Scaly-naped Amazon

Amazona mercenarius

33 to 38 cm.. tall and 300 g. of weight.

The Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenarius) it is the only amazon in mountainous areas.

General coloring green, with the feathers of the chest with black border, It is distinguished by having the wingtip yellow with orange spots, and external feathers tail tricolor with blue base, middle part red and yellow tip.

Bill pale gray area at the base of jaw; irises orange; legs brown.

Both sexes are similar. It is thought that immature they are similar to adults.

• Sound of the Scaly-naped Amazon.

• Amazona mercenarius canipalliata

  (Cabanis, 1874) – Speculum red absent. bases outer secondaries marked with brown spots. Some specimens show scattered red feathers crown, the throat top of the chest.




• Amazona mercenarius mercenarius

  (Tschudi, 1844) – Nominal.

Andean and sub-Andean forests permanently cloudy between 1200 and 3000 m. Occasionally in warm floor and cultivated land.
Usually in pairs or groups of 30 to 40 individuals.

They have reported evidence reproduction between March and May in Colombia. Nest and eggs not yet described. The incubation period apparently it lasts 25 and 26 days.

Little information on their diet, but he has seen taking figs and fruit unidentified in Colombia.
In Colombia they have been observed down to attack corn fields.

Size of the area of distribution (reproduction / resident): 3.160.000 km2

Andes from Venezuela to the North of Bolivia.

• Amazona mercenarius canipalliata

  (Cabanis, 1874) – Andes of Colombia to northwest Venezuela and Ecuador.




• Amazona mercenarius mercenarius

  (Tschudi, 1844) – Nominal. Andes North of Peru to the North of Bolivia; a single record in Argentina.

State of conservation ⓘ
Minor Concern ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Least concern.

• Population trend: Decreasing.

Justification of the population

The population size World has not been quantified, but this species is described as «quite common» (Stotz et to the., 1996).

Justification of trend

It is suspected that the population is in decline due to the continuous habitat destruction.

Very rare in captivity.

– Scaly-naped Amazon, Mercenary Amazon, Mercenary Parrot, Scaly naped Parrot, Scaly-naped Parrot (English).
– Amazone mercenaire (French).
– Soldatenamazone (German).
– Loro verde (Portuguese).
– Amazona Mercenaria, Amazona Verde, Lora Andina, Loro nuca escamada, Lora paramera (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittacidae
– Genus: Amazona
– Scientific name: Amazona mercenarius
– Citation: (Tschudi, 1844)
– Protonimo: parrot hired

Sources:
– Parrot Book, Parrots and macaws Neotropical
– avibase
– Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
– Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
– Birdlife

– Sound: Hans Matheve