Blue-cheeked Amazon
Also known as:
Blue-cheeked Parrot, Dufresne's Amazon or Parrot
Also known as:
Blue-cheeked Parrot, Dufresne's Amazon or Parrot
Size:
34 cm (13.3 in)
Weight:
480-600 g (16.8-21 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults green body, feathers of neck to mantle scalloped dusky black; forehead and lores orange/yellow; feathers of crown and occiput yellow, widely edged dull green; forecheeks to under eye bright blue; lower cheeks to ear coverts violet/blue; carpal edge green/yellow; secondary feathers 1 to 5 bright yellow, the remainder green. Tail green, the side feathers widely tipped yellow/green, and faint orange marking on inner webs of four outer feathers. Beak grey with pink/red at base of upper mandible. Eye ring grey, eye orange/red.
Colour Juvenile:
As in adults but duller; forehead and lores dull yellow; crown and occiput green; lower cheeks to ear coverts green, slightly washed blue; less yellow on outer secondary feathers. Beak pale pink tinged grey. Eye ring grey/white, eye brown.
Call:
Trilling call cheeet cheeeet cheeet followed by whistle.
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Plan 2000-2004, Snyder, McGowan, Gilardi and Grajal, 2000.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977, 1989. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Captive Status:
Very rare.
Longevity:
—
Housing:
Walk-in aviary or enclosure, minimum length 4.5 m (14.7 ft) or aviary or suspended cage, minimum length 3 m (9.8 ft).
Diet:
Fruit such as: apple, pear, orange, cactus fruits, pomegranate, banana, etc, forming about 30% of diet; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, green peas and beans, fresh corn; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, dandelion, sowthistle, chickweed; spray millet; mix of small seeds: canary, millet, smaller amounts of oats, buckwheat, safflower; limited sunflower seed; cooked beans and pulses, and complete pellet.
Enrichment:
—
Nest Box Size:
—
Clutch Size:
3 eggs
Fledging Age:
Likely 8-10 weeks.
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
6000-61,000 mature individuals, decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Near Threatened
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Is considered to be fairly common in Venezuela, but the country constitutes only a small portion of its range. Across the rest of its range the species is generally uncommon. Suspected to be declining significantly from habitat loss. Also some threat from trade.
Range:
Exact range uncertain; recorded from N Guyana, NE Surinam, NE French Guiana and E Venezuela in La Gran Sabana and area of Sierra de Lema, E BolÃvar; possibly in NE Brazil in northern Amapá to northern Roraima.
Habitat:
Found up to 1700 m (5576 ft). Occurs in rainforest and cloudforest in lower subtropical zone and from savanna woodlands in Venezuela. Guianas birds found in gallery forest.
Wild Diet:
Not recorded; presumably fruits, seeds and flowers.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Habits not well known; probably resident with seasonal movements. Said to visit coastal forests in July-August. Found in pairs or small flocks with larger groups at communal roost at night. Keeps mainly to canopy.
Clutch and Egg Size:
Not recorded.
Breeding Season:
March, Guyana.
