How can I tell how old my amazon parrot is?

Michelle Q: How can I tell how old my amazon parrot is?
I recenetly recieved a parrot from an owner who passed away. I dont know anything about them . I have been trying to do some research but cant fid the right answers. I need to know if I should tke him to get his wings,nails and beek clipped as well as possibly how he is. Can anyone help? Thanks MIchelle

Answers and Views:

Answer by hillbillynamedpossum
i can tell u this for sure, you cant saw him in two and count the rings. it just wont work

have a good one,
Possum

Answer by Nani
consult with an aviarist in your town

Answer by stephiegirl101
I don’t know about that kind of species.

Answer by searchpup
As with most birds, there’s really no way to tell exactly how old it is. You can tell, young, adult and very old, but anything in between is kind of guesswork.

If you can get him to sit still for it, it is best to file the nails on a regular basis rather than clipping them. If you clip them too short they bleed like crazy and it’s hard to get it to stop. Stypic powder doesn’t seem to work well on nails. If he’s not great about sitting still for a filing, you can try putting heavy duty sandpaper on the underside of his perch, but they will often chew it off.
Clipping the beak is not generally a great idea, unless it’s done by a professional who REALLY knows what he’s doing. It’s better to give the bird plenty of things to chew on that he can file his own beak down with. There’s plenty of things out there, just make sure you get one for the size of bird you have. Generally department stores (such as Walmart) carries things for smaller birds, but not for ones as big as Amazons. Try the local pet store, preferably one that deals with larger birds.
Clipping the wings is not so hard to do yourself, as long as the bird is trained well enough to sit still for it. Just pull the wing out straight and clip the primary flight feathers a bit below the secondarys. Make sure you do not cut into the quick, as wings can bleed very badly as well and breaking a blood feather can be very hazardous to a bird. I’ve found that it’s best to only clip one side, so the bird has a more difficult time flying. It keeps them off balance. If you clip them both, it’s a struggle, but they can manage.

Answer by thundermg1swife
If you are near Louisville, KY, take the bird to Veterinary Associates Stonefield to see Dr. Sam Vaughn. He is an Avian Vet and is excellent. He will do whatever needs to be done. Amazons typically do NOT like to have their claws filed. It will take two people to do it and it is best to let a vet do it. Sam can do that for you. Beaks do not normally need to be ground down, unless they are overgrown from a lack of normal wear. Wings should be clipped (correctly) but again, this is a two person job. Our BFA is not clipped and has free-flight in the house, but only when supervised. I recommend wings to be clipped is you tend to have the door open a lot so that the bird does not take off outside. Below is a website that may help you learn about the species and the sub-species. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Answer by Birdman
First off, a parrot very rarely needs his beak TRIMMED, but if necessary, should ONLY be done by a highly trained avian vet!!! Unless you know what you are doing let a vet clip his feathers, and watch which ones he does. He could bleed to death, if you clip a blood feather, or the wrong ones, or clip them too short!!! You should clip them, especially if you just got him, and take him outside, because something could frighten him, and you would never see him again, if he took off!! As far as his age, no real way of telling, unless someone in the original owner’s family might have some idea.. They pretty much look the same at 80, as they do at 2. Sometimes, if you are familiar with Amazons, you can tell by the playfulness level, if he is a youngster, or a more mature adult. Most larger parrots don’t even reach sexual maturity, until 8-15 years. If he is happy, alert, handleable, and already adopted you and/or your family, you really don’t need to do anything, except love him, include him in everything you do, and bring him to the table at mealtimes. Before you know it, he will just be a part of the family!!! Birdman

Answer by jackwalz
Usaly unless its ababy and still making babt noise its hard to tell. unless it has a Band around its foot then in most case it has a year on it.

If your not sure how to care for it ask again, birds need good diets to saty healthy.