Yellow Naped Amazon - Age

[Angel3]

Hi,

I'm a new member and it's my first post. I've been searching the web to find answers to my questions and I am hoping that an expert from this forum can provide answers:

Q1: Can I determine the age of a Yellow naped amazon by the size of the yellow on the nape? I know a one year old YNA has no yellow on the nape yet. I bought a YNA from the swap meet and the seller told me it's a one year old bird but I am skeptical because it already has yellow on the nape. I am not sure if age can be determined by the size of the yellow on the nape. There is no band on the leg so I can't call the breeder for information, and the seller had no record about the bird.

Q2: Can DNA testing determine the age? I am planning to take it to the vet to identify its sex and I am wondering if I can also have them determine the age.

 

[Frumpydumple]

Q1: I'm pretty sure you can't. I think the amount of yellow varies. Although, I have seen some much older YNAs that have more yellow. I can't say for sure as I don't own an Amazon.

Q2: No, I'm pretty sure you can't. DNA tests only tell you the sex of the bird as far as I know.

 

[weco]

Hi,
I am planning to take it to the vet to identify its sex and I am wondering if I can also have them determine the age.

Like FrumpyD mentioned, No to determining age from plumage of from any kind of genetic testing.....and.....you can save yourself some $$$ on the DNA test, because the primary testing labs will send you a collection kit for either blood drop sample collection or feather collection. Without a leg band, there really is no way to determine your bird's age, sorry.

Vets often tack on their own collection charge, usually doubling the self-collection fee.....

Forgot to welcome you to the funny farm...errr, forums...hope you enjoy your time here.....
Here are a few...I've been happy with the first one:

Avian Services Center: DNA sexing and disease testing for all species of birds.

AVIAN DNA SEXING TEST - HealthGene Laboratory (a Canadian lab)

Animal DNA Testing Fees | VDC (may cater to vets only)

Home Page

Pet DNA Testing Lab

There may be more around, but that should give you a wide enough choice.....

 

[Angel3]

Thank you so much for both advice from Frumpydumple and Weco. I certainly could use the money for toys instead of DNA if it will not tell me my YNA's age. I love my bird no matter how old it is.

I also appreciate this site. I have learned so much from everybody's post.

 

[Kiwibird]

Amazons have varied amounts of color, and some individuals get more color younger than others. It's very possible it's only a year old and will be one of those birds whose predisposition to have a lot of yellow on the nape as it ages (the color will spread throughout life). Do you have a photo of your bird? There may be no way to precisely tell the age, but there is a "look" about them people who've had amazons a long time can kind of tell if it's a young or a old bird. Not a "precise" or "guaranteed" method by any means, but a general idea may be nice

 

[EvilsParrots]

=) Can we see pictures?

 

[RavensGryf]

Unless a parrot is really a juvenile it's impossible to tell age of an adult parrot unfortunately. Sometimes very elderly parrots show subtle aging signs too, so "maybe" one can say if it looks really young or extremely old, but there's no way to say if it's 3, 10, 15, 20...