Red-crowned Parrot
Description
The red-crowned amazon (Amazona viridigenalis), also known as the red-crowned parrot, green-cheeked amazon or Mexican red-headed parrot, is an endangered amazon parrot native to northeastern Mexico and possibly southern Texas in the United States. A 1994 study estimated wild populations of between 2,000 and 4,300 mature individuals; the IUCN Red List considers it a globally endangered species with a decreasing population. The main threats to the native bird's survival are the illegal export of trapped birds from Mexico to the United States for the pet trade and the destruction of their natural habitat, the lowland forests of northeastern Mexico.
Distribution & Habitat
The Red-crowned Parrot is native to Mexico and northern
South America and has been
introduced to Puerto Rico (in
association with the pet trade),
where it occurs in small numbers
around the coast (Raffaele
and others 1998). A fl ock of
as many as 40 individuals was
reported near the municipality
of Salinas (Raffaele and others
1998). Habitat includes mostly
scrub and lowland moist forests
(Raffaele and others 1998).
The atlas fieldwork yielded a
total of three records within
two hexagons of the 479 total hexagons (see map). Of the
two hexagons where this parrot
was found, breeding met the
atlas definition of confirmed in
50 percent (one) of the hexagons
and possible in 50 percent
(one) of the hexagons as well
(see map). Red-crowned Parrot distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
Breeding Habits
Previously published reports indicate that the Red-crowned
Parrot breeds from March to June
(Raffaele and others 1998). The
nests are located in tree cavities
(Raffaele and others 1998),
especially in large mahogany
(Swietenia mahogany) and black 201Red-crowned Parrot/Cotorra Coronirrojaolive (Bucida buceras) trees (J.A. Salguero-Faría, personal
observation 2009). Atlas results
suggest that this species breeds
during March, September, and
October, and that the breeding
activity mostly takes place within
the subtropical dry forest life
zone (see chart). Atlas results
indicate that this species breeds
within the subtropical dry forest
life zone (50 percent of the
hexagons) (see table and map). It may also breed within the
subtropical moist forest life zone
(50 percent of the hexagons)
(see table and map).
Conservation
The current population trend of the Red-crowned Parrot is
described as decreasing in
its native distributional range
(Castro 1976, Enkerlin-Hoefl ich
1995). This species is currently listed as Endangered by the
IUCN (BirdLife International
2018). Locally, this species is not
listed in any of the threatened
categories of PRDNER and
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the Red-
crowned Parrot has a protected
habitat in land of 50 percent or
24 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence
of breeding was found for this
species (48 km2).
Related Species
Family:
parrot