Amazona farinosa

INFORMATION BOOKLET PARROTS OF THE NEW WORLD 2009-01-11

PARROTS OF THE NEW WORLD

Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 7.1. 7.2. 7.3. 7.4. 7.5. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Description: ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Measurements / Weight: ....................................................................................................................... 3 Essential time parameters: .................................................................................................................... 3 Sexual dimorphism: ............................................................................................................................... 3 Differences due to age: .......................................................................................................................... 4 Natural distribution: .............................................................................................................................. 4 Geographical variation of the specie (subspecies):................................................................................ 4 Amazona farinosa farinosa ............................................................................................................... 4 Amazona farinosa inornata ............................................................................................................... 5 Amazona farinosa chapmani............................................................................................................. 5 Amazona farinosa virenticeps ........................................................................................................... 5 Amazona farinosa guatemalae ......................................................................................................... 5 Ecology:.................................................................................................................................................. 5 Flock relationship: .................................................................................................................................. 6 Diet in natural habitat: .......................................................................................................................... 6 Talking ability: ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Amazona farinosa as a pet: ................................................................................................................... 6 Cage size: ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Legal status and species endangerment:............................................................................................... 7

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1. Description:
Plumage: Forehead, crown and lores (feathers between front edge of eye and beak) are green. Some birds also have yellow crown or even forehead. There is different amount of yellow ranging from single feather to quite large, regular or irregular patches. Sometimes these patches have additional small red patches. Birds, which dont have yellow patches on their head, can have single red feathers hidden below green feathers. Superciliary area, eyeline and sides of neck are green. Back of the head (area above the neck) is dull green. The feathers of this region have additional glaucous suffusion and broad dark margins, what gives the scaly appearance. Mantle (upper part of back) is glaucous green with subtle black margins. Other upperparts are dull - green. Small upperwing coverts are dull- green with glaucous suffusion and faint black margins. Middle and large upperwing coverts are dull- green. Underwings margins around the wrist and Allula (part corresponding to thumb) have some red feathers. Some birds also have some single yellow feathers in this region. The middle area of external margins of three or four (individual feature) outer secondaries has red patch what forms a separate bright area so called speculum. Base of secondaries is green, but their margins are dull - blue. Primaries are black with blue shadow on their outer margins. Underparts with underpart coverts are green. Some of them have grey - black margins. Underparts of the body are green, but this colour is much paler than the green on the outerparts. What is more, underparts are slightly grey - blue. Base of rectrices is green but their tips are yellow green. Some birds have additional red at base of internal tail feathers. Bill: Horn with dark grey- brown shading on tip. Eye: Periophtalmic skin is creamy white and is bare. Iris is red - orange. Legs: Greyish.

2. Measurements / Weight:
Body length: 38 40 cm; wings: 22,2 25,2 cm; tail length 10,7 - 14,3 cm; bill: 3,4 - 4,3 cm; weight about 750 g.

3. Essential time parameters:

Life length: over 60 years (even 80 100 years); independence age: over 10 weeks, maturity age: 4 5 years.

4. Sexual dimorphism:
None. It is necessary to determine sex of young birds by PCR reaction (DNA analysis) or endoscopy.

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5. Differences due to age:
Sexually immature parrots have brown iris.

6. Natural distribution:
Some separate populations scattered through South and Middle America, it mainly includes basins of Orinoco and Amazon River: West coast of Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan). The area from Belize and Guatemala through Honduras and Nicaragua to Costa Rica and tropical zone of Panama (also Coiba Islands). West area form Andes spans from the South of Panama to the South of Ecuador. Area spanned form Colombia and Venezuela through Guayas to Brazil. Peru and North - East Bolivia. Seasonally appear on Surinam area.

7. Geographical variation of the specie (subspecies):

Three subspecies (A. f. farinosa, A. f. inornata, A. f. chapmani), which inhabit South America, show significant variation of their plumage. What is more, they have many common features of external topography, what is the clue to determine subspecies affinity. This is the reason for thinking, that further research will cause, that words: f. farinsa, f. inornata oraz f. chapmani will become the ornithological synonyms. What is interesting, there are proofs, that above mentioned subspecies inhabit some regions, common for other subspecies, territorially belonging to Middle America (A. f. virenticeps oraz A. f. guatemalae). Currently there is classification in five separate subspecies, which is presented below. According to this classification, the species of Middle America have duller bills and have more blue on their head, and species of South America have much more lighter bills (horn).

7.1. Amazona farinosa farinosa

East Columbia, basins of Orinoco river in East Venezuela, Brazilian part of Amazon and lowlands of East Peru. The second separated population of this subspecies inhabits East Brazil (from Bahia to North Sao Paulo). The plumage of this nominative subspecies is described in chapter 1 Description .

