Red-tailed Amazon
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| Red-tailed Amazon |
The Red-tailed Amazon (Amazona brasiliensis), also known as the Red-tailed Parrot, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo and Paraná. The bird has been threatened by habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, and is a symbol of the efforts to conserve one of the Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems. Consequently, it is considered vulnerable by BirdLife International and IUCN. In 1991-92, the population had fallen below 2000 individuals. Following on-going conservation efforts, the most recent estimate suggests a population of around 6600, indicating that this species is recovering from earlier persecution.
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Description
Red-tailed Amazons weigh around 425 g (15 oz) and are approximately 35 cm (14 in) long. As expected from its common name, it has a broad red band on its tail, but as it largely is limited to the inner webs of the feathers, it is mainly visible from below or when the tail is spread open. Additionally, the tail has a broad yellow tip, and the outer rectrices are dark purplish-blue at the base. The remaining plumage is green, while the throat, cheeks and auriculars are purple-blue, the forecrown is red, and the retrices are broadly tipped dark blue. It has a yellowish bill with a blackish tip to the upper mandible, a pale grey eye ring, and orange irises. Juveniles have a duller plumage and a brown irises.
Habitat
The Red-tailed Amazon is associated with the Atlantic Forest system, and lives in forests, woodlands and mangroves near the coast. This species is almost entirely restricted to lowlands, typically occurring at altitudes below 200 meters (650 ft) above sea-level, though sometimes reaching altitudes up to 700 m (23000 ft) (BirdLife International).
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| Red-tailed Amazon |
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Behavior
Red-tailed Amazons are usually found in pairs or flocks, which occasionally may number several hundred individuals in the non-breeding season. It primarily roosts and breeds on coastal islands, but most of the foraging takes place on the nearby mainland, where the birds forage mainly for fruits, but their diet also includes seeds, flowers, nectar, and, rarely, insects.
Breeding
The Red-tailed Amazon breeds in mangrove and coastal forests on islands. The breeding season lasts from September to February, where the parrots lay 3-4 eggs in a natural tree-cavities. The incubation period is 27 to 28 days, and the fledging period an additional 50 to 55 days. (ARKive).
Threats
Loss of habitat
Brazil’s recent industrialization, accompanied by intense economic and population growth, is largely responsible for the parrot’s endangered status. Every year extensive logging wipes out pristine plots of land once home to thousands of plant, insect, and animal species. Land areas equivalent in size to small countries are wiped out in a matter of months. This ongoing logging continues to destroy habitat and threaten the bird’s limited geographic range. Extensive logging also destroys the native plant species that provide food and shelter for the birds. As a result, the birds are forced to relocate to a less suitable area. Frequently, the parrots are unable to locate food and perish.
Habitat destruction is one of the main forces driving the Red-tailed Amazon to extinction. Brazil’s increasing demand for lumber, agriculture, and housing developments has caused the forests to be cleared at an unprecedented rate. In fact, ninety-three percent of the original Atlantic coastal forest, which is the bird’s main habitat, has been cleared. Now, the seven percent of land that remains is so fragmented by paths and roads that the large flocks of birds have difficulty finding enough food in any one strip. This fragmentation is particularly devastating to the birds since they only forage in a 4700 km strip, between Rio de Janeiro and Curituba.
Fragmentation not only limits food sources but also creates additional problems for the birds. As the development of roads and residential areas continue, the remaining land becomes so fragmented that the parrots are forced to live in edge habitats. These edge habitats leave nest sites vulnerable to both human and animal predation (Birdlife International).
Habitat destruction is one of the main forces driving the Red-tailed Amazon to extinction. Brazil’s increasing demand for lumber, agriculture, and housing developments has caused the forests to be cleared at an unprecedented rate. In fact, ninety-three percent of the original Atlantic coastal forest, which is the bird’s main habitat, has been cleared. Now, the seven percent of land that remains is so fragmented by paths and roads that the large flocks of birds have difficulty finding enough food in any one strip. This fragmentation is particularly devastating to the birds since they only forage in a 4700 km strip, between Rio de Janeiro and Curituba.
Fragmentation not only limits food sources but also creates additional problems for the birds. As the development of roads and residential areas continue, the remaining land becomes so fragmented that the parrots are forced to live in edge habitats. These edge habitats leave nest sites vulnerable to both human and animal predation (Birdlife International).
Poaching
Yet habitat destruction isn’t the only reason the birds are endangered. Animal trafficking also threatens the Red-tailed Amazon. According to the World Wildlife Fund, “animal trafficking is the third largest illegal trade in the world behind illicit drug and arms sales, totaling $1.5 billion annually in Brazil alone.”
The Red-tailed Amazons are a particularly easy target for traffickers thanks to their vibrant colors and isolated breeding grounds. In fact, one study noted that of forty-seven nests monitored between 1990 and 1994, forty-one were robbed by humans (Genetic Variability in the Red-tailed Amazon). Rural, low income Brazilians are desperate for money and catch the birds for dealers. In turn, the dealers pay the locals $30 per bird and turn around and sell the birds for $2,500 a piece to buyers (The Problems).
There are two main buyers: laboratories and collectors. Research laboratories, located primarily in Europe, seek exotic creatures and use their products for medicine or as ingredients for beauty products. Wild game collectors, many of them Brazilians, want the birds for live trophies, pets, or as additions to their private zoos (The Problems). Part of what makes animal trafficking so harmful to the parrots is the destructive nature of the process. Often, traffickers damage the fragile nests while removing the birds. This damage prevents future nesting and forces the birds to rebuild elsewhere.
Once the birds are removed the situation only gets worse. Traffickers smuggle the birds across borders in containers too small to properly hold them. As a result, many parrots die along the journey from thirst, starvation, broken limbs, or simply from fright. Fatality numbers are astounding: nine out ten parrots transported die before reaching their final destination (The Problems).
The ineffectiveness of animal trafficking creates a vicious cycle. Several birds are plucked from the forest because so few reach their destination. As a result, the birds become increasingly difficult to find. Consequently, invasion into the forests for trafficking becomes more frequent, which further threatens the ecosystem and its wildlife.
The Red-tailed Amazons are a particularly easy target for traffickers thanks to their vibrant colors and isolated breeding grounds. In fact, one study noted that of forty-seven nests monitored between 1990 and 1994, forty-one were robbed by humans (Genetic Variability in the Red-tailed Amazon). Rural, low income Brazilians are desperate for money and catch the birds for dealers. In turn, the dealers pay the locals $30 per bird and turn around and sell the birds for $2,500 a piece to buyers (The Problems).
There are two main buyers: laboratories and collectors. Research laboratories, located primarily in Europe, seek exotic creatures and use their products for medicine or as ingredients for beauty products. Wild game collectors, many of them Brazilians, want the birds for live trophies, pets, or as additions to their private zoos (The Problems). Part of what makes animal trafficking so harmful to the parrots is the destructive nature of the process. Often, traffickers damage the fragile nests while removing the birds. This damage prevents future nesting and forces the birds to rebuild elsewhere.
Once the birds are removed the situation only gets worse. Traffickers smuggle the birds across borders in containers too small to properly hold them. As a result, many parrots die along the journey from thirst, starvation, broken limbs, or simply from fright. Fatality numbers are astounding: nine out ten parrots transported die before reaching their final destination (The Problems).
The ineffectiveness of animal trafficking creates a vicious cycle. Several birds are plucked from the forest because so few reach their destination. As a result, the birds become increasingly difficult to find. Consequently, invasion into the forests for trafficking becomes more frequent, which further threatens the ecosystem and its wildlife.
