Alternative name: Rose-throated Parrot; Cuban Amazon
- Amazona leucocephala
Identification
28–33cm
- Green
- Blue in wings
- Pink chin, throat and lower face
- Dull red belly
- White forehead and eyerings
- Horn bill
- Head colour varies according to subspecies
Juvenile
- No red on belly
- Less pink on chin, face and neck
Distribution
Cuba, Bahamas and Cayman Islands.
Taxonomy
Four subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A.l. leucocephala in Cuba and Isle of Pines
- A.l. caymanensis in Grand Cayman Island
- A.l. hesterna in Cayman Brac
- A.l. bahamensis in the Bahamas
A recent paper describes two new subspecies, splitting bahamensis in three[2].
Habitat
Scrub and pine forests; subtropical, semi deciduous dry forests.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes seeds and fruit.
Breeding
They nest in tree holes, except on Abaco in the Bahamas, where nesting happens in hollows in Limestone. The 2-4 white eggs are incubated by the female for 26–28 days.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Birdforum thread discussing additional subspecies in Cuban Parrot
- Raffaele et al. 1998. Birds of the West Indies. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0713649054
- Wikipedia
- Collar, N., Boesman, P. & Kirwan, G.M. (2016). Cuban Amazon (Amazona leucocephala). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Cuban Parrot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Cuban_Parrot
