well, i dont have a Mexican Red head, but my sister did. this is from the real macaw bird club here in NJ.
The Mexican Red-Headed Amazon
The Mexican Red-headed or Green-cheeked Amazon (Amazona Viridigenalis) as it's common names imply is from Mexico has bright green cheeks and a red head. Other than that its' markings are typical of other Amazons, blue and red feathers under the wings, with occasional red and yellow markings on the tail, and a green body. At 13 to 15 inches long it falls in the middle of the Amazon size chart.
These birds hail from the east coast area of Mexico, from just south of Texas to the northern Yucatan. In this region you have habitats ranging from semi-tropical lowlands to pine forests on the mountains and the Redhead lives in them all. Having this varied a habitat they have a great many food sources. They do make good use of what's there but they have also become something of a pest around the farm.
Mexican Redheads are not the best of talkers. The do pick up some words but show a preference for whistling. They also tend to show great affection for the people they like. It's these people that tend to be the target of the parrots vocalizations.
Most of you have heard about the extreme mood swings hormones cause in Amazons. Some of you may have even stayed away from them because of these stories. The Redhead seems to be the exception. While they do go through hormonal mood swings once they are sexually mature (4-5 years old) they tend to be less pronounced and don't last as long as in their cousins. Sort of like the difference in having a slight headache and a migraine. How do you know your bird is having a hormonal attack? As with its' cousins the Red head will display with pining eyes, flaring its' tail, extending the wings, and making some god awful noises. Mine has chosen a car alarm. You know the kind, the one that sounds like a ******* braying. Otherwise they have an easy going temperament, which is most of the year. The hormonal stuff generally happens in the early spring.
There are some visual clues in determining the sex of your Redhead. The males will have much larger area of their heads covered with red feathers and the area of blue will be much more pronounced. They also have larger heads and beaks. The only way to be positive though is to have it sexed. The best method is DNA testing. It's quick, non invasive, highly accurate, and can be done on young birds. All thats done to the bird is clip a nail short enough to draw some blood. Put it in a vile then send it off to the lab. In a couple of weeks you'll have an answer.
Amazons are not the most active of parrots. Obesity is a problem with these guys and if left alone can be the cause of many more problems. So you should be very careful with their diet. They should not be on a diet with seeds as the staple as they are very high in fat. The diet should have in it some of the following: vegtables such as carrots and sweet potatoes (high in beta carotene), fruits such as cantalope, various berries, banana etc., par-cooked beans (for protein), small amounts of cheese and every once and a while give them some meat. Adding this selection to a good pellet based mix will go a long way in keeping your bird from looking like a minature oven stuffer.
Caging requirements are simple. There must be enough space in the cage that when the bird stands in the middle of it, and spreads it's wings fully they do not touch the sides. Just add in some good sturdy toys and you'll have one happy camper.
Mexican Redheads can be had for as little as $450 if you buy them direct from a breeder or in the $800+ range if you purchase one from a shop. These birds are long lived (40-60 years) if properly cared for. So get ready for a long fun filled relationship.
Red-crowned Amazon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
here is a cute article by Layne David Dicker. He adores Amazons, and pretty much tells it like it is in this article.
Reference - Amazons