Red-lored Amazon
A boldly coloured mid-size Amazon with operatic voice and a devoted, theatrical personality.
Origin
Native to lowland Mexico south through Central America to Ecuador and north-western Venezuela, with an isolated population in western Ecuador. Listed on CITES Appendix II.
Lifespan
50–70 years with attentive husbandry
With proper nutrition & care
Size
12–14 inches (30–35 cm) from beak to tail tip
310–480 grams
Quick Facts
| Origin | Native to lowland Mexico south through Central America to Ecuador and north-western Venezuela, with an isolated population in western Ecuador. Listed on CITES Appendix II. |
|---|---|
| Size | 12–14 inches (30–35 cm) from beak to tail tip |
| Weight | 310–480 grams |
| Lifespan | 50–70 years with attentive husbandry |
| Care level | Intermediate |
| Noise level | One of the louder mid-size Amazons. Expect operatic dawn and dusk sessions that carry well beyond your own walls. |
| Talking ability | A genuinely good talker with a clear, theatrical delivery. Many Red-loreds also mimic whistled tunes and household sounds with surprising accuracy. |
| Beginner-friendly | 4/10 |
The Bird
Red-lored Amazon at a Glance
The Red-lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis), also known as the Yellow-cheeked Amazon, is one of the most underrated members of the genus. Cloaked in deep forest green with a flash of crimson between the eye and beak, a buttery yellow cheek and a soft blue wash across the crown, she carries the classic Amazon swagger in a slightly more manageable mid-size frame. Her natural range stretches from the lowlands of Mexico down through Central America into Ecuador and north-western Venezuela, with a separate population on the dry Pacific slope of Ecuador.
At Parrot Bliss in West Palm Beach, Kalyn has raised Red-loreds alongside Double Yellow-headed and Yellow-naped Amazons for years, and she is quietly fond of them. "People walk in asking for a Yellow-nape," she says, "and I often steer them towards a Red-lored instead. You get most of the personality, most of the voice, and you can actually source one with clean paperwork." Because the species sits on CITES Appendix II rather than Appendix I, well-bred, properly documented Red-loreds are far easier to place into pet homes than their more restricted cousins.
This is a parrot for someone who genuinely loves Amazons — the strut, the song, the opinions — but who wants a bird whose provenance is straightforward and whose temperament, while spirited, tends to be a touch less volatile than the very loudest Amazon species. She is not a beginner bird, but for an attentive second-time owner she can be the parrot of a lifetime.
Red-loreds are confident, theatrical and deeply bonded to their chosen people. Hand-raised chicks from Kalyn's nursery typically step up readily, enjoy shoulder time and develop strong preferences about who is allowed to handle them. Expect a parrot with opinions: she will tell you when she approves of a visitor, when dinner is late, and when the household has gone too quiet for her liking.
Like all Amazons, the Red-lored is prone to what breeders call the "Amazon hot flash" — a sudden surge of hormonal intensity, usually around breeding season in spring, when pupils pin, tail fans and the bird may lunge or bite hard with little warning. The bite of a mature Red-lored is serious and should never be dismissed as a phase. Reading body language and respecting the warning signs is non-negotiable.
Outside of those hormonal windows she is playful, mischievous and genuinely funny. She will dance to music, invent games with foot toys and serenade the household with operatic flourishes. Cuddliness is moderate rather than extreme: she will lean in for a head scratch on her own terms, but she is not a velcro bird in the way a cockatoo is. Respect her autonomy and she will reward you with decades of company.
Vocalization & Talking
The Red-lored Amazon is one of the great vocalists of the parrot world. Her natural repertoire includes rolling whistles, melodic phrases and a startlingly loud, operatic scream that she uses with gusto at sunrise and sunset. Wild flocks call to one another across the canopy, and that flock-contact instinct does not disappear in captivity.
Talking ability is solid — a score of seven out of ten is fair. Many Red-loreds develop a vocabulary of twenty to fifty words and phrases, often delivered with theatrical timing. They are particularly good at picking up household sounds: the microwave, the smoke alarm, the dog's name shouted across the garden. Whistled tunes are a strong suit, and some birds will learn entire melodies.
The trade-off is volume. On the noise scale she sits at an eight, comfortably louder than a Pionus or a Quaker and on par with the larger Amazons. Apartment living is rarely a good fit. Detached homes, generous gardens and tolerant neighbours make the difference between a happy bird and a complaint letter. Kalyn is candid with buyers: "If your walls are shared, this is not your parrot."
