The Mealy Amazon Parrot is one of the largest Amazon parrot species. Unlike some other Amazon parrots, these birds are known for their docile and calm behavior. While these beautiful big parrots may not have exceptional talking abilities and flashy colors, they more than make up for it with their affectionate and loving personalities.
They can make excellent pets for those who prefer calm birds because they are not that active or feisty. Although Mealy Amazon Parrots are not excessively colorful, they do have bright green bodies with purple or blue patches on their heads. Some might have yellow patches instead. The tail feathers are light green or lime.
Mealy Amazon Parrots are native to Southern and Central America. They inhabit the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, Colombia, southern Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru.
Initially identified in the 1780s, these birds inhabit the tropical rainforests and woodlands in canopies and tree holes. Despite their wide distribution, farmers have encroached on most of their habitat, which threatens their existence. Farmers treat these birds as pests because they use farm crops as a food source.
This parrot is social and lives in flocks of up to 100 birds except for mating pairs. They may interact with other bird species, such as Macaws.
Image By: Syamoes, Shutterstock
Temperament
Known as a gentle giant, the Mealy Amazon Parrot has a loving and easy-going personality compared to many other Amazon parrots. They can form a pairing with a mate that can last a lifetime. Due to this natural instinct, they are affectionate and have a strong bond with their owner when kept as a pet.
This parrot loves human interaction. They are cuddly and will perch on your shoulders, waiting to be picked up or scratched. Therefore, you’ll often find them looking for a family member to play with. This behavior tends to lead to bonding with one favorite person, and the friendship can last a lifetime.
To remain healthy, these birds need social interaction. If they feel abandoned, they will start exhibiting destructive behaviors and depression, such as biting and feather plucking. Therefore, it’s essential to give your pet bird attention from when they are young.
Most Amazon birds are aggressive; however, Mealy Amazons are considered non-aggressive. They don’t bite or nip, so they can get along well with other birds. Despite this, these birds might go through a bluffing stage as adolescents. This period can last 2 years, during which the bird will show aggressive behaviors, such as excessive chewing on items like toys and electric wires in your home. This time can be exhausting for most owners; therefore, it’s better to get this bird if you are an experienced bird owner.
Birds from the Amazon parrot family are excellent talkers. Mealy Amazons are intelligent and can pick up lots of vocabulary. They can learn entire songs and memorize lyrics and tones, which they love to repeat to mimic their owners.
Due to their large size, Mealy Parrots tend to be loud. Their natural call and screams can be deafening and travel a long distance. However, despite this, they are not as loud as some other parrots.
Mealy Amazon Parrot Colors and Markings
The Mealy Amazon is primarily green. They are different from other Amazon parrots in that their tropical green color is darker on the back and wings and lighter on the belly.
They have a grey-green pattern on the neck and back. They get their Mealy name because of the subtle white tinge all over their back, making them look as if they are dusted with flour.
These birds have shades of red and blue on the feather tips. Their beaks are yellow to dark-grey, and they have a white ring around the eyes. They are also referred to as the Blue-Crowned Parrot because of the blue patch on their heads.
Here are other varieties of Mealy Amazon Parrots:
Plain-Colored Mealy Amazons: This sub-species has few or no yellow feathers on the head, and the carpel edge is dull yellow. They also tend to be larger and duller than the typical Amazon bird.
Costa-Rica Mealy Amazons: The body has primarily yellow feathers instead of green.
Caring for Mealy Amazon Parrots
If you’re getting a Mealy Amazon Parrot as a pet, here are some of the things you need to do to keep the bird living comfortably.
Image By: Rosa Jay, Shutterstock
Shelter
These birds can grow up to 15 to 17 inches as adults. Due to their large size, they need a large cage. It should be at least 3 feet wide and long and 5 or 6 feet tall. In addition, it should be large enough for the bird to fly around comfortably without the risk of injuring themselves.
The cage should have toys, swings, and ladders for your pet to play and exercise. Like other Amazon parrots, this bird is prone to weight gain, so this equipment will encourage the bird to exercise. When adding these items, ensure that they don’t overcrowd the cage so the bird has ample space to fly.
When bringing this bird home, you need to factor in various expenses, such as the cage.
Grooming
Amazon parrots love to have a regular bath to keep their feathers in good and healthy condition. Therefore, you should provide your Mealy Amazon Parrot with a water bowl or use a spray bottle to clean them.
A bath is good for maintaining the bird’s plumage. After the shower, have your bird dry out in the sun or a warm room, or you can use a blow dryer to make things easier.
When trimming your bird’s wings, avoid clipping them too much. You should just cut the primary flight feathers that enable the bird to glide. If you clip them excessively, heavier Mealy Parrots might fall and get injured.
Socialization
These birds enjoy human interaction. Therefore, once you bring home your bird, you have to provide one-on-one interaction to establish and maintain a healthy bond. Fortunately, Mealy Amazon Parrots love hanging around their owners, which makes training easier.
