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From: hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov (Dale Hubler)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Indoor: companion for parrot?
Message-ID: <1991Jun7.105226.28790@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 7 Jun 91 10:52:26 GMT
References: <11508@xenna.Xylogics.COM>
Sender: news@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov
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Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
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In article <11508@xenna.Xylogics.COM> rollo@Xylogics.COM (Dena Rollo) writes:
>I have a four-year-old yellow-naped Amazon (named Puck); I've had
>her (presumed to be, never been sexed) since she was 14 weeks old, and
>she's always been very attached to me, although she's not strictly a
>one-person bird. Here's my dilemma, and my question:
>
>Lately, she's been a lot less cuddly, doesn't like to be scratched very
>often (she's always liked to be held and scratched as often as I've been
>
>So here's the question: I'd like to get her a companion, but I'm not sure which
>way to go. Has anyone here with a large bird made this decision, and how did it
>
>I'd consider having her sexed and getting another nape for possible breeding, but
>
>Thanks very much.
>
>Dena

Yes, this is quite probably due to sexual maturity and the season.  I
started with one amazon and expanded from there.  When I had a conure the
birds would scream at one another and sit on opposite ends of a playground,
but that is a close as they would get.  Amazons are rather territorial and
she did not care for sharing with a conure.  Eventually I got another
amazon and they became good friends over time, even rewarding me with
eggs though both were female.  As breeding season passes your bird should
revert to its normal friendly self.    I think the best companion would
be another amazon more than any other bird.  As far as breeding goes,
yellow napes and amazons in general are not easy to breed.  If you really
wish to try breeding amazons you must forget about the bird as a pet.
You should place the birds in an out of the way area and interfere with
them as little as possible.  It may be years before you have any success,
it has been for me.  The birds are apt to become aggressive when you violate
their territory just to care for them.  If you wish to maintain the birds as
pets you might wish to rethink this.

Dale Hubler


--
Dale A. Hubler  --  Sverdrup Technology  --  (216) 977-7014     
                                             hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov
Hubler's Thereom;  For each and every low-tech problem there exists
                   at least one high-tech solution