Several large parrots are endemic to the Lesser Antilles chain, but arguably none is so strikingly plumaged as the Saint Vincent parrot. Endemic to the island of the same name, this Amazona possesses two morphs, a yellow-brown variant, which is much the commoner, and a green one. Both have pale heads and maroon-coloured underparts, a blue, yellow and orange tail, and green-and-blue flight feathers, but the rarer morph has many green feathers on the back, whereas the yellow-brown morph has the rest of the upperparts largely concolourous with the body. This parrot is confined to the island’s western and eastern ridges, and is dependent on moist primary forest. The breeding season lasts from January to July, and the species generally lays two eggs, while a successful nesting attempt will last up to 3.5 months. Habitat loss and hunting brought the Saint Vincent parrot to a precarious situation by the early 1980s, but determined conservation action since then has led to a steady population increase, and the species currently numbers c.750 individuals. |