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7.2. Amazona farinosa inornata
Panama (also Coiba Island), West Columbia, North - East Ecuador. This subspecies differs from nominative form and other subspecies with duller and more olive plumage. Most of the birds are not yellow on crown. A specimen of A. f. inornata is smaller (wings: 24 - 24,5 cm) than A. f. chapmani.

7.3. Amazona farinosa chapmani

The narrow area extended from Eastern Ecuador to North Bolivia. A. f. chapmani are bigger (wings: 25,5 26,5 cm) than birds A. f. inornata. The same as nominative subspecies, some birds of this subspecies are yellow on their crown or on their forehead. This yellow colour can have different extend: form single feather to regular or irregular patches.

7.4. Amazona farinosa virenticeps

Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Bill is duller than this of nominative form. The internal part of wings the edge within wrist and Allula (part corresponding to thumb) is yellow green. Forehead is pale blue.

7.5. Amazona farinosa guatemalae

West Coast of Mexico (Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan), Belize, Guatemala, Honduras. Bill is duller than A. f. virenticeps subspecies. The same as A. f. virenticeps, the internal part of wings is yellow green. Forehead and crown are blue (more intense than A. f. virenticeps). Birds of A. f. guatemalae subspecies are bigger than A. f. virenticeps.

8. Ecology:
Mealy Amazon mainly inhabits lowlands of humid rain forest, especially near clearings and forest edge. These birds are met in low highland rain forests (Honduras) and also lower margins of subtropical zone (Panama). They sometimes inhabit plantation with tall trees, dense gallery forests, savanna, and rarely deciduous forests. They willingly inhabit corolla of the highest trees, but sometimes they can also be seen on middle tall trees, especially when growing on clearings. The area inhabited by Mealy Amazon are situated on different levels in respect to the sea level: 290 m (Mexico, Oaxaca), 350 m (Guatemala), 1200 m (Honduras), 500 m (Costa Rica), 1100 m (Columbia).

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9. Flock relationship:
These birds usually live in pairs or flocks up to about 20 birds. They form very noisy larger gatherings (hundreds birds), if they find an area rich in food or during non breeding period.

10. Diet in natural habitat:

Their favourite food in natural habitat includes: figs Ficus and Brosimum, pods of leguminous Inga and Dussia; colourfull peel of Casearia and Virola seeds. It is reported that Mealy Parrot also eats: Pithecellobium, Tetragastris, Dialium guianensis, Peritassa compta, Prionostemma aspera, Cochlospermum orinocense, Sloanea grandiflora, Corima macrocarpa, Abuta graniflora, Cecropia miparia, Helicostylis tormentosa, Micropholis and Pouteria. In Panama it was reported attacking crops of maize by these birds.

11. Talking ability:

Very good. It is said that these birds are one of the best speakers among parrots. It happens that they are able to repeat a word that was heard only once. Their vocal and repeat abilities are quite similar to these of Yellow naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata). Mealy Amazons love expressing their feelings by words. As they love bathing, they often repeat heard words during taking bath.

12. Amazona farinosa as a pet:

Mealy Amazon kept in captivity are said to be the most gentle and quiet among all Amazon species. They are very intelligent, calm and shy. They perceive the word more calmly and with greater distance than other Amazon species. In effect they are less aggressive or not offensive at all. Mealy Amazons peck at very rarely. If they have a choice they prefer to escape form stressful situation or avoid unwanted attention. Their gentle nature seems to dominate even during breeding season. These birds are strong, brawny and active. They love playing and chewing wooden toys. Due to their great vigour, the owner of these birds should provide them a cage with many interesting toys and branches. The gentle character of these birds and willingness to play, make Mealy Amazons a perfect pet for those, who are fresh parrot owners or for seasonal farmers. Birds which are hand feeded are unusually attached to their owner and show him lots of affection, loyally protecting him from the environment (unfortunately sometimes also form other members of the family). On the other hand they like spending time with other parrots like Ara. Living lonely can become destructive even to themselves, what can sometimes lead to plucking. Mealy Amazons love water. They will bath as often as they can.

PARROTS OF THE NEW WORLD

These birds are known to have great imitative abilities (talk). They use their voice to express their happiness in life and environment. The sounds they make are similar to dogs barking, sounds made by seals or donkeys bray. In everyday life they are quiet and calm, they make soft sounds, and they tend to be loud when they are excited. They are very loud at dawn and at dusk. Thus, these birds should not be chosen by people, who are sensitive to noise or who live in small flats.

13. Cage size:

Mealy Amazons are one of the biggest Amazons. Thus, every owner of these birds should provide them as a large cage as he can afford and as he can hold. The ideal cage, as in case of other Amazons, should guarantee a free flight.

14. Legal status and species endangerment:

According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Amazona farinosa is on the list published in attached file II. The World Conservation Union defined this species as endangerment category LC (LC = Least Concern), indicating very little endangerment of extinction.