Red-necked amazon

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Red-necked amazon
Amazona arausiaca -Roseau -Dominica -aviary-6a-4c.jpg
At the Parrot Conservation and Research Centre Botanical Gardens, Roseau, Dominica
CITES Appendix I (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Amazona
Species:
A. arausiaca
Binomial name
Amazona arausiaca
(Muller, 1776) [3]
Amazona arausiaca map.svg
Synonyms

Amazona bouqueti

The red-necked amazon (Amazona arausiaca), also known as the red-necked parrot, Dominican blue-faced amazon, lesser Dominican amazon, and jaco parrot or jaco, is an amazon parrot endemic to Dominica.

Contents

It is green, with bright splashes of various colours. Its name is due to the area of red plumage commonly found at its throat.

The hypothetical Martinique amazon (A. martinicana), known only from old descriptions, was said to look quite similar, and may have been a related (or even the same) species. It was said to occur on Martinique, the next major island to the south of Dominica.

Description

The red-necked amazon gets its name because of its orange and reddish feathers found on its lower throat.

The bird also sometimes has blue feathers on its forehead, around the eyes and its head. Although, the blue feathers verge to wither away to gray feathers at its upper breast. The rest of its body is covered in deep bottle green feathers and a wide band of yellow color runs down to the tip of its tail. The beak and feet are both grey. These birds average about 40 cm in length and can weigh between 550 and 650 g. [4]

Range, habitat

The red-necked amazon is only found in the Caribbean island of Dominica. It lives throughout Montane and sub-montane forests of Morne Diablotion and Northern and Central Forest Reserves and sequestered State Lands that are above 1500 ft elevation.

This species also lives at subordinate altitudes in agricultural regions and peripheral forests all the way to the northwest and northeast coasts. The Jacos primarily eat flowers, sprouts, seeds and fruits of the rainforest trees and plants, citrus and pastoral crops.

With a population of less than 400 birds, this beautiful parrot is very endangered due to its habitat destruction and hunting. [4]

Social organisation

The species is highly social and flies in groups of 30 or more during the non-breeding season. Exceedingly territorial during nesting, breeding inaugurates from January to March, with fledging from May to July.

Red-necked amazon pairs are loyal to each other and tend to stay at the same nesting site for many years. Other than early morning and afternoon calls, these birds are fairly quiet and difficult to detect in the wild because they are well cloaked by their fluff. They are dexterous climbing birds and are prone to migrate seasonally, provisional on food supplies. [5]

Call

Red-necked amazons are most vigorous and animated in the early mornings from dawn to around 10 am, and again in the late afternoon after about 4 pm. During those periods they are most communicative. The cry of the red-necked amazon is rough with a high-pitched squawk and usually uses two-syllable notes. [6] [7]

Threats

Red-necked amazon numbers have been diminishing through the 20th Century, primarily as a consequence of hunting for food and, to a lesser degree, the pet trade, and, more recently, by the clearing of forests for agriculture.

Luckily, hunting and illegal trade no longer pose a serious threat, and this buoyant bird has made a notable recovery, both in range extension and overall population size, after its population size decreased to an all-time low of as few as 150 individuals in 1980.

Through substantial conservation action, this species has recovered to a far healthier 750 to 800 birds (2003 population estimates). [8] [9] Due to this, the species seems to have successfully survived Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated the entirety of Dominica; all of the captive birds were safe after the hurricane, and several wild birds were also sighted flying around the island. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon parrot</span> Genus of birds

Amazon parrots are parrots in the genus Amazona. They are medium-sized, short-tailed parrots native to the Americas, with their range extending from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. Amazona is one of the 92 genera of parrots that make up the order Psittaciformes and is in the family Psittacidae, one of three families of true parrots. It contains about thirty species. Most amazons are predominantly green, with accenting colors that depend on the species, and they can be quite vivid. They feed primarily on seeds, nuts, and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-throated macaw</span> Species of bird from Bolivia

The blue-throated macaw, also known as the Caninde macaw or Wagler's macaw, is a macaw endemic to a small area of north-central Bolivia, known as Los Llanos de Moxos. In 2014 this species was designated by law as a natural patrimony of Bolivia. Until 2010, it was hunted by native people to make feathered "Moxeño" headdresses for "machetero" ritual dances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puerto Rican amazon</span> Parrot endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rican amazon, also known as the Puerto Rican parrot or iguaca, is the only extant parrot endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico, and belongs to the Neotropical genus Amazona. Measuring 28–30 cm (11.0–11.8 in), the bird is a predominantly green parrot with a red forehead and white rings around the eyes. Its closest relatives are believed to be the Cuban amazon and the Hispaniolan amazon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilac-crowned amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban amazon</span> Species of bird

