RED FRONT AMAZON – AMAZONA AUTUMNALIS

The Red Fronted Amazon reaches a size that varies between 35 and 38 centimetres, has a longevity of about 60 years and in addition to being a very affectionate parrot it has a good ability to imitate sounds and the human voice. The base coloration is green and the forehead has a typical large red triangle that extends to the nape which is usually shaded blue. The area under the eye is yellow while the lower half of the cheek is green. The wings are usually dark green on top, while the underside is half red. The rectrices have a blue outer border, otherwise they are green. The peri-ophthalmic ring is large and white, the iris yellow, the beak is light grey, the legs grey.

The Red Fronted Amazon is the reference species, there are four subspecies of the Red Fronted Amazon or Amazona Autumnalis, better described below:

Amazon Salvini, with greater abundance of yellow under the eye, in Nicaragua and Costa Rica;

Amazon Lilacina, with the red color on the forehead clearly more extensive, the black beak and the green-yellow cheeks in Ecuador;

Amazon Diadema, with the red of the forehead of purplish tones and of superior size, it is found in the Brazilian forests of the north-east.

sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is not detectable upon observation of the subject, therefore, as per protocol, I carry out targeted tests to identify the sex. Specifically, I rely on external veterinarians and experts in large parrots, who, through blood sampling, are able to identify the sex of the parrot.

Reproduction in nature

The Red Fronted Amazon nests starting from the month of March, laying from two to four eggs which are incubated for about 27 days. The deposition takes place preferably in the cavities of the Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), a giant tree full of fruits and flowers that reaches a height of 70 meters and a trunk diameter of 3 meters. The chicks leave the nest when they are about two months old and remain together with the parents for weaning for another two months.

Captive breeding

In captivity it is not very easy to reproduce these parrots, due to their shy nature, they preferably require an external aviary of at least 2 meters by 1 with a height of 2 meters, with a 60x25x30 nest with an entrance hole of at least 10cm. I prefer to remove the eggs from the nest and continue brooding artificially. Specifically, I remove the eggs from the breeding pair and place them in a professional incubator where the temperature and humidity are always constant and monitored by electronic systems. In doing so, I believe that many cases of mortality can be avoided, specifically, sometimes the parents crush the 'egg involuntarily, I can eat the eggs or in some cases during the weaning of the chicks, they are unable to feed, all this would frustrate the hard work of a season.

Natural environment and distribution

The Red Fronted Amazon is found on the Atlantic side of the Caribbean countries, from southern Mexico to Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, Nicaragua, San Salvador, Panama. It lives in a very vast habitat, between distances of hundreds of kilometres, and is therefore adapted to live in various habitats: humid Amazonian forests, secondary forests, gallery forests, tree-lined savannahs, scrub bushy savannahs, coastal forests rich in mangroves. In the humid forest it tends to stay between 200 and 700 meters of altitude. This parrot tends to live in large flocks in search of food and then gather at sunset on large roosting trees. Indiscriminate trapping and deforestation have contributed to the strong numerical decline of this parrot species. It is one of the most widespread Amazons in captivity, very predisposed to an excellent and affectionate relationship with man and is also very gifted in the imitation of the human voice.

Feeding in nature

The diet of this predominantly arboreal parrot consists mostly of fruit, nuts, seeds and berries. It frequently uses its paws to manipulate food and extract nut kernels with its beak and tongue. Corn crops and orchards are often targeted and plundered by flocks of Amazons. Specifically, the naturalistic studies dedicated to this parrot have observed how its diet varies according to the habitat, given the vastness of the occupied area and therefore the heterogeneity of the natural environments involved.

Captive feeding

In captivity, the Red Fronted Amazon is advised to feed it with a mixture of mixed seeds specific for Amazons, with a good dose of legumes, dried fruit, nuts and peanuts and in any case always with quality products. I give variety of fruits such as pomegranate, apple, banana, orange and seasonal vegetables of all kinds, carrots, celery, cabbage, alternating the variety as much as possible. Also vitamin supplements and mineral salts are recommended for a general balance of the parrot, but if you accustom the bird to the above feeding, you will see that there won't be any need. I recommend administering clean water daily, carefully disinfecting the container. A food of fundamental importance to me. What should never be missing in the containers of our parrots, are the Extruded, nutritionally balanced food and free from many bacterial loads, thanks to the extrusion phase. My advice is to provide our parrot with an important variety of fruit and vegetables from an early age, with high quality seeds.

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