Red-crowned Parrot

Amazona viridigenalis

30.5-33 cm.. length and 294 g. of weight.

The Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis) has the lores, forecrown and crown, bright red, with side margins on the back of the neck and top of the neck, showing blue feathers with black ends; ear-coverts bright green without black ends in feathers; nape boldly festooned with green feathers with their ends in black.

Mantle and back green with some weak black tips; rump and uppertail-coverts, green. Wing coverts green with black margins on some weak feathers. The flight feather, mostly green, the primaries, in general, with dark ends, of dark blue or black, the Outer secondaries, with the ends of blue with red in the outerweb. Under, the wings green. Underparts green, slightly yellowish; some feathers show visible dark tips. The tail is green, in general with its yellow end. Bill pale yellow; irises yellow; legs pale grey.

although females They can have on average less red in the head, probably no consistent sexual dimorphism. The immature She has red in the head very small, with feathers in the central part of the crown green tipped black and subterminally banded pale blue; feathers on the side of the crown, forming broad band over eye.

• Sound of the Red-crowned Parrot.

The habitat of the Red-crowned Parrot son los Bosques deciduous, gallery forests and evergreen floodplain forests in tropical lowlands, with non-breeding birds on dry ridges extend to 1,200 meters in temperate zones Pinus and Quercus.

frequenting cultivated areas where they remain large trees. Usually in flocks, generally larger than its sympatric congeners (Red-lored Amazon and the Yellow-headed Parrot, with which sometimes mixed); in larger flocks in winter. Used roost communally.

They nest in tree hollows, including abandoned nests Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus), generally 6-20 meters above the ground. Nests reported in trees Taxodium mucronatum, Bumelia laetivirens and Brosimum alicastrum. Reproduction April-May Tamaulipas. The laying is of 3 or 4 eggs. Only the female incubates. The incubation hard 28 days. The young are cared for for nine weeks.

Foods reported include seeds of Pinus, corn, berries of Ehretia, Jewish of Pithecellobium, acorns and berries Melia azedarach; introduced populations have adapted to the food sources parks, consuming fruitsJuglans, Liquidambar, eucalyptus and Chorisia.

Size of its range (breeding/resident ): 61.900 km2

Northeast Endemic Mexico, where records from southern Nuevo León (South of Monterrey) through Tamaulipas (mostly in the center and south of the state) and East of San Luis Potosi, to the North of Veracruz and towards the south until near 21ºN. They can be seen as visitors in the winter Brownsville, southwestern end Texas, USA.

The current range appears confined to Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi, no known breeding records in recent decades in Nuevo León or Veracruz, except for the seemingly wild population in the suburbs Monterrey.

wild populations in California, Florida, Oahu (Hawaiian Islands) and Puerto Ricor (small number in southern dry forests).

Resident but nomadic in winter with some altitudinal movements that lead birds to higher ground in winter (perhaps to exploit the seeds and acorns Pine) and with other movements further away from the breeding range, for example, to the South of Texas. Apparently they return to the breeding area in February, declining along the ridge, but they are most common near the east coast, especially around the Sierra de Tamaulipas and on the slopes east of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Tamaulipas. Otherwise, sparsely distributed and frequently only some strengths as the Valley Sabinas River, Tamaulipas.

Total population estimated in 3.000-6.500. Popular in captivity locally and previously traded in large numbers internationally. Clearly the recent population declines are due to excessive trade and to the continued destruction of habitats scale; they are also you fired in some areas due to crop damage. There are no large protected areas within reach and illegal trade continues.

State of conservation ⓘ
Endangered ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: In danger of extinction.

• Population trend: Decreasing.

• Population size : 2000-4300.

Rationale for the Red List category

The combination of high levels of exploitation for cage bird trade, loss of habitat and long term estimates reduced density It indicates that this species is declining very quickly. Therefore it qualifies as in danger of extinction.

Justification of the population

In 1992-1994, estimated in an area in Mexico densities indicated a wild population of 3.000 to 6.500 birds (EC Enkerlin-Hoeflich in a bit., 1994). This estimate equals approximately 2.000-4.300 mature individuals.

Justification of trend

The historical densities recorded for the species were 25,2 in the early birds / km2 1970 (Castro 1976), down to 5,7 birds / km2 in an area 1992-1994 (EC Enkerlin-Hoeflich in 1994, Enkerlin-Hoeflich 1995), indicating a population declines of up to 77,4% on a strip of 20 years. It is suspected that the decline will continue at a higher rate to 50% in ten years, due to threats capture and forest clearing.

CITES Appendix I. (It includes species threatened with extinction. Trade individuals of these species, it is allowed only in exceptional circumstances.)

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

– Green-cheeked Amazon, Green-cheeked Parrot, Mexican Red-headed Amazon, Mexican Red-headed Parrot, Red-crowned Amazon, Red-crowned Parrot, red-crowned parrot parakeet (English).
– Amazone à joues vertes, Amazone verte à front rouge (French).
– Grünwangenamazon, Grünwangenamazone (German).
– Papagaio-de-coroa-vermelha, Papagaio-de-face-verde (Portuguese).
– Amazona de Corona Roja, Amazona Tamaulipeca, Cotorra Coronirroja, Loro Tamaulipeco (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittacidae
– Genus: Amazona
– Scientific name: Amazona viridigenalis
– Citation: (Cassin, 1853)
– Protonimo: chrysotis viridigenalis

Sources:

– Sounds: Aidan Place, XC306093. accessible www.xeno-canto.org/306093