Blue Fronted Amazon Parrots
One of the most common parrots to be kept as a pet, the Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot is also one of the most colorful.
Predominantly green it usually has a blue forehead and white, yellow and blue markings on the crown and yellow and blue cheeks. The outer wing feathers are edged with darker green and the under wing is red or a combination or yellow and red so it is wise to allow the Blue Front Amazon room to spread his wings and display these beautiful colors. The markings change from parrot to parrot and they are rarely identical.
Amazon Parrots are good talkers and this variety is no exception. Not only is it quick to learn words, but can also repeat phrases and sentences often with surprisingly human intonation and expression.
The Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot loves to sing and listen to and mimic music. He is a lively fellow who will often sing away to himself for hours on end. Although not considered to be irritatingly noisy they can make a very disturbing din if they get angry or feel threatened. They do need between ten and twelve hours of sleep a day and get extremely moody if their sleep is disturbed or if they are tired.
Blue Front Amazons love to climb. Make sure your bird has a cage big enough to allow for this or a couple of hours access to a large area. Not only will this keep him happy, it will allow you to enjoy a wonderful display when he stretches his wings.
These outgoing parrots get on very well with other species and in the wild have been known to flock quite happily with other varieties. They are very easy to train, but do handle them carefully. Though they are not known as aggressive they may nip if irritated. They usually prefer contact with one person at a time and do not take kindly to being handed from person to person. Despite this they can be trained to accept groups of people and once they get used to a crowd like to show off and perform.
Keep Blue Fronted Amazons to a diet and do not give them too many treats as they do have a tendency to obesity. They can get bored with their food and although they will still eat whatever you put in front of them they will leave you in no doubt that they are not happy. Vary the ingredients and color every few days.
They absolutely adore water and getting wet. Plenty of Showers and misters will keep them happy and place a shallow dish of water in their cage to allow them to bath at least once a day.
Except for the usual parrot ailments the Blue Front Amazon is a tough bird. If you feed him a well balanced, calcium rich diet, watch his fat intake and keep his drinking water clean he will live happily and contentedly for 60 years or more. Some Blue Front Amazons have been known to live past eighty! So be kind to this jolly parrot. He could be with you for a long time!
