Native to Mexico, Central America, and South America, the Red-Lored Amazon Parrot is one of the most beautiful parrots kept as pets. This is an intelligent, charming bird that bonds quickly to its owner, with many Red-Lored Amazons choosing their favorite people to become loyal, one-person birds. If you’re on the hunt for a personable parrot that enjoys talking and singing, you’d probably be a good match for a Red-Lored Amazon Parrot.
The Red-Lored Amazon was first documented in the mid-1700s by Swedish zoologist Carl Lineaus, who created the modern taxonomy system. There are a few species of the Red-Lored Amazon which look very similar, except in size. While this bird is not native to El Salvador, a pair of these parrots were found nesting successfully near San Salvador which perhaps escaped from captivity. Because of this, the species may expand its range permanently into that country in the future.
For nearly as long as this bird’s existence has been known, Red-Lored Amazons have been captured by humans to be sold as pets. Unfortunately, this bird’s great looks and ability to talk have made it a target for the black market.
While the Red-Lored Amazon is not an endangered species, its numbers in the wild are steadily dropping due to many factors including a loss of habitat, and the popularity of these birds as pets.
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Temperament
You can’t find a much more charming bird than the charismatic Red-Lored Amazon. This bird is quick to pick its favorite family member to become a one-person bird, although it will be social to everyone in the family that treats it kindly. Red-Lored Parrots are well-loved due to their ability to sing and talk.
Like other parrots, Red-Lored Amazons can bite and be aggressive if they’re not trained properly. These birds tend to use their beaks to chew items around the house which could include electrical wiring. This is why this bird must be kept away from anything potentially dangerous it could chew on. Giving a Red-Lored Amazon lots of loving attention and a few toys to play with should be enough to keep this bird out of mischief.
The Red-Lored Amazon can be the ideal family pet due to its kind and friendly personality. These are affectionate and goofy birds that love to show off their mimicking skills. If you’re looking for a friendly and beautiful bird that can mimic human speech, the Red-Lored Amazon could be the right bird for you.
Pros
Friendly and social
Enjoys talking and mimicking human sounds
Long lifespan
Cons
Tendency to squawk and scream
Requires a good deal of mental and physical stimulation
Speech & Vocalizations
The Red-Lored Amazon, like other tropical parrots, has a renowned ability to mimic human speech. This bird is quick to pretend like it’s talking to the point that it seems like it nearly joins right in on your discussion!
The Red-Lored Amazon is entertaining to listen to as it carries on with its silly mumbling most of the day. This bird can develop a small vocabulary with some words sounding very clear and distinct. This bird can imitate all types of sounds from coffee perking, alarms beeping, dogs barking, to humans laughing which can be hilarious to listen to.
If you’re thinking of getting a Red-Lored Amazon, you should know that this bird tends to squawk and scream. Some of these sounds can be high-pitched trilling while others can be scolding in nature and loud!
Red-Lored Amazon Parrot Colors and Markings
The Red-Lored Amazon has vivid green feathers covering its body with red on the forehead, which is where it gets its name. The wings have a touch of red as well. This tropical parrot has yellow or sometimes orange on its cheeks.
The beak of this bird is horn-colored with black tips and the feet and legs are the color of flesh. Both the males and females of the species look the same although the males have gold-colored irises while the female’s eyes are brown. Even with that slight difference, it is not easy to tell a male from a female.
Caring for the Red-Lored Amazon Parrot
The Red-Lored Amazon needs a roomy cage so it can spread its wings and move about freely. It’s always best to get the biggest cage you can afford to ensure your Red-Lored Amazon is comfortable living in its habitat. Because this bird likes to climb, it’s important to add a ladder and climbing rope to the cage. A large cage with a playtop would be great as it has extra room for fun and games!
This bird must be let out of its cage daily to prevent restlessness and boredom. When you do let your Red-Lored Amazon out of the cage, keep a close eye on the bird to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble with that beak of his! A parrot play gym is the ideal out-of-cage safe perch you can provide for this bird to keep him occupied and out of mischief.
The Red-Lored Amazon loves being showered regularly and will become excited and noisy when being showered with a spray bottle. Regular showering will also prevent dry skin and dull and dusty feathers. You can shower a Red-Lored Amazon several times a week and enjoy the bird as it laughs, whistles, trills, and flaps its wings in pure bliss.
Image Credit: Karel Stipek, Shutterstock
Common Health Problems
Like other parrots, Red-Lored Amazons are susceptible to some common health problems like bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. This bird can also develop fatty liver disease if it’s not provided with a consistently healthy diet. Some of the symptoms of fatty liver disease include a distended stomach, lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and breathing difficulties.
A Red-Lored Amazon can partake in the self-mutilating behavior of feather plucking if it is not given enough mental stimulation and physical exercise. Despite these health issues, the Red-Lored Amazon is a generally healthy bird if well-cared for.
Diet and Nutrition
In their natural habitat, Red-Lored Amazon Parrots forage for seeds, berries, nuts, greens, blossoms, and buds. When kept in captivity, this bird must be fed high-quality parrot pellets. You can give your Red-Lored Amazon some healthy treats he’ll love like flaxseed or hemp hearts.
These birds can benefit from eating some chopped-up fresh fruits, leafy greens, and root vegetables. These healthy, fresh foods should be offered twice a week, at least. Just remember that fresh food rots quickly so immediately remove any fresh your bird doesn’t eat.
Image Credit: Maciej Czakejewski, Shutterstock
Exercise
The Red-Lored Amazon is an active parrot that needs to spend some time outside its cage to play and stretch its wings. This bird can spend hours climbing and chewing so pick up lots of parrot toys including ladders, ropes, and swings.
These birds love to chew so be sure to provide your Red-Lored Amazon with plenty of things to chew on like a cuttlebone, and durable wooden and leather toys. When you provide a Red-Lored Amazon with plenty of opportunities to exercise and lots of fun and interesting toys, it will be less likely to partake in potentially destructive behavior.
Where to Adopt or Buy a Red-Lored Amazon
It’s a good idea to see if you can find a Red-Lored Amazon Parrot to adopt from a bird rescue or pet outreach organization. This way, you’d be giving a homeless bird a permanent home and may even be saving its life. You can search the internet to look for Red-Lored Amazons in need of homes in your area. If you’d rather buy a bird, you can find Red-Lored Amazons at some pet stores and from breeders. It’s common for breeders to sell Red-Lored Amazons in the $1000 to $3000 price range. If you use a breeder, be sure to ask some important questions about the bird’s background and general health to ensure the bird you’re interested in is healthy.
Conclusion
Red-Lored Amazon Parrots are intelligent, friendly, talkative, long-lived birds with bright green feathers, red foreheads, and yellow cheeks. This eye-catching bird needs a large cage to live in and must be let out of the cage daily to prevent boredom.
If you’ve got the time to spend with a bird and want a lifelong companion that will light up your life, the beautiful Red-Lored Amazon could be the perfect feathered friend for you!
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
