Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot

"Proper Caging and Environment"

The Blue Front Amazon Parrot is a big bird, both in size and personality. Not as big as a Macaw, however averaging 13 to 15 inches in length means they need a sizable cage.

The minimum cage requirements for a Blue Front Amazon are 18” x 18” square with a height of 24”, however bigger is better and the taller you can make your Amazon’s cage, the better.  Amazons like to climb and get the proverbial “Bird’s eye view.” Making sure your Blue Front’s cage provides this will help to ensure an optimal habitat. They are exceptionally smart birds, second only in language skills to the African Grey. They’re social, generally unafraid, and enjoy being around people. These traits affect your cage location decision. Amazon’s want to be with their families.

This means if you put your Amazon in your office, where you rarely spend time, then they are going to be extremely unhappy birds. However, if you place their cage in your family room, they’ll be thrilled.

Other location considerations include not putting the cage near a draft. Making sure they have access to natural light. Making certain that they feel protected in their environment. Generally a cage that has 4 exposed sides has the possibility of making a parrot feel too exposed. If you can place their cage in a corner or against a wall, they will feel more secure.

Other cage considerations include material, stainless steel is best though a steel cage coated in a non-toxic paint is fine too just make sure the paint won’t flake or peel off. Look for a cage door that opens down like a drawbridge. Sideways opening doors are okay too, however never choose a door that opens like a guillotine. Make sure your Blue Front Amazon’s cage has wires that are close enough together that they cannot squeeze through them and consider choosing a cage with casters so you can move it if you need to.

One last, but very important, consideration. The cage must be easy to clean. Let’s face it, cleaning your Blue Front’s cage isn’t going to be the highlight of your day. If all you have to do is pull the bottom tray out, clean it off, and put it back in then your day is going to go much better – and your bird’s too. Make certain your bird’s cage has a wire grated bottom with a tray below it. This way all the food and waste fall through the grate onto the tray. Your bird is healthy and your cleaning job won’t take all day.

We’ve talked a lot about your Blue Front Amazon’s cage but what about the other things that keep them healthy and strong? How much sleep do they need? What about their diet? Do they need toys? If so, what kind? Here are the answers:

Sleep. When Blue Front’s are young they need 11-12 hours of quality sleep. This means no waking them up at night when you get home from the bar because you want to show your new parrot to your friends. It also means making sure your schedule or the bird’s environment can meet these needs. Remember, if you buy a cage with castors, you can move them into a quieter place in your home when it is time to sleep.

As your Blue Front Amazon grows up, they’ll need less and less sleep, however it will still need about 10 hours a day. If you start noticing your parrot is getting cranky and nipping or screeching, try giving them a little bit more sleep. For a more complete report on diet and organic pellets check out www.feedyourflock.com

Diet. Your Blue Front needs a pellet based diet, not seed based, not nut based. They have a tendency to overeat and seeds and nuts are full of fat. It’s like feeding them cookies first and then asking them to eat some fruits and veggies – it just won’t happen. So a diet that is made up of 65% pellets, 30% fresh fruits and vegetables and 5% nuts and seeds is perfect. Take care to always wash all fruits and veggies to remove pesticides and buy an organic pellet food if you can. Offer a wide variety of fruits and veggies and never offer avocados or fruit pits to your parrot.

Toys. We’ve saved the best for last. Or at least the most fun. Giving your Blue Front toys accomplishes many things. It keeps them occupied and stimulated when you’re gone. It enables them to use their natural bird instincts, like chewing and climbing. Toys also help them learn about the world around them. So what kinds of toys do you buy?

All kinds. Offer a variety. Always make sure they’re durable and non-toxic. Make sure you offer a variety of colors, textures, toys that make sounds, toys that ask them to climb, toys that ask them to chew, toys that are puzzles and give them a challenge. I’m grouping perches and climbing branches here in toys but they’re really more like cage features. Your bird needs a variety of perch sizes to keep their feet from becoming deformed. They also need branches to climb. Most bird supply stores will have a variety of fruit tree branches to choose from.

The first key to a happy healthy Blue Front Amazon is to make sure it’s environment is optimal. Proper food, sleep, cage environment, and of course toys will go a long way toward a lifelong relationship with your parrot.