Amazona auropalliata – Yellow-naped Amazon
Yellow-naped Amazon – Amazona auropalliata (Lesson, RP, 1842) – are medium sized parrots with an overall green plumage. They are common in captivity in USA, less common in Europe.
The yellow patch on the forehead can vary in size, which may cause confusion with Yellow-crowned Amazon and Yellow-headed Amazon.
These charming parrots love to fool around and show off by spreading the tail feathesrs and lifting their wings while “talking”.
They are very intelligent and can learn to mimic words and simple sentences. Some have a vocabulary of up to 300 words!
With proper care they can reach a lifespan of 40-60 years.
They enjoy chewing and should be supplied with bird-safe chew toys.
Yellow-naped Amazon is listed on CITES Appendix I and EU Annex A; trading is only allowed with special permit! It is categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Description
Overall green plumage. Green forehead and crown; yellow patch on on lower nape – the size of this patch varies. The tail is dark green at base and lighter green at the tip. Narrow grey eye ring. The bill is dark grey with pale grey on sides of upper mandible.
Juveniles lack the yellow patch and the crown is washed with blue/green; brown eyes and dark grey bill.
Size: 35 cm
Weight: 480-550 g
Juveniles – notice the missing yellow nape.
Subspecies
Three subspecies are recognized:
- Amazona auropalliata auropalliata (Lesson, RP, 1842). Colors as described above; red on bend of wing absent. It is native to a region from southern Mexico to north-western Costa Rica.
- Amazona auropalliata caribaea (Lousada, 1989). Similar to A. a. parvipes but underparts are more olive/green and it is paler in general. The lover mandible is grey/horn colored. It is native to Bay Islands off Honduras (Isla Barbareta and Isla Guanaja).
- Amazona auropalliata parvipes (Monroe & Howell, TR, 1966). Similar to A. a. auropalliata but more extensive yellow patch on nape. Some birds may also have yellow markings on forehead. Red color of bend of wing. The bill is pale grey with dark grey markings. It is native to a region from the coastal north-eastern Honduras to north-eastern Nicaragua.
Habitat
The natural habitat is ranging from southern Mexico to Costa Rica.
They are usually found in deciduous or evergreen forest, savanna woodland, dense gallery woodland and clearings. Sometimes also seen in cultivated areas with scattered trees.
Diet
Wild birds feed on various seeds, fruits, figs and pine cones.
Aviculture
The aviary should be at least 3 m long.
A vertical box about 30 x 30 x 60 cm is used as nest box.
The clutch usually contains 2-4 eggs that are incubated for 26 days. The chicks reach fledging age after 11 weeks.
Taxonomy
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Psittacidae
- Genus: Amazona
Synonyms
- Danish: Gulnakket Amazone
- English: Yellow-naped Amazon, Yellow-naped Parrot
- French: Amazone à nuque d’or, Amazone à nuque jaune, Amazone verte à nuque jaune
- German: Gelbnackenamazone
- Portuguese: Papagaio-de-nuca-amarela
- Spanish: Amazona Nuquigualda, Lora de Nacu Amarilla, Lora de nuca amarilla, Lora nuca amarilla, Loro Nuca Amarilla, Loro nuca-amarilla, Loro Nuquiamarillo
- Scientific: Amazona auropalliata
IUCN Red List
BirdLife International 2021. Amazona auropalliata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22686342A180373727. .Accessed on 20 May 2023
