Lilac-crowned Amazon

Distribution:
   These birds are native to western Mexico and inhabit wooded foothills and mountains, plains, grain fields, and banana plantations.

Description:
   The Lilac-crowned Amazon or Finsch's Amazon has green plumage though more yellow on the underparts. The feathers of the neck and upper sides are edged in black giving it a scalloped appearance that resembles an African Gray. The forehead and lores back to the eyes are a red brown. There is a blue mauve on the crown and neck making a half moon shape around the cheeks, which are a yellowish-green. The outer feathers of the wings are edged in a violet blue, there is a red speculum, and the tail is tipped with a yellow-green. The eye is orange, the beak is horn-colored, and the legs are greenish-gray.
   Juveniles are similar to the adults but their eyes are dark brown.

Size - Weight:
  Mature birds are about 13 inches (33 cm) long from the head to the tip of the tail.

Care and feeding:
    A roomy cage is required and because these amazons are very active, they need to spend a good deal of their time outside of their cage or be housed in an aviary.
    In the wild these birds eat fruits (they are especially fond of figs), seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms, corn, and bananas. The Amazon's main diet should primarily be seeds, nuts, fruits, and green vegetables. A commercially prepared parrot mix or pelleted diet can also be beneficial.

   See About Amazon Parrots: Housing and About Amazon Parrots: Care and Feeding for more information.

Social Behaviors:
   Amazons enjoy human interaction as well as interaction with other birds. In the wild they are very social birds living in groups. They are seen flocks of two or three hundred birds, except during breeding season. They also form permanent pairs when they are sexually mature.

   See About Amazon Parrots: Social Behaviors for information on developing a well rounded Amazon.

Activities:
    Loves to climb and play. Provide lots of toys. Also needs room to stretch its wings although climbing seems to be its favorite activity.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   These amazons are commonly bred in captivity. At the onset of warm weather (April to early May) courtship will begin. The hen will then lay three eggs which incubate for about 26 - 28 days. The young will leave the nest at about 8 weeks. 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!

   See About Amazon Parrots: Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.

Potential Problems:
  These birds are hardy and healthy if provided with a good environment and a good diet. Amazons can be noisy first thing in the morning, and just before the sun sets. This is easy to control, they can often be quieted by just covering their cage for a short period of time.

   See About Amazon Parrots: Potential Problems for information on health.

Availability: Readily available.