St. Vincent Parrot
Encyclopedia
The St. Vincent Amazon, Amazona guildingii also known as St. Vincent Parrot is a large, approximately 40 cm long, multi-colored amazon parrot
with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts plumage
, and violet blue-green wings.
40 cm (16 in) long, mostly green, multi-colored amazon parrot with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts, grey feet, reddish eye, and violet blue-green wings. Its tail feathers are blue with broad yellow tips. There is a less yellow-brown morph and a less common green morph. It has grey feet and reddish eyes. Both sexes are similar. The young has lighter plumage and brown iris
.
to moist hill forests of the Caribbean
island of Saint Vincent
in the Lesser Antilles
. Its diet consists mainly of fruits, nuts, flowers and seeds. The female usually lays one to two egg
s.
maintains a vital captive breeding and conservation program to conserve the St Vincent Parrot.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, very small population size, limited range
on one island, trapping for cage bird trade and occasional natural disasters, the St. Vincent Parrot is considered Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.
in 1990 (catalogued as SG703).
Amazon parrot
Amazon parrot is the common name for a parrot of the genus Amazona. These are medium-size parrots native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean....
with a yellowish white, blue and green head, greenish-bronze upperparts plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, and violet blue-green wings.
Description
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
.
Range
The St. Vincent Amazon is endemicEndemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to moist hill forests of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
. Its diet consists mainly of fruits, nuts, flowers and seeds. The female usually lays one to two egg
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
s.
Conservation and status
The Nicholas Wildlife Aviary Complex, located within the Botanic Gardens St. VincentBotanic Gardens St. Vincent
The St Vincent Botanical Gardens is located in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere and perhaps the oldest in the tropical world. Conservation of rare species of plants has been practiced here since 1765...
maintains a vital captive breeding and conservation program to conserve the St Vincent Parrot.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, very small population size, limited range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
on one island, trapping for cage bird trade and occasional natural disasters, the St. Vincent Parrot is considered Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.
In popular culture
The St. Vincent Amazon, or St. Vincent Parrot, appeared on a $5 Grenadines of St. Vincent postage stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
in 1990 (catalogued as SG703).