White-front amazons

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I have flip flopped day by day between these two. One day I think "I can handle the YNA and my family will learn. It will be a more fun bird, always full of surprises" I love the idea of a childish and smart bird to share my life with. Something that will keep me young and on my toes. Something to grow old with. But then I start to think. What if it's just TOO much bird for everyone else? What if this bird to just MEAN? I have read terrifying stories about the YNA and I don't want my fiancé to live with something that basically tries to make his life unbearable. They are smart. So smart that I think they do know what they are doing, and I am fearful of a negative outcome, for everyone. I don't want to EVER have a bird that has to live a large majority of its life in a cage because it knows how to make people fearful of him. And I haven't read as many terrifying stories about WFA doing this.
I am choosing the zons because they are easy to read how they are feeling. What they are thinking. Even when they don't speak human they are outstanding at still speaking so well in a sense because of the energy they use. I'm am very attuned to things energy, and am really a lifelong pet owner. I have only given up once and it was for the better of everyone involved. We were all starving, and giving him up meant not only everyone else could eat something, it meant he could eat too....
Now that experience was a long time ago, and it taught me so much... And how I truly never want to experience a lose that I still feel should never have happened
So all thee fear send me back to maybe the WFA is a better choice. It sounds more predictable. The wild birds are even more approachable, and they are sexable by sight, so it's behaviour can be easier to determine. So the predictability so my fiancé in particular is very appealing to me. I'm afraid of choosing the bird he will be scared of...
I will be the primary care giver. And I will try my best to keep the bird well socialized. But I so much so want a bird that can live up to my own crazy energy. I feel like a bird in a human body. I'm LOUD, love dancing, am ALWAYS singing, am not afraid to make my personality known. But I also LOVE to be alone, quiet, and reserved, watching the world and how others interact.
This bird is more for me, but it will be as much of a part of our family as everyone else here is. The dogs, the cat, the indoor 20 pound bunny, and the people.... And I don't want to pick the wrong species, only to be overstepping my understanding.

Here is what I've got, I'll make it a score board of sorts. The good and bad for each species....

Yellow Naped Amazon

The good:

Funny
Loud
Charismatic
An amazon (hehe)
Very very smart
Good with puzzles
Always learning
Can occupy themselves at times
Can talk
Love to mimic
Love to dance
Easily excited
Fun
Full of energy
A deeper voice
Enjoy being with people in groups




The bad:

Very smart
Can become bored
Can enjoy pissing people off
Is a larger bird (scarier when the bite does come)
Can talk (I've heard this can be bad lol)
Easily excited
Will have to wait until spring until available



Now, the White Front Amazon

The Good:

Smart
An amazon
Beautiful bird
Can learn to talk(but many do not)
Easy to get along with
Smaller bird
Visually sexable
Available immediately
Even tempered
I've heard they are extremely sweet
Not inherently fearful of people




The Bad:


Squeakier voice
Less likely to talk
Can be shy


I will add to these as I go on deciding. I am still waiting for the breeder to come back from holidays. He won't be back until the middle of this month, so I have I lot of time to still flip flop before even meeting his birds!

Yesterday if I HAD to take one home it would have been the WFA. Today (lmbo) it would be the YNA. I just can't decide. My worry is my family. Not me. I'm in it for the long haul, and am great at coping. I also have made friends in the bird world, am forgiving, and find humour in even the worst of situations. I will be fine but I worry the YNA will be too much for everyone else.....

If a bird was plunked on my lap this would be so much easier. And my fiancé just keeps says he trusts my judgement which is so nice, but DARN IT. I am afraid to make a bad decision! An expensive one with another's lifestyle in my hands, at that!

 

[Birdman666]

Just to explain how sad I'm am, my fiancé says I should just put my ipod in the bird cage with YouTube videos of birds playing when people come over.....

There are a significant number of people to whom that really does apply...

 

[Birdman666]

Actually, my favorite amazon is the Blue Fronted... not to complicate your decision. Show-ey personality, etc...

If you go with a female, you get less of the hormonal problems with your hot 3 species (that would be DYH, Blue Fronts, and Napes.)

Most amazons self entertain just fine. These are one of the least needy in that respect.

All amazons are pair bond birds, which means that they tend to pair up with a person. If they don't get socialized with multiple people, they tend to overbond with that one person.

Also, Amazons, and particularly male hot 3's can become territorial during breeding season. They are hard wired to establish and protect a nest, and that frequently ends up being "the cage" in captivity.

 

[Billy29]

I had my choice of any Amazon I wanted, I chose what I did based on a lot of research, there was a yellow nape right next to my yellow shoulder, same price, age etc. The popularity of some of these species is only due to the market being flooded with wild caught specimens at one time. If I was going to choose one off the hot three it would be a double yellow head. That being said why do I want to live with a difficult bird when the other species are just as loving, sociable and pretty. Talking isn't everything. Actually I met Mangos sister who talked better than the double yellow head that was sitting right next to her so go figure.

 

[Birdman666]

I had my choice of any Amazon I wanted, I chose what I did based on a lot of research, there was a yellow nape right next to my yellow shoulder, same price, age etc. The popularity of some of these species is only due to the market being flooded with wild caught specimens at one time. If I was going to choose one off the hot three it would be a double yellow head. That being said why do I want to live with a difficult bird when the other species are just as loving, sociable and pretty. Talking isn't everything. Actually I met Mangos sister who talked better than the double yellow head that was sitting right next to her so go figure.

DYH's can be the hardest zon to work with though. They are the hottest of the hot 3's.

Blue Fronts are the most attention oriented of the bunch, and the least hot of the hot 3's. And if you get a "showy" BFA... their personalities are just priceless!!! (Downside is they tend to not shut up.)

