Double Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot
(Amazona ochrocephala oratrix)
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Aratingidae
Genus: Amazona
Species: Amazona ochrocephala oratrix
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HABITAT AND RANGE:
The rainforests of Central and South
America
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Amazons have a thickset body, a powerful
beak, and a shorter tail than most
parrots. This species of Amazon is
mostly green with yellowish underparts
and a yellow forehead and crown. It has
a tinge of blue on the breast and
pinkish-red feathers on the shoulder and
the end of the wing. The tail is also
mostly green, with yellow on the tips
and red at the base of the feathers. It
averages 15 inches in length.
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ADAPTATIONS:
In the wild the birds are very
gregarious and often travel in large
flocks. However, they spend more time
climbing in trees than flying through
them. Their toes are arranged so that
they have 2 forward and 2 backwards for
exceptional gripping. They also use
their beak for balance and will place it
on a branch before climbing onto it. The
natives consider it to be one of the
most talented species of Amazon parrot
because of its ability to mimic. They
have no vocal cords, and whistle their
words with exceptional clarity and can
also learn to sing. This species, along
with many other Amazon species,
typically attach themselves to one
person or one sex.
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DIET:
In the wild they are primarily fruit,
grain, and nut eaters, using their
incredibly strong beak to crack open the
hardest nuts. They are able to
manipulate food with their feet, and
their almost prehensile tongue. They
have been known to visit plantations
where they can cause damage to the
crops. At the zoo the parrots are fed
fruit, sunflower seeds, pieces of monkey
chow, commercially prepared parrot food,
and various nuts.
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REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
Two eggs are usually laid and are
incubated for 21-24 days. The young
spend 70-74 days in the nest before they
are ready to venture out. The immature
birds have a slightly different plumage,
being more of a solid green and lacking
the blues and reds the adults have. The
young also have a dark iris. The young
birds are able to feed themselves once
they leave the nest but may still beg
for food. They become independent three
to four weeks after leaving the nest. |
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STATUS IN WILD:
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