The Cuban amazon also known as the Cuban parrot and the rose-throated parrot, is a medium-sized mainly green parrot found in woodlands and dry forests of Cuba, the Bahamas and Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-headed amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial amazon</span> Species of rare bird in the Caribbean

The imperial amazon or Dominican amazon, also known as the sisserou or sisserou parrot, is a parrot found only on the Caribbean island of Dominica. It has been designated as the national bird of Dominica. The species is critically endangered. In 2019, it was estimated there were only about 50 mature individuals left in the wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Vincent amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-cheeked amazon</span> Species of bird

The blue-cheeked amazon, also known as blue-cheeked parrot or Dufresne's amazon, is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, the Guianas, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser Antillean macaw</span> Extinct bird from the Caribbean

The Lesser Antillean macaw or Guadeloupe macaw is a hypothetical extinct species of macaw that is thought to have been endemic to the Lesser Antillean island region of Guadeloupe. In spite of the absence of conserved specimens, many details about the Lesser Antillean macaw are known from several contemporary accounts, and the bird is the subject of some illustrations. Austin Hobart Clark described the species on the basis of these accounts in 1905. Due to the lack of physical remains, and the possibility that sightings were of macaws from the South American mainland, doubts have been raised about the existence of this species. A phalanx bone from the island of Marie-Galante confirmed the existence of a similar-sized macaw inhabiting the region prior to the arrival of humans and was correlated with the Lesser Antillean macaw in 2015. Later that year, historical sources distinguishing between the red macaws of Guadeloupe and the scarlet macaw of the mainland were identified, further supporting its validity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-tailed amazon</span> Species of bird

The red-tailed amazon, also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo and Paraná. The bird has been threatened by habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, and is a symbol of the efforts to conserve one of the Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems. Consequently, it is considered Near Threatened by BirdLife International and the IUCN. In 1991–92, the population had fallen below 2000 individuals. Following on-going conservation efforts, a count and estimate from 2015 suggests a population of 9,000–10,000, indicating that this species is recovering from earlier persecution. A recent study shows that the population of this species is stable at Paraná state, Southern Brazil, revealing population trend fluctuation during the last 12 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-billed amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawall's amazon</span> Species of bird

Kawall's amazon, also known as the white-faced amazon, white-cheeked amazon or Kawall's parrot, is a relatively large species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the south-central Amazon. After not having been recorded in the wild for around 70 years, the species was rediscovered in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martinique amazon</span> Hypothetical species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scaly-naped amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-browed amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucumán amazon</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispaniolan amazon</span> Species of parrot endemic to Hispaniola

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Lucia amazon</span> Species of bird

The Saint Lucia amazon, also known as the St. Lucia amazon and St. Lucia parrot, is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles and is the country's national bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadeloupe amazon</span> Hypothetical extinct species of parrot from the Caribbean

The Guadeloupe amazon or Guadeloupe parrot is a hypothetical extinct species of parrot that is thought to have been endemic to the Lesser Antillean island region of Guadeloupe. Mentioned and described by 17th- and 18th-century writers, it received a scientific name in 1789. It was moved to the genus Amazona in 1905, and is thought to have been related to, or possibly the same as, the extant imperial amazon. A tibiotarsus and an ulna bone from the island of Marie-Galante may belong to the Guadeloupe amazon. In 1905, a species of extinct violet macaw was also claimed to have lived on Guadeloupe, but in 2015, it was suggested to have been based on a description of the Guadeloupe amazon.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Amazona arausiaca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22686395A93109808. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686395A93109808.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. "ITIS Report: Amazona arausiaca". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Rare Species Conservatory Foundation". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
  5. "The Red-necked or Blue-faced Amazon Parrots - Beauty of Birds". www.beautyofbirds.com.
  6. Trust, World Parrot. "Red-necked Amazon (Amazona arausiaca) - Parrot Encyclopedia". www.parrots.org.
  7. "Dominica's Imperial and Red-Necked Parrots". www.theparrotsocietyuk.org.
  8. "Amazona imperialis (imperial amazon)". Animal Diversity Web.
  9. "Red-necked Amazon videos, photos and facts - Amazona arausiaca". Arkive. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-03.
  10. "Post-Hurricane Report: How Are the Birds? | American Bird Conservancy". abcbirds.org. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 2017-10-06.