Blue-fronted amazon
Blue-fronted amazon | |
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Wild bird in the Pantanal, Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Psittaciformes |
Family: | Psittacidae |
Genus: | Amazona |
Species: | A. aestiva
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Binomial name | |
Amazona aestiva | |
Synonyms | |
Psittacus aestivus Linnaeus, 1758 |
The blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva), also called the blue-fronted parrot, the turquoise-fronted amazon and the turquoise-fronted parrot, is a South American species of amazon parrot and one of the most common amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot. Its common name is derived from the distinctive blue/turqoise marking on its head just above its beak.
Taxonomy
The blue-fronted amazon was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.[2] Its specific epithet is the feminine form of the Latin adjective aestivus, "of the summer".[3] Two subspecies are recognized:[4]
- A. a. aestiva ( The leading edge of the wing ("shoulder") is red.
- A. a. xanthopteryx occurs from northern and eastern Bolivia through adjacent parts of Brazil, to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The "shoulder" is partly or wholly yellow.[5] Generally with more yellow to the head than nominate.[6]
The
Additionally, there are significant individual variations in both facial pattern and amount of yellow/red to the "shoulder". In one extreme, individuals with essentially no yellow on the head and entirely green "shoulders" are known from north-western Argentina.[8]
Description
The blue-fronted amazon is a mainly green parrot about 38 cm (15 in) long. They have blue feathers on the forehead above the beak and yellow on the face and crown. Distribution of blue and yellow varies greatly among individuals. Unlike most other Amazona parrots, its beak is mostly black. There is no overt
Distribution and habitat
The range of the blue-fronted amazon extends over eastern and northern Bolivia, eastern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is found in forests (though generally avoids extensive humid forests such as the Amazon), woodland, savanna and palm groves.[6]
A small feral breeding population is also present in the greener regions of Stuttgart in Germany.[11] Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.[12]
Breeding
The blue-fronted amazon nests in tree cavities. The oval eggs are white and measure around 38 × 30 mm. There are usually three to five in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 27 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days after hatching.[10]
Status
The status of this species is evaluated as being of
Paradoxically, illegal trade may have contributed to expansions of the range of this parrot: It is becoming common in Rio de Janeiro, which is not a part of its historical range, something attributed to escaped caged birds.[13]
Aviculture
The blue-fronted amazon is commonly seen as a pet, both in South America and other parts of the world.
An extremely rare red (or chocolate raspberry) mutation of the species appeared in captivity in 2004, bred by the psittaculturist Howard Voren. The mutation results in yellow plumage being replaced by that of a red/pink hue and greens with a chocolate-brown, with the depth and intensity of color varying by location upon the body.[14]
Gallery
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A. a. xanthopteryx
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Pet blue-fronted amazon eats from a spoon
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At Parque das Aves, Brazil
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Amazona aestiva -MHNT
References
- . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ Linnaeus, C (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata (in Latin). Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii).
- ISBN 0-304-52257-0.
- ^ Forshaw, p. 557
- ^ a b c Forshaw, p. 558
- ^ ISBN 1-873403-40-2
- ^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., C. D. Cadena, A. Jaramillo, M. Nores, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, T. S. Schulenberg, F. G. Stiles, D. F. Stotz, and K. J. Zimmer. Version (2008). A classification of the bird species of South America. Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine American Ornithologists' Union. Accessed 2008-10-09.
- ^ Areta, J. I. (2007). A green-shouldered variant of the Blue-fronted Amazon Amazona aestiva from the Sierra de Santa Bárbara, north-west Argentina. Cotinga 27: 71–73.
- .
- ^ ISBN 1-84309-164-X.
- ^ as seem in the following photo
- PMID 30397538.
- ISBN 978-85-61368-00-5
- ^ Voren, Howard (27 May 2009). "Red Color Mutation of the Blue-fronted Amazon". Retrieved 20 May 2011.
Cited text
- ISBN 0-7018-0690-7.
External links
- Species profile - World Parrot Trust
- Species factsheet - BirdLife International
- Information - Animal-World
- "Amazona aestiva". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- Videos, photos and sounds - Internet Bird Collection
- Calls and songs on the xeno canto collection