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Double Yellow-headed Amazon

Yellow-headed Amazon, Yellow-headed Parrot

Family: PsittacidaeAmazona oratrixPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Greg Rothschild

Double Yellow-Headed Amazons are excellent talkers and frequently sing very well too!

The Double Yellow-headed Amazon Amazona oratrix, is an extremely intelligent, attractive and entertaining parrot. Also known as the Yellow-headed Amazon and Yellow-headed Parrot, this is a prize bird that is particularly handsome with a high aptitude for speaking. While young these mostly green birds have only a yellow forehead and maybe a dappling of yellow across the rest of the head. The completely yellow head of mature birds takes place through molting over a period of about 4 years. The adult is a lively, spectacular colored pet bird.

The Yellow-headed Amazon has been popular as a pet for several 100 years. These birds are very inquisitive. They are definitely not a timid or shy bird and are known to be drama queens/kings. The Double Yellow Headed Amazon will usually attach itself to one member of the family as a mate but will tolerate the other members of the family as part of the flock.

Similar to other Amazons they are very sociable and active, but with them it's to an unusual degree. Depending on the individual bird, Double Yellow-headed Amazons can have an incredible vocabulary. They are considered the best talkers of all the Amazon birds, and second only to the African Grey Parrots. These parrots also strongly desire the attention of their owners, and will perform all sorts of amusing antics to gain and keep it. Such things as fanning out their tails, quick wild head movements, turning their head upside down, and rapid in-out dilations of their pupils.

This particular amazon can be feisty. Early socialization and training will help alleviate that to a great degree. The Yellow-headed Amazon is very social on the one hand, enjoying its human companion and their company. Yet on the other hand it can be quite independent, needing and wanting alone time and its own territory. A human needs to understand their birds' body language. If they are not in the mood for company or interaction, they will let you know. . Learn when its head is down and its beak and wings are in position, that it means "NO", and if you are persistent you might get nipped. The Yellow-headed Amazon is also prone to a hormonal stage as it matures, which is why they are recommended for an experienced bird owner.

With the Double Yellow Head you get the best of both worlds. A parrot that will enjoy the interaction with its human, eating and playing or even watching television. Yet it can also entertain itself without being demanding, content just playing with its toys, for hours at a time.

For more information about Amazon Birds see:
Amazon Parrot: Information and Care

Geographic Distribution Amazona oratrix Data provided by GBIF.org Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae

Scientific name

Amazona oratrix oratrix
Previously: Amazona ochrocephala oratrix

Subspecies:
Amazona oratrix oratrix (Ridgway, 1887)
Amazona oratrix tresmariae (Nelson, 1900)

More recently the birds in the ochrocephala group have been under review, with some classification adjustments being made. In in 1991, a recommendation to reclassify this group was made by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. This has resulted in the Amazona ochrocephela now being identified as the Yellow-crowned Amazon only. The Yellow-naped Amazon is now described as Amazona auropalliata, and the Yellow-headed Amazon is now Amazona Oratrix.

Distribution

The Double Yellow-headed Amazon Amazona oratrix was first described by Ridgway in 1887. It is also known as the Yellow-headed Amazon and Yellow-headed Parrot. It is native to central and northwestern areas of Central America, the coastal regions of Mexico. In the wild they live in pairs or flocks, and are sometimes seen singly. They inhabit forests, savannahs along the forest edge, and wooded areas where they feed on fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, and the blossoms and leafy buds of foliage.

The Amazona oratrix has three recognized subspecies, and a couple others that are not:

• Tres Marias Amazon - Tres Marie Yellow-headed Amazon A. oratrix tresmariae
  This subspecies from the Islas Marías is more colorful. Its color shows a brilliant yellow which extends onto its chest and intermittently down to the start of the tail. It has a vivid red on the bend of the wing and is also missing the black barring on the shoulders.
• Belize Yellow-headed Amazon A. oratrix belizensis
  This subspecies is found widespread in coastal Belize. This Yellow-headed Amazon, is yellow only on the upper head to a line from lores to earspot, including the upper cheeks.
• Honduras Yellow-headed Amazon A. oratrix hondurensis
  This subspecies is found in the Sula Valley, Honduras. Its yellow coloration is only on the fore head and the nape.
   
• Greater Yellow Headed Amazon - Magna Amazon A. oratrix Magna
  Another race, the Magna Yellow-headed Amazon A. oratrix Magna, is from the Gulf slope of Mexico. It is not a recognized subspecies. Say it is smaller and the variations in color are a result of location. It looks identical to the nominate species as a juvenile, and does have the black barring on the shoulders as an adult.
• Yellow-headed Parrot A. oratrix guatemalensis
  The guatemalensis s found in north-western Honduras and adjacent eastern Guatemala It is also not a recognized subspecies, but resembles the Belize Amazon A. oratrix belizensi so is commonly included in the subspecies. It may be an undescribed subspecies.

