The amazon parrots are 33 species of parrots that comprise the genus Amazona. They are native to the New World, ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. Amazon parrots range in size from medium to large, and have relatively short, rather square tails. They are predominantly green, with accenting colours that are quite vivid in some species.
The taxonomy of the yellow-crowned amazon (Amazona ochrocephala complex) is disputed, with some authorities listing only a single species (A. ochrocephala), and others splitting it into as many as three species (A. ochrocephala, A. auropalliata and A. oratrix). [1] [2] [3] The yellow-faced parrot, Alipiopsitta xanthops, was traditionally placed within the amazon parrot genus, but recent research has shown that it is more closely related to the short-tailed parrot and species from the genus Pionus ; as a result, it has been transferred to the monotypic genus Alipiopsitta. [4] [5]
Two extinct species have been postulated, based on limited evidence. [6] [7] They are the Martinique amazon (Amazona martinica) [8] [9] and the Guadeloupe amazon (Amazona violacea). [6] [10] [11] Amazon parrots were described living on Guadeloupe by Jean-Baptiste Du Tertre in 1667 and by Jean-Baptiste Labat in 1742, and they were called Psittacus violaceus at that time. Labat also described amazon parrots living on Martinique. There are no specimens or remains of either island population, so their taxonomy may never be fully elucidated. Their status as separate species is unproven and they are regarded as hypothetical extinct species. [6]
In 2017 a study published by ornithologists Tony Silva, Antonio Guzmán, Adam D. Urantówka and Paweł Mackiewicz proposed a new species for the Yucatan Peninsula area (Mexico), being this named blue-winged amazon ( Amazona gomezgarzai ). [12] However, subsequent studies question its validity, indicating that these organisms possibly had an artificial hybrid origin. [13]
Common and binomial names [7] | Image | Description | Range |
---|---|---|---|
Festive amazon (Amazona festiva) | Mostly green, red forehead, deep blue outer wing feathers, red rump. | Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Venezuela [14] [15] | |
Vinaceous-breasted amazon (Amazona vinacea) | 30 cm (12 in) long, mostly green, red forehead, bluish nape, vinous-maroon breast. [16] | Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay [17] | |
Tucumán amazon (Amazona tucumana) | 31 cm (12 in) long, mostly green with feathers of the upper body being green with black margins. Red plumage on the forehead and forecrown, and the red does not extend around the white eye rings. Red primary wing feathers with no red at the bend of the wing. Orange thighs and red at the base of a green tail. [18] | Argentina, Bolivia [19] [20] | |
Red-spectacled amazon (Amazona pretrei) | 32 cm (12.5 in) long, mostly green with a variable extent of red on the forehead, lores, and around the eyes. The eye rings are white and the bill is yellowish. Red on the bend of the wings with blue tips to the primary and secondary wing feathers. [21] | Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay [22] | |
Black-billed amazon (Amazona agilis) | 25 cm (10 in) long, mostly green with small patches of red on the wing and sometimes flecked with red on the head, black beak. [23] | Jamaica [24] | |
White-fronted amazon (Amazona albifrons) | 25 cm (10 in) long, mostly green, white forehead with blue on the crown, red on the sides of the face. Sexual dimorphism: males have bright red feathers on their shoulders, while females have green shoulders. | Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua [25] [26] | |
Yellow-billed amazon (Amazona collaria) | 28 cm (11 in) long, mostly green, white face markings and white forehead, blue forecrown, pink throat and upper breast, bluish primaries, yellow bill. [27] | Jamaica [28] | |
Cuban amazon or rose-throated amazon (Amazona leucocephala) | 28–33 cm (11–13 in) long, mostly green, white on the face, pink throat, brownish on the belly. [29] | Cuba, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands [30] [31] | |
Hispaniolan amazon (Amazona ventralis) | 28–31 cm (11–12 in) long, mostly green, white forehead, blue flight feathers, maroon belly and red in the tail feathers. [32] | Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands [33] | |
Puerto Rican amazon (Amazona vittata) | 28–30 cm (11–12 in) long, mostly green, red forehead, white eye rings. [34] | Puerto Rico [35] | |
Lilac-crowned amazon (Amazona finschi) | 30.5–34.5 cm (12–14 in) long, mostly green, maroon forehead, violet-blue crown. [36] | Northwestern to southwestern Mexico [36] [37] [38] | |
Red-lored amazon (Amazona autumnalis) | 32–35 cm (13 in) long, mostly green, red forehead and, in some subspecies, yellow cheeks (sometimes with red spots), blue crown. | Central and South America [39] [40] | |
Lilacine amazon (Amazona autumnalis lilacina) | The lilacine amazon is a small parrot, approximately 34 cm long when mature, with primarily green plumage. Like the red-lored amazon, it has red lores and yellow cheeks; its distinguishing features include a fully black beak, and lilac-tipped feathers on its crown. [41] [42] | Western Ecuador to extreme south-western Colombia. [42] | |
