🐾 Land🐦 FlyingCare difficulty: IntermediateLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Lilac-crowned Amazon
Amazona finschi · also called Lilac-crowned Parrot, Finsch's Amazon, Pacific Parrot
A green amazon with a maroon forehead and lilac-blue crown and nape, often considered one of the gentler, less hormonally explosive amazons. Endangered in its native western Mexico and protected under CITES, it makes a comparatively calm, affectionate companion.
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
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Quick facts
| Size | Medium amazon, about 32-34 cm long, 290-370 g. |
| Lifespan | 40–60 years |
| Social needs | pair |
| Native region | Pacific slope of western Mexico |
| Origin | New World |
| Climate | ⛅ Subtropical |
| Family | Psittacidae |
| Genus | Amazona |
Part of the Amazon Parrots
Amazon parrots (genus Amazona) are robust, intelligent New World parrots known for their talking and singing ability, bold personalities, and seasonal hormonal behavior; they are long-lived companions best suited to experienced keepers.
Sounds & video
🔊 What does a lilac-crowned amazon sound like?
Amazona finschi - Lilac-crowned Amazon XC607616
Jovani León · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Habitat & space requirements
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Habitat & enclosure
House in a sturdy cage of at least 90 x 60 x 90 cm (36 x 24 x 36 in) with bar spacing around 2-2.5 cm and secure latches, providing more room wherever possible. Furnish it with varied natural-wood perches, durable chew and foraging toys, and a play stand for daily out-of-cage activity. These birds are active climbers and chewers and appreciate plenty to do.
Native to the subtropical and tropical dry forests of Mexico's Pacific slope, the lilac-crowned amazon is comfortable at indoor temperatures of about 18-29 C (65-85 F), away from drafts and airborne toxins. Provide regular bathing or misting, a 10-12 hour dark sleep period, and natural or full-spectrum lighting. Because it is CITES Appendix I and endangered, maintain documentation of legal, captive-bred origin.
Substrate
Line the cage tray with plain newspaper or paper-based pellet litter for easy daily cleaning and droppings monitoring. Avoid corncob, walnut shell, and other loose substrates that grow mold (Aspergillus risk) or cause impaction if ingested. A grate over the tray keeps the bird out of waste.
Equipment & setup
House in a large, sturdy cage or flight (minimum roughly 36 inches wide) of powder-coated or stainless steel with about 3/4-inch bar spacing. Provide varied hardwood perches, robust chew and foraging toys, a bathing dish or misting, and full-spectrum/UVB lighting on a 10-12 hour cycle. Keep at stable room temperature, away from drafts and from PTFE/Teflon and aerosol fumes.
Diet
Provide a pelleted base diet with abundant fresh vegetables, dark leafy greens, limited fruit, sprouts, cooked legumes, and whole grains. As with all amazons, keep fatty seeds and nuts to small treat portions to prevent obesity, and offer vitamin A-rich vegetables such as squash, sweet potato, and greens.
Never feed avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or salty/sugary foods. Supply fresh water daily and use foraging toys and puzzle feeders to provide enrichment and help regulate weight.
Behavior & temperament
Lilac-crowned amazons are intelligent, affectionate, and generally regarded as among the quieter and more even-tempered amazons, though they remain capable of seasonal hormonal moodiness and a loud voice. They form close bonds, can learn some words and whistles, and enjoy interactive play and training. They are active and playful and value a predictable routine.
Give them daily interaction, reward-based training, and a varied supply of foraging and chewing enrichment to prevent boredom-related screaming or feather-destructive behavior. Reading amazon body language and avoiding hormone-triggering interactions (over-petting, nest-like spaces) supports good behavior, particularly as birds mature.
Health
Amazons are prone to obesity, fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and vitamin A deficiency on poor diets, so a vegetable-forward balanced diet and daily exercise are key preventives. They can be affected by proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), and respiratory illness; quarantine and screen new birds and keep the air free of PTFE (Teflon) fumes, smoke, and aerosols.
Schedule annual avian-vet wellness exams with baseline bloodwork, monitor weight regularly, and report any change in droppings, appetite, breathing, or feather condition promptly. (Health information is educational only and not a substitute for veterinary care.)
Tips, DIY & hacks
Amazons are prone to obesity and fatty liver, so foraging feeders that make them work for low-fat pellets and veggies (rather than free-fed seed) protect their health. Provide daily bathing and plenty of destructible wood and palm enrichment to curb plucking. Manage their seasonal hormonal aggression with consistent routine, ample sleep, and avoiding excessive petting; source only captive-bred birds of this threatened species.
Sources
- Lilac-crowned amazon - Wikipedia (wiki)
- Amazon Parrots - VCA Animal Hospitals (care guide)
- Wikipedia: Lilac-crowned Amazon (wiki)