Yellow-shouldered amazon (Amazona barbadensis)

Yellow-shouldered amazon The yellow-shouldered amazon is mainly green and about 33 cm long. It has a whitish forehead and lores, and a yellow crown, ocular region and - often - ear coverts and chin. The bare eye-ring is white. The thighs and the bend of the wing ("shoulder") are yellow, but both can be difficult to see. The throat, cheeks and belly often have a bluish tinge. As most members of the genus Amazona, it has broad dark blue tips to the remiges and a red wing-speculum. Its beak is horn coloured. In its range the yellow shoulder patch and extensive yellow on the head distinguish the yellow-shouldered amazon from other Amazona species, which have red or orange on the shoulder and less yellow on the head (the orange-winged amazon, which has as much yellow to the head as some yellow-shouldered amazons, has a blue ocular region). However, outside its range, several other Amazona species have as much - or more - yellow on their heads.
Habitat:
Due to ongoing habitat lost, small population size, limited range and overhunting for the cagebird trade, the yellow-shouldered amazon is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES. There are only around 900 parrots remaining on Bonaire. Populations exist on the Venezuelan coast as well as on the country’s islands of La Banquilla and Margarita. Historically, the parrots also lived on the island of Aruba but they became extinct there in the 1940s. Bonaire is home to the only surviving native population outside of Venezuela.
Notes:
The non-profit organization Echo in Bonaire is doing tremendous effort to protect and maintain this species in the island; http://www.echobonaire.org/parrots/bonai... http://www.echobonaire.org/ Amazona barbadensis,Caribbean Netherlands,Geotagged,Summer,Yellow-shouldered amazon

Appearance

The yellow-shouldered amazon is mainly green and about 33 cm long. It has a whitish forehead and lores, and a yellow crown, ocular region and - often - ear coverts and chin. The bare eye-ring is white. The thighs and the bend of the wing are yellow, but both can be difficult to see. The throat, cheeks and belly often have a bluish tinge. As most members of the genus ''Amazona'', it has broad dark blue tips to the remiges and a red wing-speculum. Its beak is horn coloured.

In its range the yellow shoulder patch and extensive yellow on the head distinguish the yellow-shouldered amazon from other ''Amazona'' species, which have red or orange on the shoulder and less yellow on the head . However, outside its range, several other ''Amazona'' species have as much - or more - yellow on their heads.

Yellow-shouldered Amazons in mango tree Feeding in mango tree near Choroni Amazona barbadensis,Henri Pittier National Park,Yellow-shouldered amazon

Status

Declines in several main land populations have been extensively documented, there are believed to be 2,500–10,000 yellow-shouldered amazons in the wild.

Due to ongoing habitat lost, small population size, limited range and overhunting for the cagebird trade, the yellow-shouldered amazon is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.

Behavior

The yellow-shouldered amazon call is a rolling ''cur'r'r'k''.

Reproduction

The yellow-shouldered amazon nests in a tree hole or cliff cavity and lays 3-4 eggs. Total clutch size and hatching success of this species on Margarita Island are among the highest documented for the genus Amazona, suggesting a high reproductive potential for the species It is highly gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of up to 100 birds.

Food

It feeds on fruits, seeds, and cactus flowers.

References:

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Status: Vulnerable
EX	EW	CR	EN	VU	NT	LC

Taxonomy
Kingdom	Animalia
Division	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Psittaciformes
Family	Psittacidae
Genus	Amazona
Species	A. barbadensis

Photographed in
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Venezuela