E. Maud Knobel—Character in Blue-fronted Amazon Parrots 71


DIFFERENCES IN CHARACTER IN BLUE-

FRONTED AMAZON PARROTS

By E. Maud Knobel.


I have often been very much amused by other peoples’ ideas and

opinions of birds, both as pets and in general. I remember some years

ago being introduced to a lady at an “ at home ”, and after a while

she asked what I was interested in. I replied that I went in for birds.

“ Oh, yes,” she said, “ canaries.” “ No,” I said, “ not Canaries,

foreign birds.” “ Ah ! ” she exclaimed, “ Budgerigars.” As I was

keeping a Shama, a superb Tanager, and a Bauer’s Parrakeet, amongst

other things, at the time, and feeling not a little proud of them, I tried

to explain what they were, but her imagination had evidently never

penetrated beyond canaries and budgerigars, and she dismissed me as

a mild kind of lunatic.


Once down at the London Hospital, where for many years I was

a ward visitor, I remember one day talking to a patient, and had tried

many subjects, but had got no answers beyond yes and no. Then

I suddenly began talking about my Parrots. At this her whole face

lighted up, and she exclaimed, proudly, “Ah, I keep a Parrot.” Oh,

I thought to myself, at last I have found something in common. So

delightedly I asked her what kind it was, a grey or a green. “ Green,”

she said. “ Does it talk,” said I, “ “ Oh, no,” she replied, “ it is

under a glass case ! ”


People have often asked me why I keep so many Parrots. Surely

they must all be alike. Well, are they ? I can honestly say that I have

never had two alike. They all have so much individual character.

There are dull ones, of course, and clever ones, tame ones, and savage

ones, but they are all different. For this paper I propose to pick out

the three Blue Fronted Amazons that I have at the present moment.


The first, erroneously named “ Richard,” for she is an old dame of

many years standing, was given to me in November, 1914, by friends

who had to part with her on account of the war. Personally, I far

prefer to buy my own birds and get them first hand. By that I mean

young birds freshly imported who have never known another mistress

that I can teach and bring up as I like. And yet it is not every bird



