With proper care, handling, and training, Yellow-headed Amazons are wonderful companions, capable of learning a variety of words, phrases, and tricks through patience and reward training. You should never choose a parrot based on its beauty or talking capability, but on the compatibility of your personalities.
Instructions
Buy a cage suited for a Yellow-headed Amazon. Your parrot should be kept in a cage at least 32 inches by 23 inches. The cage should be comprised of 4-millimeter bars, and the bars should be spaced one inch apart. Make sure that the top of the cage is no higher than the top of your head.
Look for cages with three bowl-holders, which allow you to easily provide your bird with seed, pellets, and water, instead of having to buy and attach individual bowl-holders to the inside of the cage. Built-in bowl-holders allow you to remove the bowl without opening the cage door. Always keep a bowl in a bowl-holder, even if the bowl is empty or upside down; this will keep your parrot from injuring itself.
Buy three or four perches in varying sizes, styles, and materials, and set them up in your Yellow-headed Amazon's cage to provide access to bowls and toys. It's good for your parrot to have a variety of perches so there is not always pressure on the same part of its feet, which leads to discomfort and cramping.
Some perches will be labeled according to the size or type of parrot they are suited for. Medium- or large-sized perches are best for Yellow-headed Amazons. You can also buy perches according to the diameter. For a Yellow-headed Amazon, buy perches one to one-and-a-half inches in diameter. For the most comfort, your parrot's foot should wrap two-thirds of the way around the perch.
Feed your Yellow-headed Amazon a seed mixture formulated for medium- to large-sized parrots. Check the seed to ensure that it has sunflower and safflower seeds, as well as dried fruits and vegetables.
Offer your Yellow-headed Amazon pelleted bird food, too, in a bowl separate from the seed.
Provide your Yellow-headed Amazon with fresh water on a daily basis. When changing your parrot's water, thoroughly wash and rinse the bowl. Check the bowl to make sure no soap suds are left behind.
Give your Yellow-headed Amazon a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are vital to keeping your parrot healthy, and provide far more vitamins and minerals than bird seed mixtures. Many bird owners remove their parrots' seed mixtures when offering fruits and vegetables to encourage their parrots to try the more nutritious foods.
Try a few of the following foods with your Yellow-headed Amazon: apples, pears, peaches, melons, strawberries, grapes, bananas, oranges, pineapples, mangos, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, brown rice, whole wheat noodles, oatmeal, and natural yogurt.
The following foods are unsafe for your bird and should never be offered: avocado, olives, eggplant, rhubarb, asparagus, chocolate, butter, milk, cream, and foods containing alcohol, caffeine, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and pits or seeds from any fruit.
Buy a variety of toys for your Yellow-headed Amazon, and always keep three or four toys in its cage to alleviate boredom. Boredom can lead to bad habits such as feather-picking and screeching. Parrot-supply stores have a variety of safe, non-toxic toys for your Yellow-headed Amazon.
Spend time with your parrot every day; an hour is ideal, but at least 30 minutes. Time out of the cage, socializing with people, is vital to keeping your Yellow-headed Amazon happy and well-behaved.
Find a veterinarian near you who specializes in parrots. It is always a good idea to have contact information on hand in case of an emergency. You also might want to simply schedule a check-up to ensure that your Yellow-headed Amazon is healthy.
Find a bird-groomer near you, and schedule regular wing- and nail-trimmings. Don't try to trim your Yellow-headed Amazon's wings or nails yourself.