Diademed amazon (Amazona diadema) | Length of about 33 cm (13 in). Largely green bird with glimpses of red and black; many of the feathers are margined with contrasting colours giving a finely scalloped effect. [43] | Amazon basin in northern Brazil; [43] | |
Red-crowned amazon (Amazona viridigenalis) | 33 cm (13 in) long, mostly green, bright red forehead and crown, dark blue streaks behind the eyes, and light green cheeks. Less red on the crown of the female and the juvenile. [44] | Native to Mexico; introduced to Puerto Rico and the United States [45] | |
Yucatan amazon (Amazona xantholora) | Mostly green, blue crown and yellow on the sides of the face, horn-coloured (grey) beak. | Belize, Honduras, Mexico [46] [47] | |
Blue-cheeked amazon or Dufresne's amazon (Amazona dufresniana) | 34 cm (13.5 in) long, mostly green, blue cheeks. | French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, possibly in northern Brazil [48] [49] | |
Red-browed amazon (Amazona rhodocorytha) | 35 cm (14 in) long, mostly green, red forehead fading to brownish-purple on the crown, orange lores and yellow below the lores, bluish to violet cheeks and throat. [50] | Eastern Brazil [51] [52] | |
Red-necked amazon (Amazona arausiaca) | 40 cm (16 in) long, mostly green, blue forehead and face, white bare eye rings, red patch on the throat (sometimes absent). [53] | Dominica [54] | |
Saint Lucia amazon (Amazona versicolor) | 43 cm (17 in) long, mostly green, blue face and forehead, red breast becoming maroon and mottled on the lower breast and belly. [55] | Saint Lucia [56] | |
Yellow-headed amazon (Amazona oratrix) | 35–38 cm (14–15 in) long, mostly green, yellow head. [57] | Belize, Guatemala, Mexico. [58] | |
Yellow-naped amazon (Amazona auropalliata) | Mostly green, yellow band across the lower nape and hindneck. | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua [59] [60] | |
Yellow-crowned amazon (Amazona ochrocephala) | 33–38 cm (13–15 in) long, mostly green, extent of the yellow on the head varies between subspecies. | South America, Panama [61] [62] | |
Panama amazon (Amazona ochrocephala panamensis) | 35 centimetres (13.8 in) in length, are bright green with a yellow area on the forehead, and a horn-colored (gray) beak, sometimes with a dark tip, but lacking the reddish coloring on the upper mandible that is present in the nominate yellow-crowned amazon. [63] | Panama (including the Pearl Islands and Coiba) and northwest Colombia. [42] [64] [7] [65] | |
Yellow-shouldered amazon (Amazona barbadensis) | 33 cm (13 in) long, mostly green, white forehead and lores, yellow crown and ear coverts, bare white eye rings. Yellow chin and shoulders. Some red and dark blue in the wing feathers. [66] | The Netherlands Antilles, Venezuela [67] | |
Blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) | 38 cm (15 in) long, mostly green, blue forehead and yellow on the face. | Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina [68] [69] | |
Scaly-naped amazon (Amazona mercenarius) | Mostly green. | Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela [70] [71] | |
Mealy amazon (Amazona farinosa) | 38–41 cm (15–16 in) long, mostly green, extent of yellow and green on the forehead and crown varies between subspecies. | Mexico, Central and South America [72] [73] | |
Kawall's amazon (Amazona kawalli) | Large and mostly green, white skin at the base of the bill. | Bolivia, Brazil [74] [75] | |
Imperial amazon (Amazona imperialis) | 45 cm (18 in) long, mostly green, purple neck, green-tipped red tail and purple below. [76] | Dominica [76] | |
Red-tailed amazon (Amazona brasiliensis) | 37 cm (14.4 in) long, mostly green, red forehead fading to purple on the crown. Blue throat, cheeks and over the ears. Red in the tail feathers. [77] | Southeastern Brazil [51] [78] | |
Orange-winged amazon (Amazona amazonica) | 33 cm (13 in) long, mostly green, blue and yellow feathers on the head which varies in extent between individuals. The upper mandible is partly horn-coloured (grey) and partly dark grey. It has orange feathers in the wings and tail. | South America [79] [80] | |
Saint Vincent amazon (Amazona guildingii) | 40 cm (16 in) long, mostly green, multi-coloured with a yellowish-white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts, grey feet, orange irises, and violet blue-green wings and tail feathers. There is a yellow-brown morph and a less common green morph. [81] | The Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in the Lesser Antilles [82] |
The genus Nestor is one of the two extant genera of the parrot family Strigopidae. Together with the kākāpō, and the extinct parrots in the genus Nelepsittacus, they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea. The Nestor's genus contains two extant parrot species from New Zealand and two extinct species from Norfolk Island, Australia and Chatham Island, New Zealand, respectively. All species are large stocky birds with short squarish tails. A defining characteristic of the genus is the tongue, which is tipped with a hair-like fringe. The superficial resemblance of this tongue to that of lorikeets has led some taxonomists to consider the two groups closely related, but DNA evidence shows they are not.
