thumb|in the [[Pantanal, Brazil]]

The blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva), also called the blue-fronted parrot, the turquoise-fronted amazon and the turquoise-fronted parrot, is a South American species of amazon parrot and one of the most common amazon parrots kept in captivity as a pet or companion parrot. Its common name is derived from the distinctive blue/turquoise marking on its head just above its beak.

Taxonomy

The blue-fronted amazon was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Its specific epithet is the feminine form of the Latin adjective aestivus, "of the summer". Two subspecies are recognized:

  • A. a. aestiva (nominate) is found in eastern Brazil. The leading edge of the wing ("shoulder") is red.
  • A. a. xanthopteryx occurs from northern and eastern Bolivia through adjacent parts of Brazil, to Paraguay and northern Argentina. The "shoulder" is partly or wholly yellow. but the two subspecies interbreed freely where they come into contact.

Additionally, there are significant individual variations in both facial pattern and amount of yellow/red to the "shoulder". In one extreme, individuals with essentially no yellow on the head and entirely green "shoulders" are known from north-western Argentina.

Description

The blue-fronted amazon is a mainly green parrot about long. They have blue feathers on the forehead above the beak and yellow on the face and crown. Distribution of blue and yellow varies greatly among individuals. Unlike most other Amazona parrots, its beak is mostly black. There is no overt sexual dimorphism to the human eye, but analysis of the feathers using spectrometry, a method which allows the plumage to be seen as it would be by a parrot's tetrachromatic vision, shows clear differences between the plumage of the sexes. Juveniles of parrots are duller and have dark irises.

A small feral breeding population is also present in the greener regions of Stuttgart in Germany and Genoa in Italy. Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.

Breeding

The blue-fronted amazon nests in tree cavities. The oval eggs are white and measure around 38 × 30 mm. There are usually three to five in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 27 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days after hatching.

Status

The status of this species is evaluated as being of least concern by BirdLife International. However, while it remains common throughout a significant part of its range, there is evidence of a population decline, and this species has been heavily traded: Since 1981 when it was listed on CITES Appendix II, 413,505 wild-caught individuals have been recorded in international trade (UNEP-WCMC CITES Trade Database, January 2005). It is regarded as a crop pest in parts of its native range.

Paradoxically, illegal trade may have contributed to expansions of the range of this parrot: It is becoming common in Rio de Janeiro, which is not a part of its historical range, something attributed to escaped caged birds.

Aviculture

The blue-fronted amazon is commonly seen as a pet, both in South America and other parts of the world.

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Image:Amazona aestiva -yellow on wings-4-2c.jpg|A. a. xanthopteryx

File:Amazona aestiva -pet eating from spoon-8a.jpg|Pet blue-fronted amazon eats from a spoon

File:Amazona aestiva -Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil -head-8a.jpg|At Parque das Aves, Brazil

Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) -8-2rc.jpg|From the feral population in São Paulo, Brazil

Turquoise-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) 2.JPG|Wild bird<br />in the Pantanal, Brazil

File:Papagaio verdadeiro 2.jpg

File:Blue fronted amazon taking shower.jpg|Pet blue fronted amazon inside the shower

Amazona aestiva MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.148.5.jpg| Amazona aestiva - MHNT

File:Pet blue fronted amazon in her cage.jpg|A pet blue fronted amazon in her cage

</gallery>

References

Cited text

  • Species profile - World Parrot Trust
  • Species factsheet - BirdLife International
  • Information - Animal-World
  • Videos, photos and sounds - Internet Bird Collection
  • Calls and songs on the xeno canto collection