| Yellow-billed amazon | |
|---|---|
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| AtSt. Andrew, Jamaica | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Amazona |
| Species: | A. collaria |
| Binomial name | |
| Amazona collaria | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Theyellow-billed amazon (Amazona collaria), also called theyellow-billed parrot orJamaican amazon, is a species ofparrot in the familyPsittacidae. It is a predominantly green parrot with a short tail and pink throat and neck. It isendemic toJamaica, where its naturalhabitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowlandforests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moistmontane forests,plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened byhabitat loss and illegal trapping of wild birds for thepet trade.
The yellow-billed amazon was one of the many species originally described byCarl Linnaeus in his landmark 175810th edition ofSystema Naturae.
The yellow-billed wasformally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae. He placed it with all the other parrots in thegenusPsittacus and coined thebinomial namePsittacus collarius.[2] Linnaeus based his description on an account by the Irish naturalist and collectorHans Sloane that was published in 1725 in hisThe Natural History of Jamaica. Sloan reported that the parrots "are eaten bak'd in pyes and taste as pigeons."[3] Linnaeus mistaken specified thetype location as "America" instead of Jamaica.[4] The yellow-billed amazon is now one of around thirty species placed in the genusAmazona that was introduced by the French naturalistRené Lesson in 1830.[5][6] The genus name is a Latinized version of the nameAmazone used in the 18th century by theComte de Buffon. The specific epithetcollaria,collarius is fromLatincollare and meanscollar orneck-chain.[7] The species ismonotypic: nosubspecies are recognised.[6]
The yellow-billed amazon is 28 cm (11 in) long.[8] Its plumage is mostly green with pink over the throat, upper breast and sides of neck,[8] and blue in the larger wing feathers.[9] Feathers over the ears are dark blue-green.[8] The bare white eye-rings are surrounded by a narrow rim of white plumage, which continues as a narrow band of white over the forehead.[8] Plumage over the lores is pale blue and the fore-crown is blue.[8] A barred appearance over the back and sides of neck arises from the green feathers having black tips and edges.[8] The tail feathers are green with red bases.[8] Its beak is yellow, its irises are brown, and its legs are pink.[8] The adult male and female are identical in external appearance.[8] Juveniles have grey on the upper mandible and are otherwise similar to adults.[8]
The yellow-billed amazon is found up to 1200m on the island ofJamaica where it is more abundant in theJohn Crow Mountains, on Mount Diablo and in theCockpit Country.[10][11] In the breeding season it stays within rainforest.[10]
The yellow-billed amazon is classified asvulnerable by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are a protected species being listed on appendix II ofCITES, which makes trade and export of trapped wild birds illegal. Its populations are fragmented and it has a small range. It is threatened by habitat loss, illegal trapping for the pet trade, and felling of trees with suitable nesting cavities. They are also threatened by potentialhybridization with non-endemic petamazon parrots, which occasionally escape particularly during thehurricane season.[1]
