Lilac-crowned Amazon

1 Lilac-crowned Amazon Breed Overview

The Lilac-crowned Amazon (Amazona finschi) is mainly distributed along the Pacific west coast of Mexico. This is a very beautiful parrot, especially recognizable by its lilac-blue crown feathers and the red markings on its forehead.

The Lilac-crowned Amazon is a medium-sized Amazon parrot with a fairly independent and cautious personality. Hand-raised chicks become very charming pet birds. There are two subspecies. Because of a sharp decline in habitat, the Lilac-crowned Amazon’s population is threatened and it is listed under CITES Appendix I.

Chinese name: Lilac-crowned Amazon

Other Chinese names: Pale-crested Amazon or Pale-crowned Parrot

Binomial: Amazona finschi

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Amazona

Species: Lilac-crowned Amazon

Distribution: Pacific west coast of Mexico

2 Physical Characteristics of the Lilac-crowned Amazon

The adult Lilac-crowned Amazon reaches a body length of about 32 cm and is of medium size. Its most distinctive feature is the eye-catching lilac-blue crown feathers and the red markings on its forehead.

The Lilac-crowned Amazon’s forehead and the upper eye area are dark red. The cheeks and base of the ear coverts are pale lemon-green. The crown, sides of the head, and back of the neck are a beautiful lilac or powder blue, with some crown feathers showing black edges. The nape feathers have clear black-edged green. The back is dark green, and the rump and tail are green with a bright sheen. The wing feathers have blue-green edging. The tail has small red patches. The underside is yellow-green with dark blue borders. Some throat feathers reflect blue and yellow-green. The rest of the underbody feathers are yellow-green, with some black scaling on the chest. The tail tip is yellow-green. The outer tail feathers have a thread-like outer edge with a slight blue tint. The beak is pink. The iris is orange-red, and the legs are gray.

3 Lilac-crowned Amazon Habitat

The Lilac-crowned Amazon has a fairly gentle temperament and is suitable as a pet bird. For home keeping, choose a sturdy metal cage with enough space for activity. Caged birds can sometimes be noisy, but they are much quieter in a spacious aviary.

The very gentle Lilac-crowned Amazon needs a reasonably wide space; a monotonous, unstimulating life will bore them, so owners should prepare enough space and place many favorite toys (such as bells) so the active parrot does not get bored.

In the wild they mainly inhabit lowland forest and mountainous areas at 600–2200 m elevation, and also like to frequent pine or oak forests. They are usually active in flocks, sometimes gathering in groups of up to about 300, resting in roosting trees by the hundreds; the whole flock is quite noisy in flight. They also have migratory habits, moving depending on food availability.

4 Lilac-crowned Amazon Care

With proper training, the Lilac-crowned Amazon can learn to speak a few simple words, but its talking ability is not as good as that of other parrots. This bird has a rather shy and steady personality and adapts well; after the adjustment period it becomes very healthy and robust. Chicks are prettier than adults.

In the wild the Lilac-crowned Amazon’s favorite food is figs, followed by berries, nuts, and flower blossoms; it also forages in banana groves or cornfields, causing agricultural losses, and farmers often shoot them.

They usually nest in tree cavities, often taking over old woodpecker holes or even abandoned termite mounds. The breeding season runs from February to June; they become quite noisy around breeding time. During courtship the male usually raises the feathers on its neck and flaps its wings and tail. The female lays about 2–4 eggs, with an incubation period of 26–28 days; not all eggs hatch successfully, and the chicks’ feathers develop after about 8 weeks.