These interesting and popular pets are originally from the coastal area of Mexico.

Yellow headed Amazons have striking markings, with mostly green bodies, a bright yellow head and a red patch on both wings.

Their range includes parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, and they tend to prefer habitats in tropical and subtropical forests.

They also live in savannas, mangrove swamps and cultivated land that still retains trees

Unfortunately, these parrots are now on the endangered species list.

Deforestation has destroyed their habitat, illegal pet trading has reduced their numbers in the wild, and poaching is responsible for the deaths of many birds.

Captive bred birds are available as pets, but like most other parrots, they are quite expensive.

This is due to the effort required to raise one.

Considered perhaps the second best talker in the parrot world (after the African Grey), these parrots are popular because of their vocal abilities.

Remember, however, that not every parrot will talk.

The amount your pet will talk will depend on its preferences and surroundings.

Some birds chatter right away, while others won’t talk at all.

That doesn’t mean there’s not a lot more than talking there, however.

Even a nontalking parrot is smart, active, and entertaining.

These birds love attention, and can be playful and very vocal.

In fact, they’re generally called the loudest of the Amazon parrots, and may need some training to quiet them down a little.

The activity level of the yellow headed Amazon parrot means that it needs an environment that’ll allow it to fly.

For many, this means an aviary or parrot room.

Indoor cages are still a possibility, however.

You just need to offer enough daily exercise to keep your bird happy.

These parrots are easy to tame and train, but be sure to supervise them when they’re out.

Like most large parrots, yellow headed Amazons are quite destructive.

Be sure to provide lots of branches and toys to chew on, as well as perches, ropes and ladders for climbing.

Don’t be surprised if your bird tends to explore and climb with its beak as well as its feet.

You may find your pet eating all kinds of foods and trying out new things on a regular basis.

Feed a good, balanced diet, and offer plenty of toys and interaction to keep your pet happy and healthy. You’ll get years of entertainment and companionship as your reward.

Parrots are classified as a type of bird, belonging to the family known as psittacines.

There are somewhere between 350 to 400 species of parrots, which can generally be divided into three main categories:

• The Psittacidae (‘true’ parrots)

• The Cacatuidae (cockatoos)

• The Nestoridae (New Zealand parrots)

The most commonly known parrots are:

• budgies,

• cockatoos,

• rosellas,

• loris,

• conures,

• African grays,

• lovebirds,

• senegals,

• jardines,

• ringnecks,

• amazons, and

• macaws.

You may also have heard them referred to as ‘hook-bills’, due to the hook-like shape of their bills.

Generally, parrots can be found in most regions where there is a warm or tropical climate, in particular South America and Australasia.

The parrot possesses the widest array of colors within all bird species.

The color you are most likely to think of is green, and you are right in that it is the most common, but some, for example the Amazon parrot, have complementary colors of red, blue or yellow which intensify their physical beauty.

The Cockatoo on the other hand come in shades of white, black, or a light pink.

In terms of size, they can range from a length of 8cm, namely the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, to the Hyacinth Macaw, which can reach lengths of 1 meter.

They are familiarized by their strong, hook-shaped beaks, which are vital to the birds when they climb, feed, or build nests for their young.

The tongue is also very powerful and is used to position nuts and seeds so that the right pressure can be given when using the beak.

They tend to have a large head with the eyes placed on the side, which gives them a great advantage in peripheral vision.

Like other birds, a parrot has four toes, the difference being that unlike other birds, the parrot has two facing forward and two backward as opposed to three forward and one backward.

This is thought to give them a better hold on things.

Cockatoos have what is called a crest of feathers on the top of their heads that may resemble a Mohican, only it can be raised and retracted at will.

A parrot’s diet is mostly made up of nuts, seeds, fruits, nectar and some will occasionally eat on small insects.

Their intelligence is shown in their ability to understand their human companions.

Imitating human voices, singing, and performing various tricks are quite usual of a parrot’s capability and is perhaps the reason why they are a popular choice of pet.

In the wild, they group together in what is known as a ‘flock’, in which they are very vocal amongst the rest of the flock, giving justice to their interactions with humans in captivity.

All in all, a parrot will enjoy bonding with their owners, if through talking, entertaining or even cuddling!

This handsome bird is grey in color with a tail in a red accenting color.

This bird hails from Africa, hence giving him his name.

This amazing creature is extremely smart.

This Parrot can be one of two types of this species.

There is the Timneh African Grey parrot, which has a dark grey coloring and maroon colored tail feathers or a Congo African Grey parrot, which is a lighter colored grey and red tail feathers.

The male African Grey parrot is generally 12 to 14 inches long; the female is approximately 10 to 12 inches in length.

The female species of this parrot will generally appear to have a slimmer neck area. The male species can be detected by a wider head.

This parrot generally does well with a committed owner who will provide love and attention to him on a continuing basis.

This parrot generally lives a very long time and may be with his owner for up to 60 years making this a life-long companion.

This parrot will become frustrated if his needs are not being met and tends to exhibit behavioral problems if this occurs.

This parrot is best suited for an adult, as opposed to children, because of this.

Signs of a frustrated African Grey parrot will become evident in the form of biting other people, incessant talking and noise making and/or plucking their feathers out.

Ultrasensitive to changes, the African Grey parrot is a great learner and will have either good behavioral habits or bad behavioral habits.

Time must be spent with this parrot to reinforce the good behaviors and eliminate the bad ones.

These parrots can become bored rather easily and stimulation is necessary in his surroundings.

However, too many changes will overwhelm him and may cause undesirable behavior issues.

A routine for your African Grey parrot will bring out the best in him.

The African Grey parrot does have some strangely unique quirks and can become quite opinionated in his ways.

This will be apparent in a rather shocking attitude problem.

This can be remedied, however, with time and attention.

His nature should improve with all of these actions implemented as part of his daily life and routine.

A highly affectionate creature, the African Grey parrot will respond to his owner with his attention and dedication to you, his owner.

Reciprocating affection should be given by the owner, but needs to be done cautiously as this parrot does not relish an overabundance of outpouring affection and if overwhelmed by affection he may react negatively.

A wonderful pet that will give you many years of enjoyment and love, this parrot is a delight to raise.