Amazon of the Week 5/9/10

[Jayd]

So many beautiful Amazons to choose from...so little time to pick just one...ah well...here is my pick of the week...

The Festive Amazon (Amazona festiva) inhabits the areas of eastern Ecuador, Peru and southeast Colombia east to Amazon basin, and as far as lower Rio Madeira.

 

Festive Amazon

Amazona festiva Northern South America

Festive Amazons are beautiful, medium sized, Amazon parrots. The body

color is forest green with slight black scalloping. Festives have red to

maroon markings on the brows and blue crowns and a dark frontal band.

Primary and secondary flight feathers are green with blue tips. Tail feathers

green with yellowish green tips. Red patches on outer tail feathers. Festives

have a unique bright red patch on the rump, which is not found in any other

species.

Subspecies-

A. f. festiva – From Amazon river basin – beak is horn colored, narrow

red frontal band, yellow on forecrown.

A. f. bodini – From Orinoco river – beak is black, red on crown is much

more extensive

Inhabits lowland tropical rainforests along the Amazon and Orinoco rivers

and tributaries. Live in swampy forests, river islands, cacao plantations,

gallery forests and savannahs. Found in pairs and small flocks of up to 50

birds. Nest in tree cavities. They feed primarily in trees but because of their

remote habitat, details of the wild diet are poorly known.

Length is 11 to 13 inches. Weight is 350 to 450 grams. Males are generally

larger than females and have larger heads and beaks. Males also tend to be

slightly more colorful. Eyes of juveniles are brown while eyes of adults are

orange-yellow. Juveniles have mainly green rumps and less extensive facial

coloring.

Festive amazons can probably live up to 50-60 years or more. Little is

known about their life span in captivity. Breeding age is approximately 3-5

years.

Personality - Festive amazons seldom available as pets. They have

moderate to poor speaking ability. They are intelligent, and inquisitive but

tend to be relatively shy. Males in general are much more common than

females. Juveniles are generally tame and handelable. They are common in

captivity at this time and are seldom available for pets. They are active by

nature and are not so prone to obesity as other Amazons.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festive_Amazon

http://www.avianweb.com/festiveamazon.html

 

[judygram]

And festive looking they are Jay, another beautiful entry into the Amazon collection, I declare it a winner!!

[kihei]

What a gorgeous gorgeous birdy! Thank you!

[Greywings]

A little Rain Forest Rainbow in feathers, thanks.

[Luvparrots]

Another great Amazon profile Jay!!!! Thanks!

[JillyBeanz]

Oh so pretty - you can see where they get their name from! I can't believe they are so exuberantly coloured, yet labelled as shy!

 

Thanks yet again Jay for a fantastic bit of info!