Saint Lucia amazon

Amazona versicolor

43 cm.. length and 700-800 g. of weight.

The Saint Lucia amazon (Amazona versicolor) has the lores, cheeks and forecrown, bright blue; crown, ear-coverts and lower cheeks, paler blue with iridescent emerald suffusion from some angles; dark tips to feathers on head.

Hindneck neck, nape and upperparts, yellowish-olive, many feathers with visible black tips, giving the whole a barred effect strong, especially in the upper region. Wing coverts yellowish green olive. Primary coverts dyed blue, rest with black tips to some feathers. Primaries blue; bases of external secondarys forman speculum red, blue tips; secondary internal green and blue at the base to the tips. Underwing, yellowish green with blackish tips to some feathers; flight feather bluish green. Chin and throat, bright blue with blackish tips to feathers; tips of feathers on lower throat and top of the chest, bright red forming a patch distinct red patch or mottled red area; chest and belly rather yellowish-green, blackish tips and brick red in the subterminal area of some feathers, giving scalloped appearance with scattered rusty patches; the thighs and undertail-coverts, green-yellow. Tail bluish green in the center, outer feathers green with large yellowish green tips and hidden red bases. Bill grey; irises orange; legs grey.

Probably no sexual dimorphism.

Immature has irises brown.

• Sound of the Saint Lucia amazon.

Mainly they inhabit the canopy montana primary rainforest, but they make inroads into areas of secondary growth to feed. Reported flocks of up 20 birds. living forms community.

They nest in tree hollows. Nests observed in trees Dacryodes excelsa, Pouleria and Tetracera caribaeum. breeding season in February-August. Clutch usually two eggs, although, usually, only one young per nest thrives.

Its diet includes flowers and fruits of Clusia, Fruits of Talauma dodecapetala, Acrocomia irenensis, Pouleria, Dacryodes excelsa, Sloanea massoni, Byrsonima martinicensis, Miconia mirabilis, Pterocarpus officinalis and Euterpe globosa; also they have been seen feeding on bananas after the hurricane and presumably due to the depletion of natural food sources. Absence of common areas from August to November possibly linked to the lack of fruitfulness of Clusia.

Size of the area of distribution (raising / resident): 230 km2

Confined to St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles, now in the central and southern mountains, although formerly you were more widespread everywhere where the humid forest grew. The species has suffered a contraction of the range since the nineteenth century and now It occupies an area of ​​only 65-70 km2 from Millet and Mont Lacombe in the North, until Mont Beucop and Calfourc in the East, Piton Pig, St Piton, St Desrache and Big store in the south to Morne Gimie in the west and Mont Houlemon in the Northwest. The results of studies on the species suggest that the southwestern part of this area is the most densely populated of parrots, while relatively few live in the northeast.

Plentiful mid-nineteenth century, but decreasing rapidly to very little in the early twentieth century. Subsequently they recovered, with an estimated population of 1.000 birds in 1950. They declined again sixties, mostly due to hunting; observations in 1977 They estimated that there were more than 100 birds. steady increase since then with an estimated population of 300-350 birds in 1990.

The threats main arise from habitat loss and its hunting for food and pet trade as. Forestry practices that lead to the removal of mature trees (favorite breeding sites) could put additional pressure. They seem to be less susceptible to hurricanes than their counterparts in Dominica, but this may be due to conservation efforts rather than any intrinsic ability to withstand the effects of severe storms.

Can compete for nesting sites with Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus), which it has increased considerably since 1950.

State of conservation ⓘ
Vulnerable ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Vulnerable.

• Population trend: In increased.

• Population size : 230-330

Rationale for the Red List category

Conservation action may have saved this species from extinction. Numbers are now increasing and there is some evidence of a small range extension.. But, the habitat area apparently adequate (but vacated) It may be waning. If this begins to affect the habitat occupied, the species can be described as danger of extinction. In the news, its small population size and small size on one island are calling it Vulnerable.

Justification of the population

The population is estimated at 350-500 individuals, approximately equal to 230-330 mature individuals.

Justification of trend

No new data on population trends, so it is assumed that the species continues increasing.

Conservation Actions Underway

Appendices I and II of CITES. This protected by national legislation (J. D. Gilardi in litt., 1999).

Education programs and awareness have made this bird in a National symbol.

This has eliminated successfully hunting (Juniper and Parr 1998), helped by a moratorium on hunting within forest reserves (J. D. Gilardi in litt., 1999).

In 1975 program was established captive breeding, and in 1995 had developed a total of 19 young birds (Copsey, 1995).

extremely rare; currently only it found in the Jersey Zoo

Appendices I and II CITES. This protected by national legislation.

Each captive specimen of this species which is capable of reproducing, It is placed in a well-managed program captive breeding and not be sold as a pet, with the objective of ensure their survival long-term.

– Blue-masked Amazon, Blue-masked Parrot, St Lucia Amazon, St Lucia Parrot, St. Lucia Amazon, St. Lucia Parrot, St.Lucia amazon, Versicolored Parrot, Versicoloured Parrot (English).
– Amazone de Sainte-Lucie, Amazone versicolore, Amazone versicolore de Sainte-Lucie (French).
– Blaumaskenamazone, Blaustirnamazone (German).
– Papagaio-de-santa-lúcia (Portuguese).
– Amazona de Santa Lucia, Amazona de Sta. Lucia (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittacidae
– Genus: Amazona
– Scientific name: Amazona versicolor
– Citation: (Statius Müller, 1776)
– Protonimo: Psittacus versicolor

Sources:

Sounds: Allen T. Chartier, XC9438. accessible www.xeno-canto.org/9438