The Mealy Amazon, Amazona farinosa, is a mostly green Amazon with sometimes a bit of yellow or red on the front of the face, and sometimes a wash of pale blue or lavender on the crown of the head, each individual is uniquely beautiful. In the wild, the Mealy Amazon ranges form Southern Mexico through Central America, northern Bolivia and central-eastern Brazil.
Mealy Amazons are one of the largest of the Amazon family at approximately 15 inches and weigh between 540-700 grams.
The Mealy Amazon is the gentle giant of the Amazon family. They are a very sweet, gentle, easy-going Amazon. They tend to talk fairly well, and have sweet, quiet voices when they talk. They are a playful Amazon, and love to chew up wood and other toys. They can be very destructive. They have extra long feathers on the nape of their neck, and when they are excited they raise them up, almost like a Hawkheaded Parrot. Mealies are water birds: they love to be in the water whether it is a shower or a shallow dish and they will soak themselves as often as possible. All Amazons have a distinctive, almost musty odor that I just love, and the Mealies tend to be the most fragrant of the Amazons. Frequent bathing seems to dull the odor a bit.
Like most Amazons, Mealies use their voice to express their joy of life and of the world. Unfortunately they tend to have very loud voices when they are excited in huge contrast to their soft speaking voice. It almost sounds like a dog or seal barking, or has been compared to a donkey braying, and can go on for a while when the bird is excited, usually in the mornings and evenings. Their gentle natures more than makes up for their loud voices in most cases, but a Mealy would not be a good choice for someone who is very noise sensitive or who lives in an apartment.
When mature, Mealy Amazons can act out a bit like the other species of Amazons, but tend not to be as aggressive as the Yellow Amazons. Their gentle natures tend to prevail even during breeding season if they are well socialized, and even if they do act out their body language is as easy to read as the other species of Amazon with flared tail and pinned eyes. Mealies make wonderful companions because of their sweet gentle nature. Sally Blanchard of the Companion Parrot Quarterly says, based on research, that the Mealy is the most beloved of all the Amazons. They rarely bite, preferring to run away, or to push away any unwanted attention. Like most Amazons, the Mealy is not a very cuddly bird, but will accept some petting on their own terms. Mealies bring much joy into any household.