For those thinking they want a Zon, try to visit/speak with rescue groups. There are a lot of Zon's in rescue for various reasons. I have two Yellow Napes and both are rehomes, one is 21, Amos and the other,Gryphon , is between 15-25 yrs old.
I've never had a baby bird and I don't regret taking in older birds at all. Just because you raise a bird from a baby does not guarantee it will turn out problem free. Many older birds have gone through their bad hormonal years, already know how to talk and still have many years of life left in them for the new owner. Just something to think about....
Amos was purchased from a breeder by the original owner, I'm second owner. He was raised from one week of age and is a very "calm" Amazon.
If he doesn't want to be messed with, he'll hold out is foot in front to grasp my fingers. I let him hold me and I just talk softly to him and then walk away and come back later. He likes to step up from behind, which took me awhile to get used to.
He sings/talks in opera, but says some phrases in a VERY human voice, so much so that it's scary at times. He loves to dance for me and is just a clown most of the time.
He will allow me to roll him on his back and we play a tickle game. He gives me gentle kisses and loves to nibble on my fingers. He loves to play fight with me, and scared the *** out of me the first time he initiated it. He knows how much pressure to use with his beak and has never given me a bad bite. I can touch him every on his body, though he doesn't like his tail to be messed with.
I know some don't agree with this, but everyday I allow him on my shoulder for a walk through the house. We go into each room and he loves to talk/sing to the birdie in the mirror. This is really one of the only times he's loud and it makes my ears ring at times.
Unlike most Amazon's, when he's displaying he's not aggressive at all. He just loves to play and I also think this is because he was raised for 20 yrs in a very loving, stable environment.
He loves to snuggle on my chest and will sit and play with me while watching TV. He will fly off his cage onto my shoulder or arm just to be with me. When he's tired or bored with me he'll fly back onto his cage. He makes the cutest baby sounds and purrs like a cat when he's content.
Gryphon on the other hand will probably never do things like Amos does. He's a wild captured, ex-breeder and has not been shown the best of care in the past. He was not purchased as a pet, but as a breeder and his temperament shows. Not his fault.....
I've only had him for less than a month, and even though I was not looking for this type of bird he's here and we're trying to exist together peacefully.
The cage he is in in WAY too small, my Quakers cage is bigger than his. I'll be getting him a new one in a couple of weeks. He was being feed all sunflower seeds and only had one ratty toy in his cage. I took his cage to the car wash and spent over an hour trying to wash away the filth off of it. His feathers were a mess, I don't think he'd had a bath in ages.
I've changed his diet, give him daily sprayings with a water bottle and have started trying to train with him. His feathers now are almost as good as Amos'. He will eat anything I give him, which makes it easy to feed him healthy foods. He also eats Zupreem pellets in addition to fruits/vegetables.
I don't believe he is truly aggressive, but more scared/distrusting of humans. I'm working on it though, he is the reason I joined this list.
In three short weeks time he's starting to trust me more. He'll step up nicely from his cage, he's allowing me to touch him in various spots on his body. He takes treats very nicely and he is getting better every day that I work with him.
It should also be noted that Amazons can give nasty bites. Gryphon has bitten me twice, both times were my fault not his, but they were very painful bites and he meant business.
Gryphon has probably close to 100 word vocabulary. He'll speak in full sentences and will use words appropriately. He can give off the loudest calls I've ever heard, but he only does this for short spells and usually because Amos is singing/talking out that gets him started. He knows how to sing Happy Birthday all the way through. He'll whistle songs and does a lot of chatter at times. Mostly in the mornings/evenings. His favorite phrase is "what's the matter?"
I don't regret getting either of my Zons. Even though I did not have a lot of bird experience, I did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people and just knew the Amazon was my best match for me.
Hope I haven't been too boring in my post~
