by Jamie Craig

Created on: October 05, 2009

The Amazon Parrot is not a single species, but in fact a grouping of around 30 different ones which compromise the genus "Amazona". This is due to differences in colouration, size, beak shape, mating patterns and geographical location amongst many other factors which make the species independent from one another. They inhabit the regions of South America, Mexico and much of the Caribbean.

Many (but not all) of the species of Amazon Parrot have the remarkable to imitate sounds they hear upon a regular basis, this includes human speech. Because of this renowned talent the demand for the Amazon Parrot within the pet market is very high. Breeders have become specialised at selectively breeding parrots to increase the instance of genes which promote friendliness, appealing colour patterns and the ability to mimic speech within the population of Amazon Parrots. When the demand for these birds began with the trade ships arriving in the 17th and 18th century parrots were originally taken from their natural forest habitats. When this need rose further into the to arise in the mid-19th century with their proper classification and further still into the 20th century with the ability to easily transport the birds animal protection agencies were forced to take action; due to the excessive amounts of birds being removed from the wild. The practice of removing the Amazon Parrot from its natural habitat is now illegal.

Parrots are good pets, however. They are playful, attractive and have the relatively unique quality to mimic speech which people find irresistible, charming and fascinating. They can be bought (albeit expensively) from a variety of breeders, some of whom will have better "pedigrees" and standards than others, although this usually correlates with higher prices. Nevertheless once an Amazon Parrot is acquired they make lifelong companions due to their extraordinary life expectancy of around 50 years when they are kept in captivity.

Whilst the Amazon Parrot is obviously intelligent and self-sufficient under the right circumstances they are very demanding pets. If they are kept caged for inappropriate periods of time then they will develop self-destructive behaviours which include aggressiveness to others, pecking and scratching themselves or objects that may prove dangerous and become much noisier. During mating season parrots are also known to increase their aggressiveness and to become much more territorial, as would be found in the wild, even if they are hand-reared and highly affectionate normally.

Because of the ability for parrots to become easily frustrated with a lack of mental stimulation they require a great deal of care and attention; thus they are generally accepted as being much more demanding pets that more common domesticated animals . They require communication and attention on a regular basis and also demand a variety of safe and yet destructible toys due to their nimble feet, active minds and energy that must be expended. They also require frequent and supervised time out of their cage to allow them to fly around in relative freedom and give them a change of surroundings. This must be supervised both so that the parrot does not do damage to the household and also so that they do not do themselves any harm either.

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