Saint Vincent Amazon
The Saint Vincent Amazon (Amazona guildingii) also known as Saint 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.
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| Saint Vincent Amazon |
image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Rjkooljay&action=edit&redlink=1
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| Saint Vincent Amazon |
image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amazona_guildingii_-Botanical_Gardens_-Kingstown_-Saint_Vincent-8a.jpg
Description
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.
Range
The Saint Vincent Amazon is endemic to the heavily forested mountains 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 eggs.
Conservation
The Nicholas Wildlife Aviary Complex, located within the Botanic Gardens St. Vincent maintains a vital captive breeding and conservation program to conserve the St Vincent Parrot.
Threats and Status
Hunting for food, trapping for the cage-bird trade and habitat loss were the principal causes of this species's decline. Deforestation has been the result of forestry activities, the expansion of banana cultivation, charcoal production, the loss of nesting-trees felled by trappers seeking young birds for trade, and natural events such as hurricanes and volcanic eruptions (Snyder et al. 2000). The introduced nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus undermines large trees causing them to topple, reducing the number of suitable nest trees (Culzac-Wilson 2005). A cross-country road is planned, funded by the Taiwanese government, which would destroy large areas of suitable habitat and increase deforestation rates (Culzac-Wilson et al. 2003). The genetic isolation of the separate subpopulations may present further cause for concern. Due to all these contributing factors, 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 popular culture
The Saint Vincent Amazon appeared on a $5 Grenadines of St. Vincent postage stamp in 1990 (catalogued as SG703).
