Orange-winged Amazon

Orange-winged Amazon
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae
Genus:	Amazona
Species:	A. amazonica
Binomial name
Amazona amazonica (Linnaeus, 1766)

The Orange-winged Amazon (Amazona amazonica), also known locally as Orange-winged Parrot and Loro Guaro, is a large Amazon parrot. It is a resident breeding bird in tropical South America, from Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago south to Peru and central Brazil. Its habitat is forest and semi-open country. Although common, it is persecuted as an agricultural pest and by capture for the pet trade (over 66,000 captured in the years 1981-1985). It is also hunted as a food source.

Taxonomy

There are two subspecies:

• A. a. amazonica, found on the mainland of South America.
• A. a. tobagensis, found only on Trinidad and Tobago, is a subspecies which is larger than the nominate form, and has more orange in the wing.

Description

Upper body

The Orange-winged Amazon is a mainly green parrot about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighing about 340 gm. It has blue and yellow feathers on its head which varies in extent between individuals. The upper mandible is partly horn coloured and partly dark-grey. It has orange feathers in the wings and tail, which can be seen when in flight. The male and female are identical in external appearance.^[1]

Behaviour

Diet and feeding

The Orange-winged Amazon is a noisy bird and makes loud, high-pitched screams. It eats fruit and seeds, including the fruit of palm trees and sometimes cocoa. It roosts communally in palm and other trees, and large numbers can be seen at the roost sites at dawn and dusk. It is becoming common as a feral bird in the Miami, Florida area, and there are colonies in London, England.

Breeding

The Orange-winged Amazon nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white and there are usually three to four in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 26 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days after hatching.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Alderton, David (2003). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Caged and Aviary Birds. London, England: Hermes House. p. 231. ISBN 184309164X. 

• BirdLife International (2004). Amazona amazonica. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
• Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
• ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition ed.). Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2. 
• "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-7922-6877-6.
• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 4, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-22-9.
• "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6.

External links

• Feral Orange-winged Amazons in Europe.
• Amazon Parrots Article featuring an Orange-winged Amazon.