How to Get a Free Amazon Parrot Safely in the United States

Why would someone give away an Amazon parrot for free?

Amazons outlive many of their homes. Merck gives an average lifespan of 40 to 50 years, so a bird may come up after an owner dies, moves into care or loses the time it needs. Others are given up for behavior: VCA notes that Amazons are known to show mating-season aggression toward their owners and that some become too aggressive to handle and are given away to shelters. Noise is the third common reason; VCA says some species squawk loudly in the early morning and late afternoon.

None of these makes a bird a bad pet, but each tells you what to ask. A bird given up for biting in spring may behave very differently in the fall, so ask about the whole year.

Is a free Amazon parrot a scam?

The Better Business Bureau warns about fake bird sellers who take a first payment and then ask for more for shipping or crates. The FTC advises never paying by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. Report a suspicious listing with its Report Scam button.

Which Amazon is it? How to check the species of a free bird

Owners giving away an older bird often say only Amazon or green parrot. The species tells you how loud and long-lived it is likely to be, and whether it is on CITES Appendix I. Ask for daylight photos of the head and wings:

• Blue on the forehead with a yellow face suggests a blue-fronted; yellow on the forehead with violet-blue between the eyes and an orange wing patch suggests an orange-winged.
• Yellow over the whole head suggests a double yellow-headed; a yellow patch on the back of the neck, a yellow-naped.
• A red forehead with a violet-blue crown suggests a red-lored; a maroon forehead with lilac-blue down the neck, a lilac-crowned.
• A small Amazon with a white forehead and red around the eyes is a white-fronted.

Dr. Susan Clubb, an avian veterinarian, notes that adult Amazons have orange-yellow eyes and juveniles brown ones, which helps you check an age the owner is unsure of. If you still cannot tell, ask your avian vet and choose the bird for its health and behavior rather than its label.

What does a free Amazon parrot really cost?

• Setup and supplies: typically $630 to $700 if no cage comes with the bird, according to The Vet Desk (updated January 2026).
• Cage: PetMD gives at least 36 by 24 by 48 inches for one large hookbill, with bars ¾ to 1 inch apart. A free cage is only a saving if it is that big and sound.
• First vet check: about $100 before tests, and VCA advises check-ups twice a year for Amazons.
• Monthly costs: $55 to $130 for food, health care and toys.
• Diet change: if the bird has eaten seed for years, switching it takes time; VCA advises weaning slowly onto pellets over two to six weeks while weighing the bird on a gram scale.

VCA warns that Amazons on high-fat, all-seed diets commonly develop obesity, fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis, so a free bird on seed alone may need more vet care than its price suggests.

What should you ask before taking a free Amazon?

1. Why are you giving it away, and how many homes has it had?
2. Which species is it, and how old is it? Is there a leg band or paperwork?
3. Is the sex known from a DNA test?
4. How does it behave in spring and summer, and has it bitten anyone?
5. When is it loudest, and for how long?
6. What does it eat, and what does it weigh?
7. When did an avian vet last see it, and with what results?
8. Does it pluck its feathers or chew its legs or feet?

The last question matters because VCA describes feather-destructive behavior as common in Amazons, and an Amazon foot necrosis syndrome in which birds mutilate the skin of their legs and feet. Neither rules a bird out, but both need a vet's plan.

How do you meet the owner and check a free Amazon's health?

• Meet at the owner's home in daylight, and watch the bird with the person it knows.
• Let the bird come to you; VCA warns that an over-excited Amazon flashing its eyes is more prone to bite.
• Look for clean nostrils and eyes, smooth feathers and normal droppings, and ask to see it eat.
• Book an avian vet exam within the first week; the Association of Avian Veterinarians has a Find-a-Vet search.
• Keep it away from your other birds until it is cleared, and wash your hands after cleaning the cage; the CDC notes that birds can carry psittacosis without looking sick.
• Sign a short note with the owner's name, the date, the species, the band number and that the bird is given to you.

Where can you find a free Amazon parrot near you?

You can browse free Amazon parrots on PetzLover, filter by location and save a search to hear about new listings. Owners will find their side in how to give away an Amazon parrot for free without risk.

Free Amazons are uncommon, so widen the search. A bird with a modest rehoming fee is often better documented; see how to take in a rehomed Amazon parrot. Parrot rescues place Amazons too: Phoenix Landing, which serves Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, lists a $350 adoption fee (see how to adopt an Amazon parrot). If you would rather start with a young bird, read how to buy an Amazon parrot.