Yellow-naped parrot, Yellow-naped amazon
The yellow-naped amazon or yellow-naped parrot (Amazona auropalliata ) is a widespread amazon parrot sometimes considered to be a subspecies of the yellow-crowned amazon (Amazona ochrocephala ).. It inhabits the Pacific coast of southern Mexico and Central America. It is has been recently been reclassified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List due to a dramatic decline across the extent of its range. Yellow-naped amazons have lost more than 92% of their population over the last three generations.
The primary cause for their population decline are deforestation and illegal removal of young for the parrot trade. This parrot readily mimics sounds, and in captivity, this includes human speech, which is probably the reason it is popular in aviculture. Like all parrots, however, mimicking abilities vary greatly between individuals. Recent surveys of the Costa Rican population across an 11-year time span found a significant decline in their population. Despite this decline, the Costa Rican population is considered to be the stronghold for the species.
The Yellow-naped amazon is one of the Amazon parrots and is considered by most as a Yellow-crowned parrot subspecies. It has a green forehead and crown with a yellow band across the back of its neck. Yellow-naped amazons are prized for their playful personalities and talking ability. A rare mutation of this species has an entirely turquoise body.
Yellow-naped amazons inhabit the Pacific Coast from Mexico in the south to Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. They prefer areas such as forests, woodlands and tropical zones.
These birds are powerful flyers, and they fly at some height when traveling long distances. They are diurnal and extremely social, living in large groups when in the wild. Their call is a repeated screeching “kurr-owk”. They also produce a range of whistling calls and metallic shrieks. They engage in nest-protective behaviors, often causing them to bite, this behavior being particularly common amongst, but not limited to, the male during the breeding season. They do not always manage their emotions well, and they signal when over-excited or stressed by spreading or fanning their tail and contracting and expanding their pupils (eye pinning). As pets these birds are appreciated for their intelligence, clownish personality, and impressive singing and talking abilities, which are enhanced by their very good sense of pitch. When they talk, it sounds amazingly human like.
Yellow-naped amazons are herbivores (frugivores and granivores), they eat fruits, seeds, berries, nuts, blossoms, and leaf buds.
Yellow-naped amazons are monogamous and make strong lifelong pair bonds. Courtship starts in the warm weather, usually around April to May. Typically 3-4 eggs are laid, and they are incubated for about 26-28 days. While incubation and weaning take place, the male bird guards the nest from outside, never entering it. He finds food for his mate as well as himself, causing him to be less particular in this search. On his return to the nest, he will regurgitate food for the female. When the chicks hatch after about 8-12 weeks they can leave their nest, and will reach their reproductive maturity at two years.
The main threat to Yellow-naped amazons is deforestation, which reduces the number of wild parrot populations, as well as capture of young for the illegal pet trade.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Yellow-naped amazon population size is fewer than 50,000 individuals. Currently this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) and their numbers today are decreasing.