 

[Billy29]

Why limit yourself to those two species. As far as Amazons go they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Look at a yellow shouldered Amazon, its what I have. They are bigger than the White Fronted Amazon, friendly, can be very good talkers though not vocal, and have beautiful coloring.

A lot of people swear by Panama Amazons. Also consider a Mexican Redheaded Amazon, I don't think they are good talkers but they are really nice.

Here is a picture of one fully grown, mine is still a juvenile. Torrap has a really cute one named Marley. Search some posts and you will see picture of her.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I'm am considering these two because it's what a local breeder has I am on Vancouver island, and live on the west coast of the island, so it makes things harder to come by. There are not very many breeders that seem to advertise they are around. Most of what I find is on the mainland... I would like to find something from the island, that I will have a chance to meet the birds.
There just isn't much choice here, so I'm going by what I have to work with.

 

[noblemacaw]

I have experienced a parrot being shipped to me, actually Valentino flew to me aboard the plane that is set up to fly animals. The breeder is extremely experienced doing this and she stepped me though the process so I would be comfortable and not so nervous about it. I am very glad because I really wanted my RFM to come from this breeder.

I understand the want to locally be there to experience the different species to decide on the best fit for you and your family. There is nothing like being able to physically be there to experience the bird picking you and experiencing the different species of interest. Valentino was the only parrot I ever had shipped to me. My experience went very well and I would do it again. Like you I would rather go local with choosing my parrot companion but over the years there are not a lot of breeders anymore. The better ones have stopped breeding and for the species I am most interested in I have to go out of state now.

Please keep us updated as to your breeder visit and species experiences. I love that part of the process and want to experience it with you.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

The idea of getting a bird shipped scares me... What if it HATES us? I have been looking at breeders online. I have been reading every thread on this, and started on another forum. I want to make the right decision. I will definitely keep posting. Thank you for your support, everyone!

 

[noblemacaw]

I totally understand about being hesitant about the shipping process. The first parrot I got out of state I flew out to California, stayed with the breeder, and interacted with all the parrots and let him choose me. That was in 2002 though. This time I had the parrot shipped to me because I wanted this particular species and I went with one of the best breeders of the RFM. It was totally worth it. Valentino came to me well adjusted, very healthy, confident and as per my request not clipped. Now that he has been with me almost a year I am the one that has made him weird. LOL. With the right breeder I would do it again. Just because I can't find the species I want locally and made my decision after countless hours of research and decision making.

For my last flock member I am looking at a breeder in Arizona. This breeders information was passed on to me with high recommendations from more than 1 person and after researching and communicating with them they are the kind of breeder I want to work with. They are ethical and raise their babies correctly with a lot of socialization. I want to be able to train my parrot for pet therapy so even before my parrot is to come home the baby will be picked out and begin to be groomed for this kind of work. I really like when the breeder is willing to work with me and help place with me a baby that will be the best fit possible.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Hmmmm. That is a very interesting way of looking at it.
How do you find reputable breeders?
I will continue considering everything and anything.
I think I have decided though! There is a bird I have loved for months now. I thought she was a blue front. But tonight he told me she is a yellow naped. That ended the who, huh, and the what now. I will wait until I can find a yellow nape amazon.
With confidence, knowledge, and you guys, I'm sure my family and I can bring up a well rounded hot zon. I had a terrible feeling that the white front just wasn't right, and that it wasn't what we were looking for, but was afraid the YNA was going to be too much bird for us. I feel sure now it's not. I feel sure this is what we are looking for in a bird. I need crazy. I need smart. I'm so happy to end the craziness in my head.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I've finally heard from the breeder. I still search online on many sites for older parrots, and have not had any luck. At all.
The breeder said he will make some time this weekend to let me meet him. He has 3 white fronts available now, and won't have yellow naped until spring, making them ready for the summer.
He prefers to have parent raised birds. But will hand raise sometimes. I think given the choice I would pick parent reared. I think nature is best at everything. I never considered I would find birds that were parent raised, since hand fed is the norm nowadays.
He raises very rare species, and even has some offspring in zoos he also breeds, to keep species from going extinct.
In the mean time while I wait, I've decided to rekindle my old hobby of fish keeping.
After a couple water changes and pruning my fish tank looks so much better I'm going to restock it, and get my water perimeters back in line so plants will thrive again.
My home will eventually look like a jungle

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'm a wee biased here, but IMO you can NEVER go wrong with a YN Amazon.

Summer will be here before you know it.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I'm feeling that I'm not in a hurry to actually get a bird, but if I was feeling like I was making progression forward...
I feel dead in the water, and all the rowing (researching) is taking me nowhere. Reading about how to train and care for a being you don't have is getting dull. I've been researching for around 5 months now. And ready for a bird for 3.
Summer IS soon enough. But I'm not going to shut the idea of a bird down that has very little info out there about them. Plus they really are beautiful...
But with all the info, and owners, YN sounds like a great bird.
They both have their benefits. What's most important is the bird picks us. It really comes down less to the species. I've read so much about so many types of birds, and every single species has great things and the not so great things.
But I gotta say the intelligence is truly the most striking thing about YN for me... The even temper of the WF is the most awesome about them. Both those qualities makes the choice fairly equal. And macaws...... I'm very drawn to. Very. One day... When I have my life ready for one I will have one too. For now we have everything for a amazon.
And we wait for the arrival.
Pregnant with an idea of our feathered baby to come. Eager to share our life, but willing to wait to the right one.

 

[Billy29]

I'm telling you those white fronted amazons are adorable as adults. They are also very colorful.