Diet
A balanced pellet should make up sixty to seventy per cent of the daily diet. At Parrot Bliss, Kalyn weans every Red-lored onto Harrison's, TOPs or Roudybush, and she encourages new owners to stay with one of those three brands. Cheap supermarket mixes loaded with sunflower seed are the single biggest dietary mistake she sees in mid-size Amazons.
The remainder of the diet should be fresh produce, with a heavy emphasis on dark leafy greens — kale, dandelion, chard, bok choy — alongside red and orange vegetables such as carrot, sweet pepper and butternut squash for vitamin A. A modest portion of fruit (perhaps a tenth of the bowl) provides interest without pushing sugar levels too high. Sprouted pulses and cooked whole grains round out the menu.
Seeds and nuts are treats, not staples. A few almonds, walnuts or pine nuts each day, ideally delivered as foraging rewards or training reinforcers, are plenty. Red-loreds gain weight easily, and an obese Amazon is a sick Amazon waiting to happen. Fresh water should be changed at least twice daily, and any stone fruit pits, avocado, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol must be kept well away from the bird.
Health & Lifespan
Red-lored Amazons are robust, long-lived parrots when fed and housed correctly, but the species carries a handful of well-documented health concerns that every owner should recognise early.
- Papillomatosis — cloacal and oral papillomas associated with a herpesvirus are notably common in this species. Watch for straining, blood-flecked droppings or pink tissue at the vent.
- Psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci) — a zoonotic bacterial infection presenting with fluffed posture, lime-green droppings and respiratory signs.
- Aspergillosis — a fungal respiratory disease often linked to damp bedding, poor ventilation or chronic stress.
- Vitamin A deficiency — common on seed-heavy diets and a precursor to sinus infections, poor feather quality and respiratory disease.
- Obesity — Amazons gain weight easily, and excess body condition drives fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis and shortened lifespan.
Annual wellness examinations with an avian-experienced veterinarian, baseline bloodwork every two to three years and prompt attention to any change in droppings, posture or appetite are the foundations of a long life. The Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) maintains a searchable directory of qualified practitioners.
Housing
The minimum cage footprint for a Red-lored Amazon is 36 by 24 by 48 inches, with bar spacing of one to one and a half inches. Bigger is better. Powder-coated stainless or wrought iron is essential — Amazons chew with intent, and a flimsy cage will not last a year.
Cage furniture should include at least three perches of varying diameter and texture, ideally natural branch wood such as manzanita or java, to keep feet healthy. Rotate a generous selection of destructible toys — palm, balsa, vegetable-tanned leather, untreated softwood — and refresh them weekly to keep the mind engaged. A foraging element at every meal is non-negotiable for a species this intelligent.
Plan for three to four hours of supervised out-of-cage time every day on a stand or play gym. Red-loreds need daylight, gentle bathing opportunities (a shallow dish, a hand mister or a shower perch) and a predictable twelve-hour sleep cycle in a quiet, darkened room. Get those four pillars right — cage, enrichment, social time and sleep — and you have set the stage for a parrot who may well outlive your other pets several times over.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are Red-lored Amazons good talkers?
Yes. They are genuinely capable talkers, typically scoring around seven out of ten. Most birds learn twenty to fifty words and phrases and are particularly strong at whistled tunes and household sound mimicry.
- How loud is a Red-lored Amazon?
Loud. They sit at about eight out of ten on the noise scale, with operatic dawn and dusk vocal sessions that carry through walls. Apartment living is rarely a sensible fit for the species.
- Is a Red-lored a good first parrot?
Not really. With a beginner-friendly score of four out of ten, this is better suited to a second-time owner who already understands Amazon body language and the seasonal hormonal intensity known as the Amazon hot flash.
- How long do Red-lored Amazons live?
Fifty to seventy years is realistic with a balanced pelleted diet, annual avian veterinary care and proper housing. Plan for the bird to be a multi-decade companion and consider provisions in your estate planning.
- Why does Kalyn often recommend a Red-lored over a Yellow-naped Amazon?
Because Red-loreds sit on CITES Appendix II rather than Appendix I, sourcing a domestically-bred bird with clean documentation is far simpler. You get most of the Amazon personality and voice without the paperwork hurdles.