Who on earth would have an Amazon??

[parrotsman]

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum, and forgive the provocative title of this thread!

My Grey parrot that I have owned for about 25 years died recently, and we really miss him, and are considering getting another in the near future.

This brings me on to the reason for this thread; I have always liked Blue Fronted Amazons, so have been doing some research, and a lot of the advice that I have been getting (with a couple of exceptions only) have been pretty negative regarding BF Amazons, and Amazons in general. People generally seem to see them as noisy, biting, jealous and aggressive - with most advice suggesting that I steer towards an African Grey instead.

I can't believe that Amazons would have been as popular for as long as they have if this is the case - and so am after opinions from owners.

Thanks

 

[SandyBee]

LOL

Good Question, I do...
Now we haven't had him very long and he is older and from a rescue/shelter.

Is he noisy, yes Amazon's have one hell of a call. He doesn't use it all the time, he has his morning and evening amazonian flock call though.

Biting, He tends to use a flight response instead of fight, but his beak is very powerful and he will bite if pushed. You need to bond with this creature and understand his natural instinct. He hasn't bit me, the first 4 days we had him he rushed the cage and warned me not to get too close. On the 4th day when I got home from work he decided I was his buddy and we have been bonding since, he is very loving towards me.

Jealous - No he isn't jealous, he is protective.

Aggresive - Yes he can be, but not with me and it seems to be more of a warning. He does not attack.

I think if you really want an Amazon they can make wonderful birds but you must understand that they are powerful and proud birds. They can be very loving but it takes time. There is hormonal phases,age considerations and general circumstances of your life to see if it fits.

CAG- i have never had one, they are wonderful but have there issues as well.
Good Luck and we always welcome any questions!

 

[sonja]

HeeHee, I sometimes wonder that as well! I've had pretty much every sort of bird in rescue and I have to say, I am not a fan of Amazons. In fact, since there are so many birds that need help, I am pretty much done with taking in Amazons. The experiences I've had are yes, they are loud---more annoyingly loud to me than any other species. Yes, the ones I've had are aggressive and bite.

I've also had a number of African greys come through rescue, and the majority of them have been good birds.

But, those are just my experiences, and I know others who adore Amazons and have wonderful companions in their pets. I just haven't run across those ones yet personally!

 

[JerseyWendy]

To answer your question directly: I would! And I would have many more if I had the space (and some more Macaws as well). :smile002:

Never in my life have I regretted getting Hunter (my 13 year old female Yellow Nape). She is certainly not the norm, but she is THE sweetest, gentlest, kindest bird you'd ever want to meet. Never screams, only sings, talks, and whistles, NEVER bites, and I mean N-E-V-E-R for as long as I've had her. The whole family can handle her, play with her, roll her around, etc. She's truly a joy.

Then there's Sam, my young MALE DYH. Now he's a story all on his own, but he's never screamed yet either. He talks and sings, but only allows me to handle him. I can do anything and everything with him, but he'll remove parts of flesh to anybody else trying to pick him up.

Of course I am quite aware that I may have my hands full once Sam sexually matures, but believe it or not, I'm crazy enough to look forward to that. :16:

Gotta love those 'zons. Well, I certainly do. :jumping40:

 

[SandyBee]

Oh I so agree with you Wendy
Now that I have had Bosley for a bit, I love the personality.OHHH and the smell!!!

Birds coming out of a rescue are there for a reason. Bosley was because his owner had passed, you can tell that his original owner had done a fantastic job with him, not so much conventional training, but he was loved and handled well. His original owner had him for 30 years.

There was an African Grey at the rescue that they would not rehome, reason for this is it would shred anybody's hand. It was to be there in permanent sanctuary. The bird was intelligent, talkative and appeared very nice until you came within a foot of his cage.

 

[OOwl]

I have a 20-year-old Blue-Front Amazon and an 8-year-old Congo Grey. The Amazon is a female and VERY atypical for her kind. She isn't loud at all, timid with toys and strangers, but over-the-top loyal to those she is bonded with. In the 12 years I've owned her, she's never seriously bit me (and the very few times she HAS bitten me, it was my fault, displaced biting when she was frustrated and wanted to nail someone else, but never even hard enough to draw blood). She's affectionate and not that messy, not that destructive, fairly calm even. The only caveat to all her good traits is that she HATES (and I mean to a passion hates) the Grey, who interestingly isn't a female but a male (DNA'd him TWICE because I just couldn't believe she could hate another male parrot THIS much). I have two other parrots, both male (a Rosebreasted cockatoo and a lovebird) and she's totally fine with those. The two of them absolutely cannot be in the same room together, which has created issues with what I wish the flock dynamic could be (all housed in same family room to spend optimum time with us). Still, we manage fine and she has a great life with my husband taking more and more responsibility for her socialization and care, since her cage resides in his den. Not all Amazons have read the book on what they're supposed to be like, though. She definitely didn't. Good luck on your choice.

 

[WharfRat]

We have 2 Zon's........they both worship the ground my wife walks on :11:

They barely tolerate me at all :52:

But I still love both of them.......

BTW, the wife is a certified redhead and has a temper to match (careful what you say about Zon's!!!) LOL

 

[JerseyWendy]

BTW, the wife is a certified redhead and has a temper to match (careful what you say about Zon's!!!) LOL

Bring her on WharfRat, we NEED Amazon lovers!