Status

The Amazona oratrix is on the IUCN Red List for Endangered Species as Endangered (EN).

Description

The Double Yellow-headed Amazon is generally green with paler, more yellowish on the under parts. The entire head and throat are yellow and the bend of the wing is red with some yellow mixed in. The carpal edge and thighs are yellow. The ring around the eye is unfeathered and white. The iris of the eye is orange and the beak is horned colored turning gray towards the base on the upper mandible.

Yellow-headed Amazons are surprisingly heavy bodied. Mature birds are a bit larger than other Yellow-crowned Amazons , these Amazons reach 15 -17 inches (38- 43 cm) long from the head to the tip of the tail. Maturity is considered in the 4 - 5 year range and the life span for these creatures is 60 - 80 years.

Lutino and blue variations of the Yellow-headed Amazon have been produced in aviculture as well as a myriad of other combinations. This species will hybridize with other yellow Amazons in nature. So the exact feathering and color in the wild as well as in captivity can be quite different in each bird.

The immature bird has only a patch of yellow on the forehead with maybe a dappling of yellow across the rest of the head, and less red at the bend of the wing. The completely yellow head of mature birds takes place through molting over a period of about 4 years.

Care and feeding

In the wild, the diet of the Double Yellow-headed Amazon consists of fruits, plants, seeds and nuts and probably some protein. A pet bird will enjoy a varied diet, including a quality seed mix or a pelleted diet, and many fresh fruits and vegetables. Pellets will work if started at an early age.

Yellow-headed Amazon (juvenile) Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

"Louis" is a juvenile Double Yellow-headed Amazon
about four and a half months old. When he (or she)
gets older the entire head and throat will be yellow.
Lou is headed to being a great talker since he is
very vocal and already seems to be forming words!

Plenty of human food that is nutritious can be offered, and they like chicken. They like to eat at the table and enjoy eating with their family. Avocado and chocolate are toxic to any parrot. They will let you know when it's dinner time.

Housing

A roomy cage is required for the Double Yellow-headed Amazons. Amazon parrot cages must not be too confining, so get one that your pet will be able to feel comfortable in. It is their territory and their safe place.This parrot likes to climb and play, and enjoys expanding its wings. It is recommended that a cage be 2 x 3 feet wide and 2 1/2 to 5 feet high, and with a play pen top. A great thing is to have a hanging perch above that for climbing.

Yellow-headed Parrots can tolerate varying temperatures, but they need to be kept away from any drafts. They love to be out of their cage on a playpen, and will enjoy interacting with their human as well as playing with toys. A variety of perches should be used of varying size and texture. A rougher textured perch instead of the smooth, doll-rod types, makes it easier for them to perch and is better for their feet and legs. A concrete perch can be placed as the highest perch in the cage and next to a toy. At times during the day they will perch there and it will save them (and you) from the ordeal of having their nails filed.

Learn to have fun during bath time. Whether you spritz your amazon with water or an aloe spritz, or just put him in the kitchen sink, make it fun. Your amazon will teach you how he likes to be bathed.

Maintenance

The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Social Behaviors

The Yellow Headed Amazon enjoys human interaction as well as interaction with other birds. In the wild they are very social birds living in groups with the available food supply determining the size of the group. Many times there are several hundred seen in a group. They also form permanent pairs when they are sexually mature. However, they are also seen singly in the wild, which may be the reason for their more independent nature.

If you are looking for a quiet, shy, timid bird, this amazon is not for you. It is a highly social bird who loves to be the center of attention. They will learn tricks, and learn to play tricks on you. They look forward to interaction and games and will provide you with many fun moments and a lot of laughter.

Handling/Training

The Double Yellow Headed Amazon quickly becomes accustomed to a new environment and its keeper, and is then ready to start bird training. Generally though, you should give a new arrival a few days to get use to you, your voice and its cage before trying to handle it. A hand fed baby will not need much taming and can often be handled right away, as it is use to human attention.

"They love to learn and find their humans to be quite entertaining at times. I would say to my Double Yellow Head "I'm a bird, I can fly. I'm a bat I lay down'. While saying this I would hold her high in the air and let her flap her wings and then I would lay her gently down in the palm of my hand and let her rest there. This taught her to land on my hand in the air and to lie down on her back. She enjoyed the game and she learned"... Cheryl Galloway

For information about training your Yellow-headed Amazon see: Amazon Parrot Care: Handling and Training

Activities

The Yellow-headed Parrot is an active bird and needs plenty of toys, and a hanging perch would be great. A moveable perch that can follow you around the house is almost a requirement. It likes to play, will make its own music and dance, and is quite an acrobat. They entertain themselves quite well and you will enjoy it.

