Orange-winged Amazon

Family: Psittacidae
Scientific Name: Amazona amazonica

Distribution:
These birds are found in most of northern and central South America as well as the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. They inhabit damp woods, mangrove swamps, and forests.

Description:

The Orange-winged Amazon is green from head to tail, with the under parts a bit lighter green, the feathers on the back of the neck and upper back being edged with a dusky black, and there are hints of blues in the throat and on the crown. The tail is green tipped with a light yellowish-green, has some oranges on the underside, and some green barring on the top.

"Mr. Sonny" Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Ronen Leby

They have a distinct yellow-orange on the crown, on the bend and speculum of the wings, and on the front of the cheeks. The rest of the cheek is a bright green and they often fluff their cheeks out, making them look like they have "mutton chop" sideburns. The beak is a horn color becoming gray at the tip, the eye is orange, and the legs are a pale gray.
Juveniles are mostly green with few of the yellow-orange or blue feathers and their eyes are dark brown.

Size - Weight:
Mature birds are about 12 1/2 inches (31 cm) long from the head to the tip of the tail.

Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required unless the bird is to be let out for extended periods. Many birds can spend a good deal of their time on a play pen or parrot perch.
In the wild these birds eat fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms and leaf buds, as well as foraging in corn fields. The Amazon's main diet should primarily be seeds, nuts, fruits, and green vegetables. A commercially prepared parrot mix or pelleted diet can also be beneficial.

See About Amazon Parrots: Housing and About Amazon Parrots: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
Amazons enjoy human interaction as well as interaction with other birds. In the wild they are very social birds living in groups. They are seen in flocks, from small groups to groups of more than six hundred birds. They also form permanent pairs when they are sexually mature.

See About Amazon Parrots: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded Amazon.

Activities:
Loves to climb and play. Provide lots of toys. Also needs room to stretch its wings although climbing seems to be its favorite activity.

Breeding/Reproduction:
These amazons are commonly bred in captivity. At the onset of warm weather (April to early May) courtship will begin. The hen will then lay two to four eggs which incubate for about 28 days. The young will leave the nest at 8-10 weeks. As with many parrots, the male will eat for both himself and the female while she incubates the eggs and feeds the young. The male regurgitates the food for the female to eat. He gets a lot less picky about what he eats at these times!

See About Amazon Parrots: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Potential Problems:
These birds are hardy and healthy if provided with a good environment and a good diet. Amazons can be noisy first thing in the morning, and just before the sun sets. This is easy to control, they can often be quieted by just covering their cage for a short period of time.