in the beginning. Everything that the OP stated is true about Kiwi. Moody, aggressive & bites, but in the end - he is an absolute joy. We just respect his moodiness and we know how to calm him down when he gets aggressive. The aggressiveness is usually just when he gets excited about playing. His biting is getting better. He has never drawn blood, but has laid two pretty nifty bites to my thumbs. I dont think he was ever taught limits. Now he bites a lot less aggressively and he generally stops when we feel it is getting out of hand.

With all that being said, imagine a goofy parrot who loves to hang upside down on from your hand. Loves to play on his back. Will wrestle with you and flop all over the place. Kiwi likes to jump on a big rubber ball thingy that he then bounces off of and falls to his side. He is so fun to play with. He will simply flop around the sheets on our bed between me and my wife. And then when he is all done and exhausted, he comes and preens my face, rub his head under my chin, steps up on my arm, preens himself, mumbles and falls asleep. Then when it's time to sleep he wont let go of your hand when putting him in or on his cage - he holds on and falls to his side! So you have to pry his talons off your fingers. He is a handful, but I cant imagine him being any other way.

 

[RitaS]

I've had my blue fronted amazon for nearly 28 years. Yes he's loud & yes aggressive! But he is also loving & sweet! Most of his bad behaviour is my fault. Take the time to learn about them before you purchase. Too many of these beautiful creatures get abused & abandoned. Each one will have a unique personality. It is amazing how they respond to our moods & behaviour. When I get mad at him he gets madder. Oddly he hates when I'm sad, he tries to cheer me up! The only time he will say I Love You is when I'm crying, maybe 3 times a year.
It's a huge commitment, just be prepared for the good & bad.

 

[getwozzy]

Sometimes I ask myself that same question lol. We sort of dove into rescuing Jackie...my husband and I have previous bird experience, but not with a big bird with a big beak! Jackie has his moments where I wish I were deaf, but overall he's a great zon he's chosen me, and with it being mating/hormonal season his tolerance of my husband varies. He's quite the character though and makes us laugh...I don't regret rescuing him at all

 

[DallyTsuka]

i dont have a zon, but i really really want one as my future bird after this flock. they just seem to draw me in, even though i am aware of their moods. i also have handled them and it just feels right to me. i also hear how easy they are to read if they are angry and you can avoid being bit. i've got to hear them screaming in person as well and the sound was not bad. i could easily enjoy the noise actually. my husband has also heard them and was not phased. i am just drawn to the zons and i just think they're the bird for me, so perhaps i should say i would be one of the people who would own a zon. everything about them draws me in, and they just seem to click, and i've handled greys, and cockatoos. but it's the zons who have me. they're supposedly challenging, but what bird doesn't have its challenges?

but, i'm also a moody person myself, so perhaps i can relate haha!

 

[CDavis]

Bringing this thread back to light because it's the best thing I have read on this website. I found it on page 96 while doing research and couldn't just leave it be.