Red-tailed Amazon

Overview

The red-tailed amazon, also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae native to the Serra do Mar coastal forests. Once critically threatened by habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, its population has recovered to between 9,000 and 10,000 individuals following ongoing conservation efforts, though it remains classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Identification

• Weighs around 425 g and measures approximately 35 cm in length, featuring a yellowish bill with a blackish tip on the upper mandible, orange irises, and a pale gray eye ring.
• Predominantly green plumage with purple-blue on the throat, cheeks, and auriculars, and a red forecrown.
• The tail displays a broad red band mainly visible from below or when spread, along with a broad yellow tip and dark purplish-blue bases on the outer rectrices.
• Juveniles possess duller plumage and brown irises.

Habitat

Native to the Serra do Mar coastal forests, this species is almost entirely restricted to lowlands below 200 meters above sea level, though it occasionally reaches altitudes up to 700 m. It primarily roosts and breeds on coastal islands in mangrove and coastal forests, while foraging typically occurs on the nearby mainland.

Diet

The red-tailed amazon forages mainly for fruits, with its diet also including seeds, flowers, nectar, and occasionally insects. It is a vital seed disperser, moving seeds between the Atlantic mainland and coastal islands via its droppings as it covers extensive feeding areas.

Did you know?

The species has served as a symbol of conservation efforts for one of Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems, recovering from a population of fewer than 2,000 individuals in the early 1990s to an estimated 9,000–10,000 by 2015.