In Hong Kong we seldom find Lilacina Amazon parrots around bird shops comparing with the other same species of the family. The Lilacina Equator Amazon is a quiet, affectionate bird that quickly becomes a cherished family pet. It's a shame to see Lilacina Amazons also discounted in price & not held with more esteem by breeders, parrot fanciers, amateurs & pet shoppers. In Hong Kong, as most parrot fanciers & amateurs used to pay more attention to price rather than the parrots themselves. It's provides the crooks opportunities to fool those who are lack of avian knowledge before buying their avian companions like all Amazons. Apparently some traders, who have not enough knowledge on this species helping their customers for daily keeping, would rather not have to compete with cheap & low-classed birds thus they are not serious & honest establishing this species.

Talking ability of Lilacina Amazon

All captive-bred Lilacina Equator Amazons are good talkers & great in a family environment especially for those Class A ones. ( Ref. : Cindy Hollingshead ) The Lilacina Equator Amazons display a very even temperament that stay throughout adulthood. As I have been observing Amazons for many years, Blue-fronted, Double Yellowed Head, Yellow-naped and Yellow Crowned Amazons become very aggressive as they reach sexual maturity. Most of them would bite & scream or even start feather plucking or self-mutilation during the mature stage. Lilacina Equator Amazons, usually may display a little bad behaviour during its sexual maturity comparing with the other Amazons.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of Lilacina Equator Amazon is about 40 to 60 years depending on care & nutrition. They are excellent choices for the novice Amazon fanciers & they are not so popular, but quite rare, in Hong Kong parrot market. Being intergraded with A.a salvini from far southwest of Columbia, the Lilacina Equator Amazons range from Guapi to western Narino, they resemble the nominate race, the Red-lored Amazons, but the red areas on the head extend backwards to form reddish stripes above the eyes. Their cheeks are yellowish green but less like the Red-lored with the green plumage of the crown being edged with reddish violet and tipped with lilac. That's why we called them " the purple crown amazons ". The beaks are also black which clearly distinguish them from the Red-lored Amazons ( A.a. auntumalis ). Lilacina amazons are non-dimorphic species & less common in Hong Kong parrot market. Different source of Lilacina Amazons from Asia , South Africa & Europe are being imported to Hong Kong recently for the choice of amateurs & parrot lovers & price varied from class ranking, reputation of different breeding farms, condition of the birds, age of the them & quality as well. As the parrot fever is sprouting in Hong Kong recently & some fanciers have insufficient knowledge about parrot keeping, buying, choosing & price reasons, most of theamateurs pay too much attention to price rather than quality, reputation of the breeding farms as well as the experts' advise. Some unhappiness after buying a parrot/parrots will occur & the misunderstanding also provides opportunities & advantages for the crooks to earn more from those who just look for cheap price parrots. Therefore, I would advise my customers to think about why the cheap price parrots cannot be sold at higher price? Are the crooks kind enough to care about your lost after selling you a low-classed parrot with " cheaper price "? Will they care about your pet carrying diseases or the vet bills? It's always wise to get a parrot as pet from a reputable shop so that you won't have too much trouble after taking it home.

The "purple Crown parrot" is a rare parrot at Hong Kong & other Asian pet shops & it should be positioned as a higher rank Red-lored species including the Amazona autumnalis, the A.a. salvini & the A.a. diadema. Like all amazon parrots, the Lilacina Amazon parrots are good imitators & very clever birds. They are less common than the Blue-fronted Amazons, the Yellow Crown Amazon, the Orange-winged Amazons & even the Double Yellowed-headed Amazons in Hong Kong. Always think of an aristocratic parrot as your companion more than cheap price concern. Most parrots can stay with you as your companion for many years. So it's always worth to invest for a better quality bird.