Yellow-shouldered Parrot
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-shouldered Amazon, Amazona barbadensis also known as Yellow-shouldered Parrot is a parrot
of the genus
Amazona
that is found in the arid areas of northern Venezuela
, the Venezuelan islands of Margarita
and La Blanquilla
, and the island of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles
). It has been extirpated from Aruba
and possibly also Curaçao
(Netherlands Antilles).
In its range the yellow shoulder patch and extensive yellow on the head distinguish the Yellow-shouldered Amazon from other Amazona species, which have red or orange on the shoulder and less yellow on the head (the Orange-winged Amazon, which has as much yellow to the head as some Yellow-shouldered Amazons, has a blue ocular region). However, outside its range, several other Amazona species have as much - or more - yellow on their heads.
Due to ongoing habitat lost, small population size, limited range and overhunting for the cagebird trade, the Yellow-shouldered Amazon is evaluated as Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Amazona
Amazon parrot
Amazon parrot is the common name for a parrot of the genus Amazona. These are medium-size parrots native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean....
that is found in the arid areas of northern Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, the Venezuelan islands of Margarita
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
and La Blanquilla
Blanquilla Island
Blanquilla is an island, one of the federal dependencies of Venezuela, located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea about 182 miles northeast of Caracas. It is a popular location for divers, as well as famous for its white sand beaches, for which it is named. The island's wildlife include local cacti...
, and the island of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
). It has been extirpated from Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
and possibly also Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
(Netherlands Antilles).
Description
The Yellow-shouldered Amazon is mainly green and about 33 cm long. It has a whitish forehead and lores, and a yellow crown, ocular region and - often - ear coverts and chin. The bare eye-ring is white. The thighs and the bend of the wing ("shoulder") are yellow, but both can be difficult to see. The throat, cheeks and belly often have a bluish tinge. As most members of the genus Amazona, it has broad dark blue tips to the remiges and a red wing-speculum. Its beak is horn coloured.In its range the yellow shoulder patch and extensive yellow on the head distinguish the Yellow-shouldered Amazon from other Amazona species, which have red or orange on the shoulder and less yellow on the head (the Orange-winged Amazon, which has as much yellow to the head as some Yellow-shouldered Amazons, has a blue ocular region). However, outside its range, several other Amazona species have as much - or more - yellow on their heads.
Breeding
The Yellow-shouldered Amazon nests in a tree hole and lays 3-4 eggs. It is highly gregarious when not breeding, forming flocks of up to 100 birds.Status
There are believed to be 2,500–10,000 Yellow-shouldered Amazon parrots in the wild.Due to ongoing habitat lost, small population size, limited range and overhunting for the cagebird trade, the Yellow-shouldered Amazon is evaluated as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.