🐾 Land🐦 FlyingCare difficulty: IntermediateLegal complexity: Medium
Orange-winged Amazon
Amazona amazonica · also called Orange-winged Parrot, Loro Guaro, Common Amazon
A widespread green amazon with blue-and-yellow facial markings and orange in the wing and tail, often a touch gentler and less intensely hormonal than some larger amazons. A lively, social companion with moderate talking ability.
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.
🩺 Need expert help with your orange-winged amazon?
Connect with a specialist near you or ask a licensed vet — never substitute online guidance for hands-on care in an emergency.
Quick facts
| Size | Medium-large amazon, about 31-33 cm long, 300-470 g. |
| Lifespan | 40–60 years |
| Social needs | pair |
| Native region | Tropical northern and central South America (Amazon Basin, Trinidad and Tobago) |
| Origin | New World |
| Climate | 🌴 Tropical |
| 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
🎬 Video
Amazona amazonica at Cadbury Garden Centre, Somerset, England-8a
Podknox (Wapster) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
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
Provide 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; larger is always better for these active birds. Equip it with varied natural-wood perches, durable chew and foraging toys, and a play stand for daily out-of-cage exercise. Amazons are strong chewers, so use robust, non-toxic materials.
As a tropical lowland species from northern South America, the orange-winged amazon is comfortable at indoor temperatures of about 18-29 C (65-85 F), away from drafts and cooking or aerosol fumes. Offer regular bathing or misting, a quiet 10-12 hour sleep period, and access to natural sunlight or full-spectrum lighting to maintain feather and skin condition.
Substrate
Use plain newspaper or butcher paper on the cage tray for daily cleaning and health monitoring; skip loose corncob/walnut litters that harbor mold and Aspergillus. Keep a grate over the paper so the bird stays off droppings.
Equipment & setup
House in a large, strong cage or flight with stainless hardware, about 3/4 to 1 inch bar spacing, and assorted hardwood perches of varied diameter. Provide full-spectrum/UVB lighting on a 10 to 12 hour cycle, draft-free warmth, and regular bathing or misting; Amazons are prone to obesity, so prioritize cage size and climbing space for exercise.
Diet
Feed a pelleted base diet supplemented with abundant fresh vegetables, dark leafy greens, limited fruit, sprouts, cooked legumes, and whole grains. As with all amazons, control fatty seeds and nuts to prevent obesity, and emphasize vitamin A-rich vegetables such as squash, carrot, and dark greens.
Avoid avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and salty or sugary foods. Provide fresh water daily, and use foraging toys and scattered or puzzle feeding to encourage natural foraging behavior and help manage weight.
Behavior & temperament
Orange-winged amazons are playful, curious, and social, and many become good (if not virtuoso) talkers and whistlers. They tend to be somewhat more easygoing than the larger 'hot' amazons, though mature birds can still show seasonal hormonal aggression and territoriality, so reading amazon body language and respecting their moods remains important.
They thrive on daily interaction, training, and a steady supply of foraging and chewing enrichment. Boredom or loneliness can lead to screaming or feather-destructive behavior. Positive-reinforcement training, broad socialization, and limiting hormone-triggering interactions (over-petting, dark hidey spaces) help keep them confident and well-mannered. They can be loud, especially around dawn and dusk.
Health
Like other amazons, they are prone to obesity, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease on rich, seedy diets, plus vitamin A deficiency. They can carry or contract proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), and respiratory infections, so quarantine and screen new arrivals and keep the air free of PTFE (Teflon) fumes, smoke, and aerosols.
Prevention relies on a vegetable-forward balanced diet, daily exercise, weight monitoring, and clean air. Provide annual avian-vet wellness exams with baseline labs. Report any changes in weight, droppings, appetite, breathing, or feathers promptly to an avian veterinarian. (Health information is educational only and not a substitute for veterinary care.)
Tips, DIY & hacks
Feed a controlled low-fat pelleted diet with vegetables rather than a seed-heavy mix, since orange-winged Amazons gain weight and develop fatty liver easily. Offer foraging and shredding toys and rotate them to curb hormonal behavior; provide a consistent sleep schedule and learn the body-language signs (pinning eyes, flared tail) of overstimulation common in this excitable, sometimes loud species.
Sources
- Orange-winged amazon - Wikipedia (wiki)
- Amazon Parrots - VCA Animal Hospitals (care guide)
- Wikipedia: Orange-winged Amazon (wiki)