Red-tailed amazon
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The red-tailed amazon (''Amazona brasiliensis''), also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family
Psittacidae The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Old World or Afrotropical parrots) and 157 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or Neotropi ...
. It is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to coastal regions in the south-east
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian states of
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
and Paraná. The bird has been threatened by
habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
and capture for the wild bird trade, and is a symbol of the efforts to conserve one of the Earth's most biologically diverse
ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
s. Consequently, it is considered
Near Threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify f ...
by BirdLife International and the IUCN. In 1991–92, the population had fallen below 2000 individuals. Following on-going conservation efforts, a count and estimate from 2015 suggests a population of 9,000–10,000, indicating that this species is recovering from earlier persecution. A recent study shows that the population of this species is stable at Paraná state, Southern Brazil, revealing population trend fluctuation during the last 12 years.


Taxonomy

In 1751 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the red-tailed amazon in the fourth volume of his ''A Natural History of Uncommon Birds''. He used the English name "The Brasilian green parrot". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a live bird that was displayed at the shop of a bird-cage maker in London. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
updated his '' Systema Naturae'' for the tenth edition, he placed the red-tailed amazon with the other parrots in the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Psittacus ''Psittacus'' is a genus of African grey parrots in the subfamily Psittacinae. It contains the two species: the grey parrot (''Psittacus erithacus'') and the Timneh parrot (''Psittacus timneh''). For many years, the grey parrot and Timneh p ...
''. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name ''Psittacus brasiliensis'' and cited Edwards' work. The red-tailed amazon is now one of around 30 parrots placed in the genus ''
Amazona Amazon parrots are parrots in the genus ''Amazona''. They are medium-sized, short-tailed parrots native to the Americas, with their range extending from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. ''Amazona'' is one of the 92 genera of parrots t ...
'' that was introduced by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1830.


Description

Red-tailed amazons weigh around and are approximately long. As expected from its common name, it has a broad red band on its tail, but as it largely is limited to the inner webs of the feathers, it is mainly visible from below or when the tail is spread open. Additionally, the tail has a broad yellow tip, and the outer
rectrices Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tail ...
are dark purplish-blue at the base. The remaining plumage is green, while the throat, cheeks and auriculars are purple-blue, the forecrown is red, and the
rectrices Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those on the tail ...
are broadly tipped dark blue. It has a yellowish bill with a blackish tip to the upper mandible, a pale gray eye ring, and orange irises. Juveniles have a duller plumage and brown irises.


Habitat

The red-tailed amazon is associated with the Atlantic Forest system, and lives in forests, woodlands and
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
s near the coast. This species is almost entirely restricted to lowlands, typically occurring at altitudes below above sea-level, though sometimes reaching altitudes up to .(BirdLife International)


Behavior

Red-tailed amazons are usually found in pairs or
flocks Flocking is the behaviour exhibited when a group of birds, called a flock, are foraging or in flight. Computer simulations and mathematical models that have been developed to emulate the flocking behaviours of birds can also generally be applie ...
, which occasionally may number several hundred individuals in the non-breeding season. It primarily roosts and breeds on coastal islands, but most of the foraging takes place on the nearby mainland, where the birds forage mainly for fruits, but their diet also includes seeds, flowers, nectar, and rarely, insects.


Breeding

The red-tailed amazon breeds in
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
and coastal forests on islands. The breeding season lasts from September to February, when the parrots lay three or four
eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
in a natural tree-cavities. The
incubation period Incubation period (also known as the latent period or latency period) is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism, a chemical, or radiation, and when symptoms and signs are first apparent. In a typical infectious disease, the in ...
is 27 to 28 days, and the fledging period an additional 50 to 55 days.


Threats


Loss of habitat

Brazil's recent industrialization, accompanied by intense economic and population growth, is largely responsible for the parrot's endangered status. Every year extensive logging wipes out pristine plots of land once home to thousands of plant, insect, and animal species. Land areas equivalent in size to small countries are wiped out in a matter of months. This ongoing logging continues to destroy
habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
and threaten the bird's limited geographic range. Extensive logging also destroys the native plant species that provide food and shelter for the birds. As a result, the birds are forced to relocate to less suitable areas. Frequently, the parrots are unable to locate food and perish.
Habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
is one of the main forces driving the red-tailed amazon to extinction. Brazil's increasing demand for lumber, agriculture, and housing developments has caused the forests to be cleared at an unprecedented rate. In fact, ninety-three percent of the original Atlantic coastal forest, which is the bird's main habitat, has been cleared. Now, the seven percent of land that remains is so fragmented by paths and roads that the large flocks of birds have difficulty finding enough food in any one strip. This fragmentation is particularly devastating to the birds since they only forage in a 4700 km strip, between Rio de Janeiro and Curituba. Fragmentation not only limits food sources but also creates additional problems for the birds. As the development of roads and residential areas continue, the remaining land becomes so fragmented that the parrots are forced to live in edge habitats. These edge habitats leave nest sites vulnerable to both human and animal predation.


