Amazone à joues vertes

Identification

Their appearance is generally green with the most notable features being a bright red forehead and crown, dark blue streak behind the eyes, and light green cheeks. It is not uncommon for red-crowned amazons to have splashes of red and blue under their wings and have light yellow-tipped tails. They have a white eye-ring which brings out their eyes. Their iris color can range from a bright yellow to a deep red, although juveniles' eyes are gray until maturity. Red-crowned amazons usually have horn colored beaks and ceres but these can sometimes have black highlights. Their legs are beige or gray. They are approximately 11–13 inches (28–33 cm) in length from the beak to the tip of the tail feathers with a wingspan of 15–16 inches (38–41 cm). Most Amazon parrots are not sexually dimorphic (the exceptions being the White-fronted Amazona albifrons, Yellow-lored Amazona xantholora, and Blue-fronted Amazona aestiva) so the only true way to identify gender is by genetic testing. Their average weight is 270 grams (9.5 oz).

Taxonomie

Nom scientifique

Amazona viridigenalis

Autorité

(Cassin, 1853)

Ordre

Psittaciformes

Famille

Psittacidés

Genre

Amazona

Répartition et habitat

Their natural range is across the lowlands of northeastern Mexico, and possibly the southern tip of Texas. Red-crowned amazons are a resident (non-migratory) species in their native range, but they can wander outside of their breeding range to follow a food source. Feral birds have bred in urban communities of southern California, southern Florida and the island of Oahu in Hawaii.<p>On June 4, 2019, the Corpus Christi Ecological Services Field Office of the US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service announced to the public that the USFWS considers the red-crowned parrot native to Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. However, because parrots were not mentioned in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, birds in the Texas portion of their range are not entitled to USFWS protection, and must rely on enacted state and local laws. The USFWS estimated that there are roughly 700 wild red-crowned parrots in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 2019, and historical records place parrots in South Texas as early as 1885. The numbers of wild parrots in the United States now rivals populations in Mexico, due to their adaptation to urban life. However, the IUCN and other resources consider the bird to be non-native to all parts of the United States, including southern Texas. NatureServe considers the species to be "Imperiled" in Texas.<p>Populations of feral parrots exist in cities such as the Los Angeles metropolitan area in California, US, especially the San Gabriel Valley. Populations also exist in the San Diego area. Captured birds there escaped and became part of the urban ecosystem, starting in about the 1960s. The California Parrot Project says that red-crowned amazons are among the thirteen species of parrots with naturalized populations in California, including six in the genus Amazona. Los Angeles has been called a sanctuary for this endangered species, with a population of around 3,000 that is estimated to meet or exceed the remaining wild population in Mexico. Area residents say that although the birds annoy with their loud calls, they also inspire local pride and identity.

Migration

Nomadic movement

Comportement

They gather in large flocks being noisiest in the morning and evening. The characteristic screeching heard of these birds usually occurs when they travel in a large flock to a new feeding area. Their diet consists of seeds, fruits, flowers and nectar. Red-crowned amazons nest in tree cavities, like most other parrots. Amazons are one of the easiest parrots to read the behavior of, as their eye color shows their pinning exceptionally well. Red-crowned amazons pin their eyes when they are excited, either positively or negatively, about something in their environment. It is easy to make out the dilations of the pupil against the bright iris. This pinning, combined with different behavioral signs, can let a fellow parrot or an owner know how the parrot is feeling. An angry parrot may fan its tail feathers while a content, affectionate parrot may purr, or bend their head down to be scratched.

Conservation

Tendance de la population

declining