Image By: Ondrej Chvatal, Shutterstock
Common Health Problems
Mealy Amazon Parrots are robust birds and naturally adapt to different environments. They are vulnerable to conditions like extreme cold but otherwise only have minor health problems.
A good nutrition plan and daily exercise are crucial to the health of your bird. If you provide enough room for them, they’ll be less prone to illnesses and depression.
Let’s take a look at the most common health conditions that these birds can encounter.
Psittacosis: This medical condition is also known as parrot fever. It’s caused by Chlamydia bacteria and is spread via droppings and respiratory secretions from sneezing and coughing. Your bird will get infected by either ingesting contaminated material or inhaling the bacteria. Birds can get this infection if they are recently exposed to a large group of other birds. You should watch out for signs like loss of appetite, weight loss, difficulty breathing, nose discharge, and swelling of the tissues. You can use preventive care to protect your bird from this bacterial infection. However, if they contract it, isolate the specific bird from others in the aviary, and seek medical assistance from your vet as soon as possible.
Feather Picking: Mealy Amazon Parrots are notorious for feather picking, which eventually leads to balding and skin issues. This habit comes about if your bird is excessively fearful. They will exhibit fear when inactive or housed in a poorly designed cage with insufficient light. A poor diet and lack of sleep might also push your bird to the point of constant fright. It results in habits like feather picking and chewing.
Obesity: Like most other Amazon parrots, Mealy Amazons are prone to obesity and weight gain. Due to their large size, they tend to gain weight quickly, especially when they are not getting enough exercise. You can easily prevent your bird from becoming overweight by providing the proper diet and meeting their exercise needs.
Diet and Nutrition
In the wild, Meal Amazons feed on human crops, such as corn, and as a result, farmers consider them to be crop pests. The bird’s natural diet is composed of seeds, nuts, fruits, and leaf buds.
In captivity, Mealy Amazons require a high-quality pelleted diet, which should be supplemented with daily servings of fruits and vegetables. You should feed your bird approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of pelleted food and the same amount of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. This type of raw and well-balanced diet is vital for keeping your bird healthy.
Seeds and nuts are this bird’s favorites. However, due to the risk of obesity, it’s best to offer these foods as occasional treats because of their high fat content. Avoid food items like chocolate, avocado, and coffee beans because these are toxic to your bird.
Image By: Rosa Jay, Shutterstock
Exercise
Exercise is vital for Mealy Amazon Parrots. Therefore, you should ensure that the cage is large enough for your bird to fly freely. Also, include bird-safe toys, ladders, and swings to keep them engaged physically and mentally. To prevent boredom, ensure that you rotate the toys and introduce new things; otherwise, your pet will start chewing on your house furniture.
Besides cage play, you should give your bird some out-of-cage exercise sessions. You should provide a minimum of 3 to 4 hours of supervised exercise daily. This is good for keeping the bird mentally stimulated and helping them burn off any excess calories. During these sessions, ensure that the windows and doors are closed to prevent your pet from flying away.
Where to Adopt or Buy a Mealy Amazon Parrot
As a large bird, this species can be expensive. They can cost from $1,000 to $2,000 at a reputable breeder. Due to their popularity, though, it’s easy to find a good breeder or a rescue via online sources. Rescues and shelters will offer the birds at a much lower price.
If you are considering buying or adopting one of these birds, you should visit the breeders or rescue center in person to observe the bird’s behavior and to determine whether they’d be a good fit for you.
To ensure that you get a healthy bird, go to a reputable breeder. They will answer your questions about the general health of their birds and provide a medical history. You should also visit their premises to see the birds’ living conditions and talk to past customers.
It would be best to avoid breeders who have cramped living conditions and those who can’t provide information about their animals. Also, watch out for inactive birds; they might be sick.
Before buying a Mealy Amazon, ensure that you have the time and the budget to handle all the expenses required to keep your pet healthy and happy.
Conclusion
Mealy Amazon Parrots are good pets. These large-sized birds are docile, calm, and affectionate, which is ideal for bird lovers. Although not as colorful and talkative as some other parrots, they’ll keep you entertained with their comical imitations.
They love spending time with their owners and can develop a lifetime relationship with a favorite family member. That means they tend to get bored or depressed if neglected for a long time. When keeping this bird, ensure that they get enough exercise and a healthy diet. As large birds, they are highly prone to obesity, which can impact their health.
Mealy Amazon Parrots get along with other birds and are a low-maintenance species. As long as you keep your pet well-fed and mentally and physically engaged, they’ll live a long and healthy life.
Featured Image Credit: Michal Sloviak, Shutterstock
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Nicole is the proud mom of 3 rescue fur babies, Baby, a Burmese cat; Rosa, a New Zealand Huntaway; and Mac, a Lab/Mastiff. A Canadian expat, Nicole now lives on a lush forest property with her Kiwi husband and new baby daughter in New Zealand. She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes (and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship) and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
