List of Amazon parrots

Taxobox
name = Amazon parrots


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Psittaciformes
familia = Psittacidae
subfamilia = Psittacinae
tribus = Arini
genus = "Amazona"
genus_authority = Lesson, 1830
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = The list of Amazon parrots includes about 30 species of amazon parrots that comprise the "Amazona" genus. In addition there are two extinct hypothetical species which have been postulated on little evidence.cite book |title = Extinct Birds |pages = p. 131 |first = Errol |last = Fuller | year = 1987| publisher = Penguin Books (England) |isbn = 0670817972] cite web | url =http://www.zoonomen.net/avtax/psit.html |title = Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Psittaciformes (Version 9.004) |date =2008-08-08 |publisher = www.zoonomen.net]

Amazon parrots range in size from medium to large parrots, and have relatively short, rather square tails. They are native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. Amazons are predominantly green, with accenting colors that depend on the species and can be quite vivid.

The taxonomy of the Yellow-crowned Amazon ("Amazona ochrocephala" complex) is disputed, with some authorities only listing a single species ("A. ochrocephala"), while others split it into as many as three species ("A. ochrocephala", "A. auropalliata" and "A. oratrix"). For further on this issue, see the taxonomic section for the Yellow-crowned Amazon.

The Yellow-faced Parrot, "Alipiopsitta xanthops" was traditionally placed within the genus of amazon parrots, but recent research has shown that it is closer to the Short-tailed Parrot and the species from the genus "Pionus", resulting in it being transferred to the monotypic genus "Alipiopsitta" [Duarte JMB and Caparroz R (1995) Cytotaxonomic analysis of Brazilian species of the genus Amazona (Psittacidae, Aves) and confirmation of the genus Salvatoria (Ribeiro, 1920). Braz J Genet 18:623-628.] Russello, M.A. & Amato, G (2004) A molecular phylogeny of Amazona: implications for Neotropical parrot biogeography, taxonomy, and conservation. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 30: 421-437.]

The two hypothetical extinct species are the †Martinique Amazon ("Amazona martinica" ) [BirdLife International 2004. [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/40139/all Amazona martinicana] . [http://www.iucnredlist.org 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ] ] cite web| publisher =BirdLife International (2008) |url = http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30083&m=0 |title = Species factsheet: "Amazona martinica" |accessdaymonth = 12 August | accessyear = 2008] and the †Guadeloupe Amazon ("Amazona violacea"). [BirdLife International 2004. [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/40140/all Amazona violacea] . [http://www.iucnredlist.org 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ] ] cite web| publisher =BirdLife International (2008) |url = http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=30082&m=0 |title = Species factsheet: "Amazona violacea" |accessdaymonth = 12 August | accessyear = 2008] 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 populations. Their taxonomy may never be fully elucidated, and so their postulated status as a separate species is hypothetical.

List of species of the genus "Amazona"

ee also

*List of parrots
*Neotropical parrots

References

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMFindResults.asp&hdnAction=SEARCH&hdnPageMode=0&cboFamily=67&txtGenus=amazona&txtSpecies=&txtCommonName=&cboRegion=-2&cboCountry=-2 Search result for amazon parrot] Birdlife International. Retrieved 12 August 2008.