 

[WharfRat]

Shiloh's way of saying...."go ahead, bring those fingers just a little bit closer"!!!

 

[wenz2712]

Shiloh's way of saying...."go ahead, bring those fingers just a little bit closer"!!!

Ha ha.. I know that look That is exactly how Codie reacts when someone, other than me goes near her :11:

 

[wenz2712]

Sorry, back to the OP question.... I adore Zons Yes, they can be moody and often have strops like a child.. They are loud and they can give you a nasty bite, as I learnt myself the other day I am the onlt person that Codie will tolerate and I can do anything with her

Having said all this, I would not swap her for the world. She is funny, intelligent, talkative and great company.

 

[WharfRat]

and to add to the above, Zon's ain't loud..........at least not compared to a PO'ed or hungry Green Wing Macaw!

 

[Boysmom]

Well I ljust adore Amazons ! I have mexican red heads and blue fronts and I will say they are so much quieter than a conure. I was so thankful that I found a forever home for the Sun conure pair I was fostering ! All my other birds are much calmer with them gone. My Zons rarely are loud and when they were it was because they were tired of the suns constant ear piercing shrills. My Zons all speak quite well and adore the whole family. Yes they do let us know when they dont want to be messed with, but all birds do that. Mine all came to me from rescue situations but they are quite well behaved and much quieter than I had expected. I think the internet does not do them justice, dont believe everything you read. Judge the bird by its personality.

 

[parrotsman]

Thanks for all the responses guys, as I said, the title was intentionally provocative, I know that animals don't always live up to the stereotype:

Not all Amazons have read the book on what they're supposed to be like, though. She definitely didn't.

My Timneh Grey was nothing like what they are supposed to be like, obviously he hadn't read the book either! He could be stroppy, sulky, biting (at times), could only really say 'hello' (but imitated loads of stuff) and loud (especially when imitating the fire alarm when he wanted attention!), but also great company and we really miss him - the pros outweighed the cons by a massive margin.

As I said, I wanted to get owner's opinions, because there seems to be a lot of opinion on the internet (as always!), not always well informed.

When we are ready to get a new addition to the family, I think that I will just bite the bullet and go for an Amazon after all.

Thanks again,
Trev

 

[wenz2712]

Thanks for all the responses guys, as I said, the title was intentionally provocative, I know that animals don't always live up to the stereotype:

Not all Amazons have read the book on what they're supposed to be like, though. She definitely didn't.

My Timneh Grey was nothing like what they are supposed to be like, obviously he hadn't read the book either! He could be stroppy, sulky, biting (at times), could only really say 'hello' (but imitated loads of stuff) and loud (especially when imitating the fire alarm when he wanted attention!), but also great company and we really miss him - the pros outweighed the cons by a massive margin.

As I said, I wanted to get owner's opinions, because there seems to be a lot of opinion on the internet (as always!), not always well informed.

When we are ready to get a new addition to the family, I think that I will just bite the bullet and go for an Amazon after all.

Thanks again,
Trev

You are making a great choice You will love your Zon. As has been said already, every Bird is individual and they all have their own special little personalities

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I love amazons but haven't had the chance to bond with one yet, I've held a few but I'm always very careful with a bird I don't know, especially one that has a damaging beak. From what I've learned amazons are incredibly loyal to those they care for, during breeding season they will be very protective of anyone they decide is their mate.

 

[oled]

No science only my opinion that Zon better can "handle" being at pet with sometime to little attention and company compered to CAG but of cause this is not valid for all.

 

[Brodie]

I played baby sitter at my uncles for his birds sometime at the start of the year, his got 2 zons, 2 eclectus', 4 conures and many others outside. And well, the zons were the quietest. The easiest to handle. And the most talkative!
That of course is only his birds, every bird is different.
I personally prefer the amazons to scream their heads off then the conures. Not that it ever happened. Gypsy is the loudest of the two zons, but if he got to over the top i would cover him, then he would be quiet and whisper "naughty gypsy, naaaaaughty gypsy.. Scratchy scratch?" haha. Had to uncover him and give him some attention after that, so damn cute!
His so smart, and he loves to fly!
I would love an amazon one day when I get a bigger house!
I have met many, and I have yet to have a bad experience. The worst tempered I have dealt with would have to be an alexandrine, but I still adore them too!

 

[chickymonkey]

I see you've already made your decision....and I'm sorry about your Grey.

I looked at a LOT of species when choosing our 1st large parrot. Not once did I consider an amazon.

I found our yellow naped in an online ebay classified ad and he is a true joy. It really is about the individual bird. That was something I didn't fully get until we met him. Amazons no, Shamus, yes!

Now, he still may not be what everyone is looking for in a bird because he's not perfect. He favors me over my husband. He's not cuddley. He can get loud in the afternoons for a bit when he's happy. But very quickly THIS bird has stolen my heart. Would I ever get another Amazon? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. It's not the amazon species I am attached to, it's this particular bird.

We went to see a Goffins about a week ago and what a small, adorable little cockatoo...but this guy was a brat. What a stinker! NOT what we were looking for at all.

Best of luck to you finding your new friend!

 

[henpecked]

"Who on earth would have an Amazon?" ,,, me,, several as a matter of fact. For a large parrot that bonds so closely with their human, they are very independent. They can entertain themselves, and have loads of personality. I don't think they are for everyone but for the right peoples they are a fantastic companion.(Life long companion)