How to Live with Your Hawk-headed Parrot
Hawk-headed parrots, also known as red-fan parrots, are not particularly common in aviculture, but are sometimes kept as aviary birds or companion parrots. They are known for having a bold, complex, and sometimes unpredictable or territorial personality.
While juvenile birds tend to be docile, adults can be particularly ill-tempered, stubborn, unpredictable and strong-willed birds, showing extreme aggression towards humans and other birds housed with them (including others of their own species and/or their own mates), particularly when in breeding condition. Hawk-headed parrots, when kept as pets, tend to bond with one person and require firm handling and a patient owner, experienced in both bird-keeping and the reading of parrot body language. However, as with all parrots, temperament can vary greatly from individual to individual and some hawk-headed parrots make excellent companions.
What to Know About Your Hawk-headed Parrot
Native to the Amazon Basin and surrounding lowland tropical rainforests in countries like Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Guianas, they are smaller than most Amazons, measuring 12-14 inches long and weighing 7-10 ounces (200 to 280 grams).
Hawk-headed parrots are intelligent and creative, with the ability to solve puzzles when foraging for their food. In the wild they eat guavas, Inga fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, buds and leaves. In captivity, they eat pellets and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Male hawk-headed parrots will defend their territory, and both males and females can be aggressive and unpredictable. When they feel threatened or alarmed, they will raise their nape feathers to form a fan, appearing much larger and more threatening than before.
Is Your Hawk-headed Parrot a Boy or Girl?
Males and females are sexually monomorphic (look identical); therefore, surgical or laboratory means must be used for gender identification.
