Yucatan Amazon

Overview

The Yucatan amazon (Amazona xantholora), also known as the yellow-lored amazon, is a species of parrot found throughout the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and slightly into northern Belize. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing due to threats such as logging and the pet trade.

Identification

• Size: 25.5 to 28 cm long, weighing 200 to 232 g.
• Plumage: Mostly green body with black-edged feathers creating a scalloped appearance; males have chrome yellow lores and a white forehead, while females have greenish blue foreheads and paler yellow lores.
• Facial Markings: Males feature red around and behind the eyes, whereas females have very little red on the face.
• Bill and Legs: Both are yellow.

Habitat

The species inhabits the interior and edges of deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, as well as pine savannahs, at elevations ranging from sea level up to 100 m. It is primarily found in the Mexican states of Quintana Roo, Yucatán, and Campeche, with significant populations on Isla Cozumel and scattered records in northern Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Diet

Although not formally studied, the diet is assumed to consist of seeds, fruits, flowers, nuts, legumes, and crops, similar to that of the white-fronted amazon.

Did you know?

This highly vocal species is known for a characteristic barking call described as "rek-rek-rek-rek or rek-rek rek-rek rrehr", which pairs emit except when feeding.