Orange-winged amazon
(Amazona amazonica)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
This is a medium-sized amazon with a total lenght of 31-33 cm and a body-weight of around 300-470g.
The plumage is mostly green, with yellow crown patch and yellow cheeks, separated by blue forehead and lores, throat yellow-green tinged with blue; the bases of secondary feathers 1 to 3 are orange, the remainder green tipped with blue; central tail feathers green, side tail feathers green tipped yellow-green, the orange-red on inner webs of wings banded in centre with dark green and with red at bases of feathers.
The bill horn coloured becoming dark grey near tip. The eye ring is grey-white, the iris orange.
During the day, orange-winged amazons usually travel in pairs, but at night congregate in large numbers - often several hundreds - to sleep in communal roosts.
Like other amazons the orange-winged nests in natural tree cavities or woodpecker holes. A clutch may comprise up to 5 eggs.
The orange-winged amazon feeds on fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms and leaf buds.
Did you know?
that the male orange-winged amazon will eat for both himself and the female while she incubates the eggs and feeds the young? The male regurgitates the food for the female to eat.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | AVES |
| Order | PSITTACIFORMES |
| Suborder | PSITTACI |
| Family | PSITTACIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Amazona amazonica |
| Name (English) | Orange-winged amazon |
| Name (French) | Amazone aourou |
| Name (German) | Venezuelaamazone |
| Name (Spanish) | Amazona alinaranja |
| CITES Status | Appendix II |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Philipp Weigell
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, introduced to Puerto Rico |
| Habitat | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest and swamps |
| Wild population | No global figures available, but population believed to be large. |
| Zoo population | 227 reported to ISIS (2008) |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 11D of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Some veterinary or customs authorities require that all psittacine birds are ringed upon importation. Recommended ring diameter for amazons 10-12 mm depending of species.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Frizu Gller-Grimm
Why do zoos keep this animal
Amazons are conspicuous and attractive birds, which are good ambassador species for the conservation of neotropical forests. They have an interesting anatomy and behaviour, are intelligent birds able to mimic human speech and even to associate words with their meanings, and are thus also of educational interest. Zoos may keep amazon parrots also for animal welfare reasons as they may have to take care of confiscated birds, or former pet birds.