Sexing - Sexual Differences

Double Yellow Headed Amazons are not sexually dimorphic, females look like males. If gender identification is important (for example for breeding birds) DNA / Feather or surgical sexing is recommended.

Breeding/Reproduction

These Amazons are commonly bred in captivity. They must be mature, 4 - 5 years of age. The sexes must be confirmed and the pair must be harmonious, bonded with each other. They will need a nest box that is 31"-39" (80-100 cm) high with an inside diameter of 12"-14" (30-35 cm) and an opening of 4"-5" (10-12 cm). Provide some soft bedding material inside on the bottom of the box.

At the onset of warm weather (April to early May) courtship will begin. The hen will then lay two to five eggs which incubate for about 28 days. The young will leave the nest at 8-9 weeks old. 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.

Potential Problems

In the wild, amazons will call out to each other first thing in the morning and then again as the sun is setting. So early in the morning your Double Yellow Headed Amazon will be calling for you and he will warn you when the sun sets that it's bed time. These two periods of the day, which usually last about 10 minutes, can be a little noisy with an Amazon. These parrots when well cared for will seldom become ill. Though it is often difficult to determine illness, some visible signs of illness to be aware of are:

• ruffled plumage
• listlessness
• drooping wings
• sagging body
• extreme mood changes
• having no appetite
• bulges in feathering
• partially closed or watery eyes
• swelling of the eyelids
• rasping
• difficulty breathing
• excessive saliva
• dirty vent
• any change in the feces not apparently diet related.

Some of the more common illnesses are:

• Psittacosis (chlamydiosis or parrot fever)
• bacterial, viral, or fungal infections
• feather picking (results of boredom, poor diet, sexual frustration, lack of bathing)
• allergies
• chewing flight and tail feathers by juveniles
• beak malformations in chicks
• Papillomas
• kidney disease (gout)
• toxicity
• heavy metal poisoning
• lipomas in older birds.

If you notice any of these bird illnesses in your Yellow Headed Amazon, immediately provide a warm, draft free, secure environment kept at about 86°F (30°C). Place food and water close to the perch where it is easily accessible. An ailing parrot should be taken to a avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.

Availability

The Double Yellow Headed Amazon is readily available and it should be easy to find one in a pet store or from breeders in your area. They can be rather expensive.

References

• Animal-World References: Pet Birds - Exotic Birds
• Dr. David Alderton, The Atlas of Parrots of the World, T.F.H. Publications, Inc. 1991
• David Alderton, Parrots, Salamander Books, 1999
• David Alderton,, A Bird Keeper's Guide to Parrots and Macaws, Salamander Books, 1989
• Yellow-headed Amazon Amazona oratrix, BirdLife International, 1986
• Amazona oratrix Ridgway, 1887, ITIS Report
• Werner and Susanne Lantermann, Amazon Parrots, Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 1988
• Yellow-headed Amazon Parrots, AvianWeb LLC, Copyright 2010
• Joanie Doss, Amazon FAQ , Up at Six, Last Revised: Sunday, 20-Jul-2008

Author: Clarice Brough CAS, Cheryl Galloway

Lastest Comments on Double Yellow-Headed Amazon View all 39 comments on Double Yellow-Headed Amazon Add Your Comment

