Yellow-Naped Amazon

The yellow-naped amazon might be one of the most popular birds to have as a pet currently in the market.  With outgoing personalities and talkative nature, they also enjoy spending time with people and interacting with humans.  Mostly known for possessing green plumage, it is considered a medium-sized bird with a lifespan of more than 30 years.  Other birds of the family are the Amazon parrot, the Double Yellow-Headed Amazon, the Lilac-Crowned Amazon and the Orange-Winged Amazon Parrot.

Even though there are many different versions of the Amazon, the yellow-naped is the one most kept as a pet because of their talking ability and how easy it is to acquire one.  Named for the yellow patch of yellow feathers on the back of their necks, or nape, it also features a black beak.  Also, some red feathers can be found in its tail with some darker green.

The yellow-naped Amazon originates from Southern Mexico and Central America, more specifically northwest Costa Rica.  The species has also been found in northern South America.

One drawback of the bird is that as pets they tend to get lazy and even obese.  The consequence of allowing your bird to get fat are fatty tumors and a reduced life span.  It is known a healthy bird can live up to 90 years so a new owner must commit to the bird.  They require good nutrition in the form of vegetables and fruit with playtime and exercise part of their daily routine as well.

Another drawback of the bird is as they grow older, they can be aggressive, even with their owners. This is seen more with the males and that is why if it is your first time owning a yellow-naped Amazon, a female is recommended.  The male and female look nearly exactly the same so to tell the sexes apart, you must do a genetic test or a surgical sexual procedure.  A DNA test can be purchased online.

On the good side, they tend to form a great bond with their owner who love to be the center of attention.  If they are hand-fed from an early age, they can develop to be very affectionate pets.

The bird is known as a good talker almost to the point where it is believed it can contextualize human speech.