Yellow-lored Amazon
Amazona xantholora
Fairly small parrot of the Yucatan Peninsula, often in the same areas as the rather similar White-fronted Parrot, but the two species do not seem to mix in the same flocks. Found in forest and edge, less often in semi-open areas with scattered trees. Told from White-fronted Parrot by the dark cheek patch, and in flight shows a brighter green lower back than White-fronted. With a good view, note the small yellow face patch (‘lores’) at the bill base.
Identification
The Yucatan amazon is 25.5 to 28 cm (10 to 11 in) long and weighs 200 to 232 g (7.1 to 8.2 oz). It is mostly green. Adult males are chrome yellow on their lores and the sides of their forehead; the rest of the forehead and most of their crown are white. The area around and behind their eye is red and their ear coverts are dusky. Their rear crown is greenish blue, their nape green, and the rest of their upperparts and their underparts are yellowish green. Most of the body feathers have black edges that give a scalloped appearance. Their middle pair of tail feathers are green with pale yellowish green tips, the next pair are yellowish green with a yellow base and a red streak near the base, and the rest have progressively more red replacing the yellowish green. Their wing's leading edge and primary coverts are red, the outermost primaries are green with blue towards the end, and the rest of their primaries and their secondaries are rich blue. Their iris is orange surrounded by bare white skin and their bill and legs are yellow. Adult females differ from males with a greenish blue forehead and crown, paler yellow lores, very little red on the face, traces of duskiness on the ear coverts, and green primary coverts.
Taxonomy
The Yucatan amazon is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Amazona xantholora
- Authority
- (Gray, GR, 1859)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Amazona
Range and habitat
The Yucatan amazon is found throughout the Yucatán Peninsula in the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, and Campeche and slightly into northern Belize. A significant population also resides on Isla Cozumel. A specimen was collected in 1947 on the Honduran island of Roatán and there are a few eBird records from there and many from northern Guatemala. The species is found in the interior and edges of deciduous and semi-deciduous forest, both primary and secondary, and also in pine savannah. It elevation it ranges from sea level up to about 100 m (300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Gorgeted Woodstar
Chaetocercus heliodor
Woodstars are tiny hummingbirds that fly like bumblebees. Gorgeted Woodstar is found in the subtropical and temperate zone of the Andes from Venezuela to Ecuador, where it inhabits cloud forest, edges, and second growth. Males are deep emerald-green (more of a bluish tone than other woodstars) with a glittering wine-colored throat and white patches on the sides of the rump. Females are trickier; note the rufous rump and tail with a black band at the base, extremely small size, short tail, and buffy infusion on the throat. On both sexes, bill often appears slightly decurved, more than other woodstars. Sometimes seen singly feeding in the canopy or at lower patches of flowers. Visits feeders.
White-shouldered Antshrike
Thamnophilus aethiops
Shy antshrike found in understory of lowland and foothill rainforest. Male is dark gray or black; he also has small white dots on the shoulder and a white line at the bend of the wing, but these features are not always evident in the field. Female is plain brown; on the western edge of the range, she also has a black face, throat, and tail. Usually first detected by voice: song is a soft series of evenly spaced, nasal caws.
Chaco Sparrow
Rhynchospiza strigiceps
Small sparrow found in lowlands and foothills from northern Argentina to southeastern Bolivia. It has chestnut and gray stripes on the head and faint black and white mustache streaks. Similar to Yungas Sparrow, with which it was formerly lumped as Stripe-capped Sparrow, but is smaller with less black between the eye and bill, browner wings, and different voice. Inhabits open, grassy habitats with scattered trees and low scrub. Song is a fairly rapid series of sweet whistles, repeated every few seconds.
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