TURQUOISE FRONTED AMAZON

Turquoise Fronted Amazon – Appearance:

Blue Fronted Amazon parrots are covered in luscious green feathers. As the name suggests, the area just above the nares is turquoise. This distinct turquoise color is a key distinguishing feature from other Amazon parrots such as the Yellow-Naped Amazon or the Yellow Headed Amazon. Similar to conures, Amazon parrots have white eye rings, charcoal colored beaks and grey feet.

You may find images online of the Turquoise Fronted Amazon parrot with patches of red or yellow feathers on the shoulders. Red patchy feathers are indicative of the nominate subspecies – A. a. aestiva whereas the yellow patchy feathers are the alternate subspecies – A. a. xanthopteryx.

Turquoise Fronted Amazon – Diet:

80% Pellets – Specialized pellets formulated for South American parrots. Popular brands include: Lafeber Classic Nutriberries, ZuPreem Fruitblend for Parrots and Vetafarm Nutriblend Pellets Small

15% Fresh Fruit and Vegetables – Soaked Beans/Peas, Apples, Cantaloupe/Rockmelon, Pomegranate, Berries, Grapes, Watermelon, Oranges, Pears, Plums, Carrots, Broccoli, Peas, Corn, Mango, Peppers

5% Protein – Cooked chicken bones (no meat, only the bone). Please be careful not to feed bones with sharp edges.

Tip: Hide nuts inside toys to keep your bird entertained for ages

	LAFEBER’S Tropical Fruit Nutri-Berries 3lb
	ZuPreem Pure Fun 2lb – Blend of Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts
	Vetafarm Parrot Essentials Complete Diet 2kg

Turquoise Fronted Amazon – Essentials:

When bringing your little birdie home for the first time, you will need to ensure you have the basics sorted beforehand.

• Bird Cage – at least 40cm x 60cm x 100cm (W x L x H) – plenty of room for toys and flight; best to line the cage with newspaper to easily clean their droppings/mess
• Cage Cover – any cloth that covers 90% of the cage so the bird can sleep in darkness e.g. light blanket or sheet
• Perch – at least 3 perches, preferably sturdy natural bark branches to keep their nails naturally trimmed. It’s a great idea to have an external perch i.e. on top of the cage so your bird can explore out of the cage.
• Toys – at least 4 toys to begin with for mental stimulation/entertainment; highly recommend foraging toys or those that can be chewed e.g. large rope knots, wooden blocks or swings
• Bowls – 3 to 4 bowls (1x pellets/nuts, 1x fresh fruit/vegetables, 1x water and 1x bath dish)

Still not sure? Click here to download our 100% FREE bird care checklist here.

Turquoise Fronted Amazon – Behavior:

• Socialization: Blue Fronted Amazon parrots are cheeky and intelligent parrots that enjoy human interaction. Be prepared to give them lots of attention and cuddles! With the right tools for positive reinforcement training, your bird will learn cool tricks in no time. However you should be mindful, these birds tend to be slightly aggressive during breeding season, therefore be cautious of nipping.

• Vocalization: These parrots have various calls that include “wak-wak”, “kraa” and “groo”. Each distinct type of vocalization is used for a different purpose such as distress signaling, mating calls, feeding or flying. If you’re looking for a talkative companion, then you’re in luck – the Turquoise Fronted Amazon can be trained to speak phrases as well as sing, dance and whistle. These birds are not loud or too noisy so are suitable for apartment settings.

Requirements:

• Vertical rectangle shaped nest box made from untreated wood (min. dimensions 80x25x30cm – HxWxL)
• Nest box filling – non-toxic wood shavings or saw dust

• Mating Partner: monogamous – one partner for life
• Breeding Season: Spring
• Clutch Frequency: 1 clutch per year
• Clutch Quantity: 2 – 3 eggs per clutch
• Incubation Period: 24 – 26 days
• Weaning: 3 months

Turquoise Fronted Amazon – Health:

Common Issue	Symptoms	Causes
Psittacosis	Appetite loss, fluffed feathers, vomiting, nasal/ocular discharge, diarrhea or pale green feces, breathing difficulties, conjunctivitis, minimal physical movement, tremors	Bacteria: Chlamydia psittaci contracted via infected dried saliva, feathers, mucous and feces
Proventricular Dilatation Syndrome “Macaw Wasting Syndrome“	Loss of appetite, vomiting, passing of undigested food in feces, weight loss, overall body weakness, head tremors seizures	Avian Bornavirus (ABV) contracted through feces, saliva and other bodily secretions from birds – causes nerve inflammation
Feather Plucking	Form of self mutilation by plucking their own feathers, leaving bald patches of skin	Boredom, lack of mental stimulation, poor diet, illness, stress
Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease	Sharp, clubbed or abnormally short feathers, pigment loss in colored feathers, bloody feather shafts	Beak & Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) contracted from other infected birds e.g. oral – parent feeding young or ingestion of virus particles in dust feces
Aspergillosis	Weight loss, lethargy, constantly fluffed feathers, difficulty breathing, cloudy eyes, droopy wings	Aspergillus fungus: exposure to spores found in dust, mold, soil – mainly affects malnourished or immunocompromised birds
Malnutrition	Nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing conjunctivitis, poor feather quality, weakness, egg binding, embryonic death	Vitamin A or Calcium deficiency
Worms	Diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, malnutrition or blood in feces	Ascaris roundworm or flatworms – eggs passed in droppings

Did You Know?

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