Yellow fronted amazons as pets

[Bellalaross]

I have the opportunity to buy a (panama) yellow fronted/crowned amazon and would like to hear from other owners of these beautiful birds, to make sure they're the right parrot for us
I have kept parrots before and was bought up with an African grey, Senegal, etc, but have never owned an amazon.
I am a full time mum of 6 so at home all day while my husband works, we also own 2 dogs and 2 cats. Our pets...and children are all animal friendly.
I know amazons are noisy, but I just want to make sure we wouldn't get complaints from the neighbours
Any advice and experience of owning these beauties would be great

 

[TortoiseLady17]

Welcome, I can't attest to the yellow front but we have a Panama amazon. We adopted her at the age 32. She isn't loud as far as screaming goes but she does talk non-stop, usually taking a break around noon to 1/2 o'clock. She has a great vocabulary, which seems pretty common for amazons. She is very funny! We personally love amazons! I'm sure someone with more experience will be along shortly to give you more detailed advise!

 

[ann]

amazons, any kind, are very challenging birds. From what i hear, they arent recommended for first time parrot owners. They are wonderful birds, but can be very hormonal and push their boundaries. Also, you mentioned you have children, while children can be taught to get along great with parrots, amazons are pretty big and could really harm a child's fingers to the point of needing stitches. If this is your first bird, a conure would be a great option. They come in all sizes and personalities, so there's one for everyone. I f you really feel you and your family can handle an amazon for 50+ years then go for it. As tortoiseLady said, they are very funny and loving. However, they aren't for everyone. Also, some amazons will never talk, it just depends on the bird. Good luck with your decision, and i wish you many years of joy with whatever bird you choose !

 

[Jasper]

I am a first time parrot owner and I chose a yellow crowned amazon they are beautiful amazing birds i originally wanted an african grey however the YC seemed to be much friendler an i instantly preferred her I've had her just over 12months she was 12 weeks when I got her last July ,she loves to sing to opera very amusing her talking skills are really developing now she can be a little temperamental ! But i have discovered you can learn from there body language if they are happy or angry or excited so that's my experience of a YC im learning everyday hope you decide on a YC

 

[henpecked]

Hey Bella, welcome to the forum.Lot's of good zon owners here.We love amazons.Could you post pics of your Yellow Front ? That's what we used to call Panamas before we knew what a Pan was different Yellow Crown. I haven't heard any one call them that in a long time. Back when i was a kid ,Yellow Front " was what we now call Panamas. Hope to see you around here. Once again ,welcome to the forum.

 

[henpecked]

BTW if you've got either bird, it doesn't matter. They have so unique personality!!

 

[cnyguy]

I enjoyed the companionship of a Yellow-crowned Amazon for 40 years. He was friendly, usually quite cheerful, active and acrobatic, and often talkative-- as well as being messy, stubborn, and sometimes noisy. The noise level can unfortunately be high enough at times to disturb the neighbors.

I wouldn't have traded one minute of those 40 years with George the YCA for anything in the world. Amazons can be challenging, but earning their love and trust is worth the challenge. They can get along with children, when the children understand how to treat the parrot with proper kindness and respect.

And for a long time, the terms Yellow-crowned and Yellow-fronted were used pretty much interchangeably. Over the years, I had avian vets refer to George by both terms. It's a wonder the poor parrot wasn't confused about his own identity.

 

[oled]

I have a DYHA and I must say he is challenging but no more than I can hadle it. Ville it not noicy.

I dont believe that a parrot can be fully trusted so I dont think the should be alone with children

 

[wenz2712]

Hi and welcome to the Forum
I have a YC Amazon... she is adorable and funny, she has her only little unique personality!

I just love Zons

 

[gazzington]

In the uk I never see any Panama amazons listed at breeders at all. Is it highly likely that these are listed as yellow crowned? The other type I see listed are yellow headed, and I am guessing they are double yellow heads. Either way it does not matter amazons are great birds. My partner suffered from depression until we got our blue front Lupin and since around the time we got him she has not needed any medication and felt happier. I cant give a higher praise of amazon parrots.