Christopher Gordon - 2007-06-14 Sammy is my male double yellow headed amazon parrot, and he was hatched in 1991. I got him when he was 7 years old, and as of the date of this comment, we've been together 9 years and he's currently 16 years old. He was rather overweight when I first got him (I don't know much about his past, and his hatch-year I got from tracing his leg band ID), but with a big change in diet and exercise, he slimmed down from about 600 grams to abou 460 grams. He has a King's cage model 306 (meant for macaws) with toys I rotate monthly. Sammy is fully-flighted and has been for most of the 9 years I've had him. He is getting better at coming when called (we have structured training sessions for this), and is a joy to me. However, he's very much a one-person bird, and can be rather aggressive toward anyone else who comes near him (or me, if he's out with me). This could be prevented if he was socialized better, but most of the people in my life aren't bird-people, so it's hard to get him to be friendly with others. He gets a home-made base diet that has about 2/3 China Prairie sprouts (a mix of various hulled seeds and legumes) and 1/3 veggie mash (a mix I make myself, including "frozen mixed veggies", various fruits, dark greens, and high beta carotene veggies, along with some diced tofu and ground hard-boiled eggs with shell, kept frozen in ziplock bags), mixed together in his food dish with a sprinkling of a green powder from China Prairie that has spirulina, kelp, alfalfa, chlorella, mineral clay, and lots of other good stuff. He gets other healthy treats and an in-shell walnut or two almonds each day as well. He's unusually snuggly (with me) for an amazon, plays well with his toys, and can be very entertainingly vocal. I haven't tried teaching him specific words or phrases, but he's picked up lots over the years on his own, including calling my name (Chris). All in all, he's been a joy in my life, and I look forward to a few more decades with him. julie wiggins - 2010-02-19 My dyh is 6 and I live alone so I very much wanted her to be social. So I have brought her to work on Fridays all these years and last year she got very aggressive with several people. I ran into the breeder and she said it sounds like you have a male. Where I bought her from the certificate said female but I took her to my vet and did another dna. Indeed she was a he. The advice I received was to not bring him to work anymore and to leave him home where he was happy and not stressed. It saddened me though because I adore him/her so I just wanted to share her and have her where if something ever happened to me that she would be easily adoptable. I still refer to Gypsy as she because so much of her vocabulary is good girl, such a pretty girl etc. I have a Quaker (feather plucker) and an African Meyer but Gypsy is my favorite, she is really a companion Reply

Anastasia Higgins - 2005-04-11 I just recently rescued "riley" a 17 year old amazon, I think he is a double headed. I rescued riley from the veterinary clinic I work for as a grooming assistant. he was put there to board by his elderly owner who went into the hospital in feb 2005. well his owner passed away so I offered to cover his bill and bring him into my family. He was my favorite coworker :) and now my best friend. I have just recently been through the hard times of losing someone close to me also as he did, so we make a good pair. I look forward to having a life with him:) He is very talkitive, the most clearly spoken bird I have met! His favorite phrases are "I love you", "hello" (he likes to answer the phone), "guten tag"(hello in german), "happy bird", sing happy birthday, and silent night to name a couple :) he is great. Reply

JP - 2005-10-28 I have a double yellow headed Amazon named Harley and she is almost 6 years old. She is the funniest bird i have ever seen in my life. She can imitate any sound she hears and can say just about anything. When she talks, she keeps me laughing for hours and she loves to show off. Whenever she see's someone she says, "I'm A Bird! I'm a Bird!" and then starts laughing. She is a bit wild at times, and although I raised her from the time she was 3 weeks old, she bites when she gets excited and wants to play with you. Dispite that, she has a great personality and she always keeps me entertained. Cheryl - 2011-06-06 We also have a double yellow named Harley. He is 8 and my boyfriend has had him since birth. "What up" is one of many things he says. He has recently taken to squaking and we aren't sure way. Any thoughts? Reply

Janet - 2012-02-16 I have a 35 year old Double Yellowhead and he has always been a happy bird. He is with and around most of the day. The past 5 years or so I notice his tail feathers have turned yellow. They come in green but turn yellow. He has a great appitite and appears very healthy. What could be causing this? Thanks Charlie Roche - 2012-02-16 I don't know for sure but parrots do show their age and this might be one indication. Humans get grey and maybe their feathers change. I know some blue golds who got grey feathers and a bunch of parrots that got wrinkles on bare facial patches. It is odd to realize but they do show signs of aging. I just can't think of anything else. Reply

meg - 2011-10-23 Hi - writing from Lower Mainland B.C. Canada...does anyone have a big L shaped breeding/nesting box suitable for Amazon parrots or a pattern so I can make one...or know where I can buy at reasonable price....thanks so much. Meg Charlie Roche - 2011-10-24 China Prarie Farms Nest Boxes has really great nest boxes and easy to clean, view eggs etc. They just don't wear out. Anonymous - 2012-01-22 Doctor Foster and Smith 18008267206 they might have some for sale Reply

Bright - 2011-09-27 Why does my 23 year old Amazon parrot sleep so much? She seems healthy. Charlie Roche - 2011-09-27 I don't know what you man by 'sleep so much?' Given their own regular schedule (in the wild), they would normally go to sleep when the sun goes down and wake when the sun comes up. However, if you have to get up at 6 am - so before the sun comes up, they wake up. If you have them watch TV with you at night - they normally stay up. In the wild, they take rest periods during the day - just sorta sit around but they would be up if you were playing, talking to them or activity around the home. So is your little guy sleeping way more than this? Not active? Not playing or talking or interacting? If he is lethargic and not playing or active or his behavior has changed recently, you should take him to the vet. 23 is pretty young. Reply

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