When people refer to the yellow parrot, they are actually talking about any of the three varieties, the Yellow-headed Amazon, the Double Yellow-headed Amazon, and the Yellow-naped Amazon. To complicate matters a bit more, there are also a variety of subspecies that should be included in this group, such as the Magna (or Magnum) Yellow-headed Amazon which can be differentiated by the fact that it is more efficiently yellow than colored. yellow. close cousins and as such attracts a premium in cost as a pet.
The plumage of the yellow Amazon parrot is strikingly beautiful, although slightly different for each variety. They share a vibrant green body and tail feathers, but the differences occur in the placement and location of the yellow colorations. The yellow-headed amazon has a yellow head, the yellow-naped amazon has a yellow breast and neck instead of a head, and the double yellow-headed amazon has a yellow nape, neck, and head.
The yellow parrot grows to between 14 and 17 inches in length, which is 35 to 43 cm, making it the largest of the Amazon parrots and this fact should not be overlooked if you are considering one as a pet, as is the case with the most of the larger species of parrots. They can be quite destructive, often needing replacement toys and perches which can quickly add up to a large expense. They are happiest when they have room to fly and move around a lot, so if you are considering keeping one as a pet, you should buy a large cage for them and let them out of their cage every day.
These birds are native to the coastal regions of Mexico, as well as northern Honduras and Guatemala, as well as most of Belize. Unfortunately, due to black market demand in the pet trade, as well as a significant reduction in size in their natural habitat, these birds are now considered an endangered species. The import, export and trade of Yellow Amazons is now illegal, although captive birds can be legally owned and sold subject to regulatory compliance. This all means that they are quite expensive to buy as a pet and will cost upwards of $800 to $1500 or more depending on the subspecies, remember I mentioned that the Magna Yellow-headed Amazon drew a premium due to its rarer colorations, so expect to pay around $1200+.
As pets these birds are highly entertaining and are considered some of the most adept conversationalists among parrots, using a large vocabulary and pronouncing extremely well, in fact they are probably second only to the African Gray when it comes to speaking.
