Lilac-crowned Amazon
Lilac-crowned Amazon
Amazona finschi
At a Glance
Native to western Mexico, these chunky parrots are often kept in captivity, and escaped birds may survive for years around southern cities. They are seen regularly in cities of coastal southern California, especially Los Angeles and San Diego. In Texas they are found both in the lower Rio Grande Valley of the southern tip and also around El Paso. Other sightings come from cities of southeastern Florida. In these feral flocks they often mix with related species such as Red-crowned and Yellow-headed Amazons.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Endangered
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Behavior
Direct Flight
Range & Identification
Description
13" (33 cm). Large, short-tailed parrot. Mostly green with pale lilac on crown and nape, reddish on forehead. Red patch on secondaries in wings is apparent in flight. Outer tail feathers tipped pale greenish yellow.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Wing Shape
Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Contrasting to the down-slurred whistle of the Red-Crowned Amazon, the Lilac-crowned gives a squeaky, up-slurred “kree, kree”, a rolling “krreeeih”, and a raven-like croak.
Habitat
Deciduous and semi-deciduous forests along the Mexican coast, as well as pine-oak forests.Residential and suburban area in California; sometimes in native oaks. Has nested in native coniferous forest in the San Gabriel Mountains. Also found in Florida. Not abundant in any of these areas.
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Behavior
Nesting
Pacific coastal forests in humid valleys at 600-1000 m are optimal nesting habitat, providing important food resources during the dry season.