Red-spectacled Amazon

Amazona pretrei

Large, mostly green parrot with large red patches around the eyes and forehead and on the leading edge of the wing and shoulders. Note the bare white eyering. Patchily distributed; found mostly found in Araucaria forest. Nests in open woodland.

Identification

The red-spectacled amazon is 32 cm (13 in) long. It is mostly green with some sparse red spots on head, variable extent of red on forehead, lores and around eyes, white eyerings, red on the bend of the wings with blue tips to secondaries and primaries and yellowish bill. Females have less red on the bend of the wing.<p>Diet:90 percent of the Red-spectacled amazon's diet that inhabits the wild contains Angustifolia seeds, those in captivity, their diets consist of vegetables along with Araucaria seeds.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Amazona pretrei
Authority
(Temminck, 1830)
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Psittacidae
Genus
Amazona

Range and habitat

Migration
Complete migrants

Conservation

The red-spectacled amazon is a declining species as it is highly threatened by the destruction of the Aruacaria moist forests and the illegal exotic pet trade. An analysis of the extinct Amazona pretrei population records reveals that the species disappeared due to severe habitat loss, and in the past, the parrot's geographical range was at least 10% larger than the current range.<p>The red-spectacled amazon is prized for its colorful feathers, mimicry ability, exotic appeal, and relative rarity, so eggs and live parrots are frequently smuggled from the wild and bred in captivity. It is estimated that nearly 500 chicks are stolen from their nests and sold in Brazilian cities every year.

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Dark Chanting-Goshawk

Melierax metabates

A tall, long-tailed, slaty-gray hawk with pink-orange legs and bill base. The flight feathers and wing tips are dark on both the upper and under wings, creating a uniformly dark wing pattern in flight. Pairs inhabit broadleaved woodland and well-wooded savanna. Chanting-goshawks give a strong, gull-like “kleeeu” call, hence their name. Dark Chanting-Goshawk always has a gray-barred rump, while other chanting-goshawks are paler, prefer drier habitats, and have unbarred white rumps. Eastern Chanting-Goshawk has yellow skin at the base of the bill. Pale Chanting-Goshawk has pale inner flight feathers and dark wing tips, creating a very contrasting wing pattern.

Ridgway's Hawk

Ridgway's Hawk

Buteo ridgwayi

A scarce small hawk of forests and open woodlands. The adult is very distinctive with its gray hood and barred orange belly. Immatures are pale-buff below with brown streaking and are brown above. Immatures separated from immature Red-tailed Hawk by small size and, in flight, by the lack of dark patagial bars. Typically rather approachable. Feeds on a wide variety of prey including large insects, small birds, and bats. Common call is loud, shrill, repeated “wee-uh.”

Cinnamon Flycatcher

Cinnamon Flycatcher

Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus

Bright rufous flycatcher of the Andean subtropical zone. Fairly small size, entirely cinnamon underparts, brown back, and bright rufous wing patch render this species distinctive. Usually found in pairs, perched conspicuously at the edge of the cloud forest. Sexes alike. Voice is also a good way to detect this species: listen for the sputtering, slightly descending trill. The subspecies found in Venezuela and northern Colombia is even brighter cinnamon than its southern counterparts, especially on the back and wings.

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