Cuban Amazon

Overview

The Cuban amazon, also known as the Cuban parrot or rose-throated parrot, is a medium-sized mainly green parrot found in the Caribbean. It is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and is protected by CITES Appendix I, which prohibits commercial international trade of wild-caught individuals.

Identification

• A medium-sized parrot measuring 28–33 centimetres in length, predominantly green with blue feathers in the wings that have terminal black rims.
• Features a rosy pink lower face, chin, and throat, with a white forehead and eye-rings, as well as blackish feathers over the ears.
• Possesses a horn-coloured beak, pale olive-green irises, and pink legs.
• Juveniles distinguishable by having little or no red on the abdomen, less black edging on green feathers, and potentially pale yellow feathers on the crown instead of white.

Habitat

Native to the woodlands and dry forests of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, with observed populations in Puerto Rico likely resulting from escaped pets. In Cuba, the species is now mainly confined to the forested areas of the main island and Isla de la Juventud, whereas in the Cayman Islands it inhabits dry forest and agricultural land.

Diet

The Cuban amazon feeds on a variety of fruits and seeds, specifically including the fruits of palm trees and the seeds of West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni).*

Did you know?

Parrots residing on the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas nest underground in limestone solution holes rather than in tree cavities, a unique adaptation that protects them from pineyard wildfires.