The Yellow-naped Parrot or Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata or Amazona auropalliata) is an Amazon parrot that is by most considered to be a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Parrot.
Size: 12-15 inches (~35 cm)
Average weight: 480 to 680 grams
Their noticeable features are the green forehead and crown and a yellow band across the lower nape and hind neck. Some birds develop more yellow than others. Others don't develop any yellow feathers at all. Yellow feathers may increase with maturity. Yellow feathers are also at the back of the neck (nape).
Dark gray beak with the base of the upper beak being somewhat lighter.
Grey feet.
The Yellow-shouldered Parrot, also known as the Yellow-shouldered Amazon, is green, with yellow head and shoulder patches, white forehead and a red flash on its wings. The Yellow-shouldered Parrot has a bluish tinge on its lower cheek and chin and its wings are tipped with dark blue (1). The average body length is about 33cm from head to tail tip (2).
Behaviour
Yellow-shouldered Parrots mostly eat fruit, seeds and cactus flowers. They are highly sociable birds and roost communally in tall trees, with as many as 700 birds together (4). They have a curious, inquisitive and playful nature (3). Yellow-shouldered Parrots are very noisy; they make dry rattling and trilling calls (1).
The double yellow-headed Amazon parrot, or yellow-headed parrot, is among the most popular companion Amazons, probably due to its striking coloring and its ability to amass a substantial vocabulary. These birds are especially talented in learning opera and other types of singing, making them charming companions. They have been known in captivity since the 1500s, kept by people ranging from pirates to nobility, and are documented as having a more solid temperament than the similarly gifted yellow-naped Amazon. These 14 to 16 inch active birds are recognizable by the generous amount of yellow over the head, with flecks of yellow extending to the back and neck and yellow feathers on the legs. The shoulders are red and the rest of the body is deep green. The ring around the eye is white and the beak is horn colored. Immature birds are primarily green with a little yellow above the beak and slight red markings on the shoulders. They come into full color at the onset of maturity, at about 3 to 5 years of age.
The Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) is also known as the Turquoise-fronted Amazon and Blue-fronted Parrot. Its name derives from the distinctive blue marking over its beak.
Blue-fronted Amazons average 14 - 15 inches (~35 cm) in length (from head to tail tip) and weigh 9.7 to 18 oz (275 to 510 grams) - the average being 14.1 to 15.2 oz (400 to 430 grams).
Blue-fronted Amazon
A wide range of color combinations have been produced. Some birds have no blue head feathers whatsoever; others have turquoise blue on their forehead or even the whole front of the bird (face, neck and chest) is blue.
Most have yellow somewhere on their head or face; some have blue, a little white and then yellow as head markings.
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 to the head and entirely green "shoulder" are known from north-western Argentina.
The beak is dark grey and their feet are grey.
Lilac-crowns are on the small side, compared to other Amazon parrots, averaging 12 to 13.5 inches (30.5 - 34.5 cm) from head to the tip of the tail. They weigh about 11.3 oz (325g).
The plumage is mostly green, except for yellow-green face, the red / maroon band across the forehead and the extensive wash of violet-blue on the top of the head (crown) and collar. The feet are bluish. In flight, a red patch of red can be seen in the wings. The outer tail feathers are yellowish-green, except for the central tail feathers which are entirely green.
Males and females look alike. For gender identification DNA / Feather or surgical sexing is recommended.
Orange-Winged Amazons are one of the smaller Amazons. They average 12 to 13 (~31 - 33 cm) in length; but some subspecies are as small as 10 inches. They weigh around 340 grams.
They are often confused with Blue-fronted Amazons. However, the orange-winged amazons are the only amazon with orange feathers in their wings, thus the name Orange-Winged Amazon. The color flight feathers in the Blue Fronts are red.
The plumage is mainly green with a blue forehead, some yellow on the crown, cheeks and outer tail tips, and an orange speculum (= distinctive wing patch) . The beak is horn-colored with a gray tip. The feet are pale grey / horn brown.
Males and females look alike.
This parrot averages 13 - 15 inches (33 - 38 cm) in length, including its short squarish tail.
Like most Amazons, its plumage is mostly green; There are rainbow markings in many areas. Yellow markings can be seen at the crown, lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head), and thighs, and can occasionally be seen in the areas around the eyes. The amount of yellow to the head varies, with nominate, nattereri and panamensis having yellow restricted to the crown-region, although occasionally a few random feathers can be seen around the eyes. However, the subspecies xantholaema has most of the head yellow. The yellow on the forehead is far less yellow than that of the Double Yellow-head parrot (Amazona oratrix).
The Red-lored Amazon averages 12 - 13.6 inches (30 to 35 cm) in length (including tail) with a wingspan from 15 to 17 inches (38 to 43 cm). The average weight is 310-480g.
The plumage is primarily green, with red forehead, in some subspecies yellow cheeks (sometimes with red spots). The crown is blue and thick. The tip of the lower beak is gray horn; the upper beak is light horn-colored. The feet are light to dark grey.
Males and females look alike; although some breeders opine that mature females have brown irises while mature males have a golden iris. If identifying the correct sex is important, this imprecise technique may not suffice and DNA sexing is recommended.
Juveniles have less yellow on cheeks, less red on forehead, and dark irises.
Panama Amazons average 12 to 14 inches (~31 - 35 cm) in length (including tail) and weigh around 13.4 ounces or 380 g.
They have a yellow forehead and a blue wash on the crown. The beak is greyish horn with a dark tip and their feet are horn colored - almost might.
They are sometimes confused with the Yellow-crowned Amazons; however, the Panamas are smaller, are a darker shade of green, and their beak lack the orangy spots that can be seen on both sides of the Yellow-crowned Amazon's upper beak. Additionally, the rest of the beak and cere are darker than that of true Panama Amazon Parrots.
Compared to other Amazon Parrots, the Panama is considered to be relatively gentle. They are highly talented talkers, but can get very noisy.