 

[wenz2712]

Yellow Crowned and Yellow Headed are the same here in the UK! Its just some breeders say YC and others say YH

 

[paulhanlon]

I can't say a bad thing about amazons im always down the pet store handling there DYH and YN amazons im on the computer every day researching these beautiful birds until i get my baby blue fronted in october people say amazons shouldn't be your first pet bird i say its rubbish any bird can bite and cause damage if you want to get a amazon for your first bird feel free to get one

 

[wenz2712]

I wouldn't recommend getting an Amazon as a first bird if you have very young Children! Their bites can do alot of damage even to us Adults, let alone a small Child

 

[Bellalaross]

Thank you for your replies. They sound great birds, but im still doing a lot of research to make sure they're the right parrot for our home I understand about their unpredictable personalities as I was owned by an African grey...and still have the scars to prove it but I wouldn't have been without him, he could also be such a loving boy
My children wouldn't be left alone with the parrot, same as I wouldn't leave them alone with my dogs, which are soft as anything but they are still animals and you just never know:31:
Regarding the noise, his cage would be in our dining room, in an alcove so he feels safe We live in a semi detached house, so there wouldn't be any neighbours directly against the wall. But our elderly neighbour sits in his garden regularly and I wouldnt want him disturbed by jungle calls 24/7 lol. My amazon would have a cloth put over his cage on a night, so when would I expect lots of noise from him?
Oh and yes here in the UK the panama amazon is classed as a yellow fronted or yellow crowned amazon.

 

[henpecked]

Hey Bella, the Panama and the Yellow Crown are different birds. They look similar, but are 2 sub-species. True Panamas are getting rarer by the day, I just lost the male to a longtime pair.

 

[Bellalaross]

Ah right, they look so alike... thanks for that im learning lots of new facts about these amazons everyday!

 

[KBEquine]

Is your question specifically about noise-level and duration? Of course, it is individual to the bird. And in a one-bird household, there may be less noise than where 2 birds are conversing.

We are a multiple-bird household. Our Panama is quite a talker, but a quiet one. He has a fairly girly voice & says a lot, but he does not scream & I could see him doing well as an apartment bird.

He seems to like to talk to people, so in your situation, might chat with the neighbor, the kids, the dog, etc., but at a reasonable decible level (unless the kids, dog, neighbor, etc., are loud, at which point he might match their volume.)

 

[Bellalaross]

Thank you for your replies, it has been a great help.
After a lot of research and deliberation we have decided a yc amazon is not the parrot for us. I'm going to do a bit more research on the smaller Senegal, caique.

 

[KBEquine]

Thank you for your replies, it has been a great help.
After a lot of research and deliberation we have decided a yc amazon is not the parrot for us. I'm going to do a bit more research on the smaller Senegal, caique.

Also think also about budgies, cockatiels or lineolated parakeets (also called barred parakeets or catherine's parakeets). There is a discussion whether the linnies are mischaracterized as parakeets or are in reality miniature parrots - they have the short, blunt tail of the amazon, and use their feet as hands like the larger parrots & have some other 'big bird' characteristics, but a sweet, quiet nature. True apartment birds.

I suggest because my understanding is Senegals & caiques, like Pionus (with whom I used to live) can develop aggressive tendencies & become one-person birds. Don't get me wrong - I loved my Pionus beyond measure. BUT he wasn't a family bird for the same characteristic that he shared with some of the other smaller parrots.

But budgies & cockatiels & linnies seem to like pretty much everyone who likes them. Budgies are one of the best talkers & mine are very confident & engaging. I started out with 2 budgies & 2 linnies & was perfectly happy with little birds, until my husband decided he wanted a parrot (which was when we entered the world of parrots in addition to parakeets).

The little guys are collectively easier to deal with than larger birds, especially in a busy household.

And since your childrens' interactions with the birds will be supervised, no worries about handling such delicate creatures.

Best of luck, whatever you decide. And don't get me wrong - the right Senegal or Caique will be wonderful. I just wanted to mention a couple other options.

 

[henpecked]

I hope you didn't let "Jaybird's" comments on that other forum make up your mind for you.I had to bite my tongue many times not to reply to her post. I grew up with zons and my kids all grew up with zons and never had any of the episodes she described. If you start out with a well socialized baby ,and do your research ,we can help you raise a zon with a family and everybody be happy. Yes i would spend the money and pay for a DNA test ,and get a female. But if you feel more comfortable with another species,that fine and we'll be glad to help with that also. IMO a cockatiel is the best family bird.