When people refer to the yellow parrot, they are actually talking about one of three varieties, the yellow-headed Amazon, the double-yellow-headed Amazon, and the yellow-naped Amazon. To complicate matters a bit more, there are also a variety of subspecies that should be included in this group, such as the Yellow-headed Amazon Magna (or Magnum), which can be differentiated by the fact that it is more predominantly yellow in color than its close cousins and as such attracts a premium on pet cost.
The plumage of the yellow Amazon parrot is strikingly beautiful, although slightly different for each different variety. They share a vibrant green body and tail feathers, but differences occur in the location and placement of the yellow colorations. The yellow-headed Amazon has a yellow head, the yellow-naped Amazon has a yellow chest and neck instead of the head, and the double-yellow-headed Amazon has a yellow nape, neck, and head.
The Yellow Amazon grows between 14 and 17 inches long, which is 35 to 43 cm, making it the largest of the Amazon parrots and this fact should not be overlooked if you are considering one as a pet, as is the case with most of the larger parrot species. They can be quite destructive, often in need of replacement toys and perches which can quickly add up to a great expense. They are happiest when they have room to fly and move around a lot, so if you are considering keeping one as a pet, you should buy a large cage for birds and let them out of their cage every day.
These birds originate from the coastal regions of Mexico, as well as the northern parts of Honduras and Guatemala, as well as most of Belize. Unfortunately, due to black market demand in the pet trade, as well as a significant reduction in the size of their natural habitat, these birds are now considered an endangered species. The import, export and trade of the Yellow Amazon is now illegal, although captive birds can legally own and sell subject to regulatory adherence. All of this means that they are quite expensive to buy as a pet and will cost upwards of $ 800 to $ 1500 + depending on the subspecies, remember I mentioned that the Magna Yellow-headed Amazon got a premium due to its rarer colorations so I would expect pay around $ 1200 +.
As pets these birds are highly entertaining and are considered one of the most skilled talkers among parrots as they use an extensive vocabulary and are pronounced extremely well, in fact they are probably second only to the African gray parrot when it comes to speak par excellence.