Yellow-naped Amazon

Yellow-naped Amazon
At Roatan Tropical Butterfly Garden, Honduras
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Amazona
Species: A. auropalliata
Binomial name
Amazona auropalliata
(Lesson, 1842)
Synonyms

Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata

The Yellow-naped Parrot or Yellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata) is an Amazon parrot sometimes considered to be a subspecies of Yellow-crowned Amazon, Amazona ochrocephala (Gmelin, 1788).

Deforestation is reducing the number of these parrots in the wild together with illegal removal of young for the pet trade. This parrot readily mimics sounds, and in captivity this includes human speech, which is probably the reason it is popular in the pet trade. Like all parrots, however, mimic abilities vary greatly between individuals and species.

Contents

Description

The Yellow-naped Parrot is distinguished by its green forehead and crown and a yellow band across the lower nape(back part of neck) and hindneck. The beak is dark grey and is paler towards the base of the upper mandible. The feet are also dark grey.

Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognized:

Range and habitat

It is found along the Pacific coast from southern Mexico south to northern Costa Rica.

In common with many parrot species, it feeds on nuts, berries, seeds, and fruit.

In captivity

Yellow-naped Amazons are highly sought after for their talking ability and playful personalities. They are also known for nest-protective behaviors that often lead them to bite. This is particularly common in, but not limited to, males during breeding season. A rare blue mutation of the Yellow-naped Amazon is known to exist, in which the entire body is turquoise in color.[1]

References