Are Amazon Parrots a Good Breed for a Family Pet?

Question

I'm looking to buy a bird and can't decide whether to buy a Quaker or Amazon (see my previous question as well). Would you recommend an Amazon or a Quaker Parrot?

Edit: I do not have children in the home.

Answer 1

Hey Shari, recent studies have found that parrots have the intelligence of a 4 or 5 year old child, so all are demanding and live long enough to become a real commitment. Play time, socialization, teaching, correcting behaviour problems, it's really amazing but very time consuming. Both birds can be obnoxious at times just like many children and adults I know. See if you have access to a good avian vet, a pet store that has nutritious pellet food, and sitter should you need to go away awhile. Examine what kind of time and money you have available. Amazons are beautiful. They are very expensive. Intelligent birds are more than mere ornaments in a cage. Read about them and learn as much as you can before you purchase. Petfinder.com may have some abandoned birds available if you have the time to spend with these birds. Have a great year.

Answer 2

I have 2 Amazons that are 17 and 18 years of age. We got them when they were a couple of months old, from a reputable breeder. ($350 apiece back in those days) Our kids were teenagers when we got the birds, so the birds got used to them from "day one". I'm not sure how Amazons would do if they were the main attraction in a home, and then a baby came along. Probably okay, as long as you make sure the birds wings are clipped. Every once and a while, our birds wings grow out long enough for them to fly to us, and bingo....we have a bird on our shoulder. My Amazons have a noisy period - like most parrots - mornings after feeding, and in the evening. And in breeding season they can get a little aggressive and nippy. But when we decided to get a bird, we never considered anything other than an Amazon. We got Sunny first, and like alot of people, didn't want her to be alone, and we got the second bird about 4 months later, and they also got along well from day one.
I was 39 when we got the birds, and if you do the math, I'm 57 now, and I will have these birds all my life, and then will have to find someone to take them if and when I get too old to be a good caretaker. I don't even like to think about that. But they are beautiful, amazing and funny and we love them with all our hearts.

Answer 3

First of all, I agree with everyone on one point or another. Going on petfinder to adopt an amazon is the most loving thing a person Can do. Keep in mind that these birds live to be 50 - 60 years old. So if you want a 5 year old with feather for that long, then no problem. Just remember to put him/her in your will to make sure he/she is well taken care of if something happens to you. Alot of people don't realize it, but this is very important. I have a Bird Rescue and am also on petfinder. I'm sure you will be able to find one in your area. If you choose to start out with a baby, that's ok too. That way you can raise it to your way of life and nip potential problems in the bud so to speak. As Amazons get older, I have found that they can be standoffish birds. They are content to play on their own and when they want attention, I've heard stories like the pet shop owner. They will climb down off of their cage and come looking for you for their attention. When they have had enough, they go back to their cage. They are not a high maintenance bird and wonderful talkers. A book I found to be wonderful is parrots for dummies. I love it and refer to it often. It has anything and everything you would want to know about your bird right down to first aid. Great book. If you do get an Amazon and sometime down the road you are having problems and it's not in the book, just e-mail me at [e-mail] and I will try to help you out the best I can. Good Luck.

Answer 4

First, buy from a reputable breeder. You don't want a smuggled bird or one that hasn't been hand raised. Next, know that you're adopting an animal that's equivalent to a 2 year old & will have it for many years. Then, understand that if they don't get the attention they need, their mental state will deminish, become depressed or mentally ill. They are loud at times & usually pick a favorite person to bond with. I like parrots so I suggest you do research on both kinds of birds: History? behavior? personality? life span? They are also wonderful friends to have these guys take a lot of work & they love your company. Lots of people buy them & let them sit in their cage. They get lonely & some even go crazy. My brothers & parents each own Quakers. I saved an african grey & adopted it out to a wonderful home.

Answer 5

Am an Amazon owner, actually the other way around. Large parrots seem to eventually prefer only one person. I've heard this repeatedly from customers who own them. The Amazon is a fiesty, playful bird. Ours was donated to the pet shop at age 10, by people who grew tired of the high pitched squawks . Believe me, the Amazon is not nearly as noisy as an Umbrella Cockatoo. We have 2 of them. My Amazon is content to sit on top of its cage or the other bird's cage. If I don't come by the room once in awhile, it will strut down the hallway looking for me. We have had no trouble getting it to acclimate with the cockatoos. They all 3 will sit together on top of one cage together. It took about 2 years to accomplish this though. My younger male cockatoo tried to eat its feet a few times but was unable to hurt the bird because I was there supervising. Even though you don't have children now, you may want to think about the future.(This may or may not apply to you) We had the Amazon before our 4 year old grandson was born and he has been around the bird his whole life. Our Amazon will try to bite the grandchild only if he sticks his fingers in the cage. He has never come down off his cage to attack him but parrots are unpredictable and we don't leave children alone with any of them. The bird takes food from him when offered too. Every bird is different. We donot permit any of our grandchildren to taunt our animals either. It is not cheap to own a large beaked parrot. These birds need a cage with a spring lock, lots of room to play, toys that are different all the time, (we don't buy specific bird toys but instead offer boxes and other stimulating items), a pellet diet such as Zu-Preem or better, the cage needs to be wrought iron with baked on paint and the bird will need lots of attention. This is not a bird that is gonna be happy if you go off to work every day and leave it alone. They love to play with paper bags and toss things back and forth too. Amazons are long lived birds and you should have a will and instructions so your bird doesn't end up lonely and sad at a rescue or taken advantage of at an unreputable pet shop.
If none of this information is scaring you away from ownership, you may want to consider a rescued bird. They make great pets too and you will be taught how to properly care for it. Most rescue organizations require at least 3 classes in bird care before the actual adoption and a credit check to make sure the person is able to afford the care of the bird. Good Luck and I hope this information is useful to you.

Answer 6

not a big quaker fan myself so may be a bit biased. amazons are very explorative playful birds. definately not "cuddly" like some cockatoos or macaws. mine is a sweetheart, never bites loves attention and tolerates me trying to pet him. without a lot of attention they turn into fairly aggressive birds fairly quickly, and they can give a pretty vicous bite. make sure you can invest regular time with them and include them as part of the family.

Answer 7

Given these two options I would go with the amazon. Both of these breeds can be loud but the quaker tends to be much louder and can act tougher (aggresive)

Answer 8

If you have or are planning on having kids... do not get an amazon. They can get hormonal. Go for a small bird... quaker, small conure, anything thats handfed and generally fun loving and sweet. A small beak is a plus.

Answer 9

I would preffer a bluefront amazon or something like that. They are usually pretty sweet. The sweetest birds i know of is the Goffin Cockatoo......I work for a bird breeder and he has 4 baby Goffin Cockatoo's and they are soooo sweet.

Answer 10

Only be prepared to buy a parrot in general if you are ready to take constant care of it. They're like a baby.