The blue-fronted amazon, also called the blue-fronted parrot, the turquoise-fronted amazon and the turquoise-fronted parrot, is a South American species of amazon parrot and one of the most common amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot. Its common name is derived from the distinctive blue/turqoise marking on its head just above its beak.
The yellow-shouldered amazon, also known as the yellow-shouldered parrot, is a parrot of the genus Amazona that is found in the arid areas of northern Venezuela, the Venezuelan islands of Margarita and La Blanquilla, and the island of Bonaire. It has been extirpated from Aruba and introduced to Curaçao.
The white-fronted amazon also known as the white-fronted parrot, or spectacled amazon parrot, is a Central American species of parrot. They can imitate a range from 30 to 40 different sounds. Like other large parrots, the white-fronted parrot has a long potential life span, usually around 40 years.
The lilac-crowned amazon, also known as lilac-crowned parrot, Finsch's parrot or Finsch's amazon, is a parrot endemic to the Pacific slopes of Mexico. Also known as Finsch's amazon, it is characterised by green plumage, a maroon forehead, and a violet-blue crown and neck.
The yellow-headed amazon, also known as the yellow-headed parrot and double yellow-headed amazon, is an endangered amazon parrot of Mexico and northern Central America. Measuring 38–43 centimetres (15–17 in) in length, it is a stocky short-tailed green parrot with a yellow head. It prefers to live in mangrove forests or forests near rivers or other bodies of water. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the yellow-crowned amazon. It is a popular pet and an excellent talker. Poaching for the international pet trade has driven the species to near-extinction in the wild; around half of all wild-caught birds are thought to die in the process.
The Saint Vincent amazon, also known as Saint Vincent parrot, is a large, approximately 40 cm (16 in) long, multi-colored amazon parrot with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts plumage, and violet blue-green wings.
The yellow-crowned amazon or yellow-crowned parrot is a species of parrot native to tropical South America, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. The taxonomy is highly complex and the yellow-headed and yellow-naped amazon are sometimes considered subspecies of the yellow-crowned amazon. Except in the taxonomic section, the following deals only with the nominate group .They are found in the Amazon basin.
The yellow-billed amazon, also called the yellow-billed parrot or Jamaican amazon, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is a predominantly green parrot with a short tail and pink throat and neck. It is endemic to Jamaica, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping of wild birds for the pet trade.
The Martinique amazon is a hypothetical extinct species of Caribbean parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is not known from any material remains, but was said to be similar to the red-necked amazon from Dominica, the next major island to the north of Martinique. Natives are known to have traded extensively in parrots between the Antilles, and it seems that the Martinique population was in some way related to or even descended from A. arausiaca.
The scaly-naped amazon, also known as the scaly-naped parrot, mercenary amazon, Tschudi's amazon, mountain parrot, or gray-naped amazon is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found along the Andes in the northern part of South America. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The red-spectacled amazon is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The red-browed amazon is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil. It has been considered a subspecies of the blue-cheeked amazon, but today all major authorities consider them separate species. It is threatened both by habitat loss and by being captured for the trade in wild parrots.
The Tucumán amazon, also known as the Tucumán parrot, alder amazon, or alder parrot, is a vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia.
The Hispaniolan parrot, also known as Hispaniolan amazon, is a species of psittaciform bird of the family Psittacidae endemic to Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Its white forehead, light beak, white eye-ring, blue ear patch, and maroon belly patch are the main features that differentiate it from other amazons. Its body measures about 28 centimeters in length. A typical adult weighs 250g (8.75 oz).
Eos is a genus of parrots belonging to the lories and lorikeets tribe of the family Psittaculidae. There are six species which are all endemic to islands of eastern Indonesia, most within very restricted ranges. They have predominantly red plumage with blue, purple or black markings. Males and females are similar in appearance.
The lilacine amazon or Ecuadorian red-lored amazon is an amazon parrot native to Ecuador in South America. According to the IOC World Bird List, it is still considered to be a subspecies of the red-lored amazon, although Birdlife International considers it to be a separate species, as Amazona lilacina - as does the International Union for Conservation of Nature for the purposes of the IUCN Red List, rating the lilacine amazon as critically endangered.
The diademed amazon is a parrot in the family Psittacidae formerly considered conspecific with the red-lored amazon. Amazona diadema is restricted to the state of Amazonas in north-western Brazil.