Poaching

Habitat destruction is not the only reason the birds are endangered. Animal trafficking also threatens the red-tailed amazon. According to the
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...
, "animal trafficking is the third largest illegal trade in the world behind illicit drug and arms sales, totaling $1.5 billion annually in Brazil alone." Red-tailed amazons are a particularly easy target for traffickers thanks to their vibrant colors and isolated breeding grounds. One study noted that of forty-seven nests monitored between 1990 and 1994, forty-one were robbed by humans. Rural, low income Brazilians are desperate for money and catch the birds for dealers. In turn, the dealers pay the locals $30 per bird and turn around and sell the birds for $2,500 a piece to buyers.(The Problems) Wild game collectors, many of them Brazilians, want the birds for live trophies, pets, or as additions to their private zoos. Part of what makes animal trafficking so harmful to the parrots is the destructive nature of the process. Often, traffickers damage the fragile nests while removing the birds. This damage prevents future nesting and forces the birds to rebuild elsewhere. Once the birds are removed the situation only gets worse. Traffickers smuggle the birds across borders in containers too small to properly hold them. As a result, many parrots die along the journey from thirst, starvation, broken limbs, or simply from fright. Fatality numbers are astounding: nine out ten parrots transported die before reaching their final destination. The ineffectiveness of animal trafficking creates a vicious cycle. Several birds are plucked from the forest because so few reach their destination. As a result, the birds become increasingly difficult to find. Consequently, invasion into the forests for trafficking becomes more frequent, which further threatens the
ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
and its wildlife.


Conservation


Education and resources

A number of steps are being taken to ensure the parrots' safety. One program aimed at educating locals on the importance of the birds is already underway. Established in 1997, the Environmental Education Program for the Conservation of the Red-tailed Amazon focuses on reducing threats to the bird through educational programs. Working specifically with students, women and artists, the Environmental Education Program hosts several workshops and field trips to promote awareness about the endangered red-tailed amazon. The program hopes these workshops and field trips will illustrate the importance of
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
and consequently reduce logging and animal trafficking. An additional step to ensure the birds’ safety was the establishment of ex-situ facilities, specifically zoos. Research shows that red-tailed amazons breed moderately well in captivity. There are already successful captive-breeding programs in the European Union and Brazil. Breeding programs at
Chester Zoo Chester Zoo is a zoo at Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire, England. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family. It is one of the UK's largest zoos at . The zoo has a total land holding of approximately . Chester Zoo is ope ...
and the UK Rode Tropical Bird Garden have both successfully bred the red-tailed amazon. Possibly one of the most significant steps taken to save the parrots was the establishment of Superagui National Park in 1989. Although the park wasn't established solely with the birds’ safety in mind, the park does provide an excellent safe haven for the red-tailed amazon and thousands of plant and animal species alike. The over 34,254 hectares of lush forest, which is part of the largest continuous stretch of intact Atlantic rainforest, is one of the most important protected areas within this Brazil.


Legislation

Measures to stop the illegal trafficking of the parrots into the United States have also been taken. The United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) and The
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
act as the red-tailed amazon's greatest protection against illegal transportation to the US. Because the bird is listed as endangered under this act, if imported illegally into the U.S. the bird will be confiscated and its carrier will be punished. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks to prevent illegal importation of animals by setting up search sites in airports. Luggage is search manually and many times trained dogs are brought in to search the bags for any trace of animals. The
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of intern ...
(CITES) also affords the species protection from international trade by listing it under Appendix I, the strictest degree of protection. The ESA and CITES are the red-tailed amazons primary governmental protection. They control the trade of individuals to an extent; however, often the laws are not adequately enforced.


Importance

Red-tailed amazons play a vital role in
seed dispersal In Spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors ...
. Because the birds cover extensive areas while feeding, they are tremendous seed dispersers. As the birds migrate between the Atlantic mainland and the coastal islands they disperse seeds via their droppings. Seed distribution of this extent helps create and maintain biodiversity in the mainland and islands.
Climate Change - Health and Environmental Effects
'. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (October 15, 2009). Retrieved September 15, 2010
The birds also indirectly provide Brazilians with a source of income. Excursions near the birds’ breeding islands offer birdwatchers the opportunity to watch the birds in flight. Some tourists come see the parrot's
migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
, while others simply come to see them in place.


References

*Alexandre B. Sampaio, Karen D. Holl, and Aldicir Scariot. 2007. Regeneration of Seasonal Deciduous Forest Tree Species in Long-Used Pastures in Central Brazil. Biotropica 39(5): 655–659. *Amazona brasiliensis.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
'. Washington, D.C. (accessed March 2008). *Breeding Brasiliensis in Brazil
The Parrot Society UK
Herts, England. (accessed April 2008).
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Geneva, Switzerland. (accessed April 2008). *Conserving the Nature of America. The
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
, Honolulu, Hawaii. *Martin, M., and M. Sa. 1999. Conservation Status of parrot populations in an Atlantic rainforest area of southeastern Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation 8:1079-1088. *Martuscelli, P. 2006. Genetic Variability in the Red-tailed Amazon (Amazona brasiliensis Psittaciformes) Assessed by DNA fingerprinting. Revista Brasileria de Ornitologia 14 (1) 15–19.
Red-tailed Amazon
ARKive, Bristol (accessed March 2008).

BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom. (accessed February 2008).
Amazon Parrot. Chester Zoo
Chester, England. Available from (accessed April 2008).
Superagüi National Park
ParksWatch. Durham, N.C. (accessed April 2008). *The Problems
Red Tailed Parrot
(accessed April 2008). *Sipinski, E.A.B, Abbud, M.C., Sezerban, R.M., Serafini, P.P., Boçon R., Manica, L.T., and Guaraldo, A.C. 201
Tendência populacional do papagaio-de-cara-roxa (Amazona brasiliensis) no litoral do estado do Paraná
Ornithologia 6: 136–143.


External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q906508
red-tailed amazon The red-tailed amazon (''Amazona brasiliensis''), also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo (state), São Paulo and Para ...
Birds of the Atlantic Forest Endemic birds of Brazil
red-tailed amazon The red-tailed amazon (''Amazona brasiliensis''), also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo (state), São Paulo and Para ...
red-tailed amazon The red-tailed amazon (''Amazona brasiliensis''), also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo (state), São Paulo and Para ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot