Amazona auropalliata (Lesson, 1842)

Taxonomy and Identification

The yellow-naped amazon, Amazona auropalliata (Lesson, 1842), can be identified by its green forehead and crown, and a yellow band across the lower nape and hindneck.

Physical Appearance

It has orange eyes, a dark gray beak that is paler near the base of the upper mandible, and dark gray feet.

Habitat

This parrot species lives in tropical dry forest and mangrove habitats, and nests in naturally occurring tree cavities.

Nest Cavity Modification

While yellow-naped amazons do not excavate their own cavities, they will chew to modify the cavity entrance.

Nesting Tree Preferences

They may nest in a wide variety of trees, and dead Coyol palm trees are a preferred nesting option.

Breeding Season Behavior

During the breeding season, pairs are monogamous, and pairs defend small breeding territories around their nest by duetting with each other.

Breeding Success

Breeding success is only 11%, with 89% of nests failing, and the majority of nest failures are caused by poaching.

Vocal Behavior Research Status

The vocal behavior of yellow-naped amazons has been studied more extensively than that of any other wild parrot.

Vocal Learning

Like all parrots, yellow-naped amazons demonstrate vocal learning behavior in the wild.

Vocal Dialects

This behavior appears as vocal dialects: the repertoire of calls these parrots use changes at distinct geographic boundaries, just as humans have different languages and dialects.

Dialect Response

These dialects are meaningful to the parrots, as they respond less strongly to calls from outside their own dialect.

Dialect Stability

Dialects also remain stable over long periods of time.

Pair Duet Patterns

Mated yellow-naped amazon pairs duet together on their territories in highly complex patterns, producing precisely coordinated, synchronized sequences of calls.

Duet Syntax

These duets follow syntactic rules, where the order and structure of notes changes in predetermined but flexible ways.

Counter-Duet Behavior

Neighboring pairs of yellow-naped amazons perform counter-duets, in which pairs rapidly exchange duets.

Counter-Duet Comparison

This behavior is similar to counter-singing seen in male songbirds.

Territorial Aggression

These displays occasionally become heated enough to lead to physical fights at territory boundaries, though such fights are rare.

Geographic Range

The species is found along the Pacific Coast from southern Mexico south to northern Costa Rica.

Population Trend

Recent population surveys show declining populations across most of this range.

Regional Population Status

Populations are already reduced in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and have become extremely small in Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala.

Conservation Monitoring

The Mesoamerican Parrot Census Network, with support from the World Parrot Trust, engages volunteers to survey yellow-naped amazon populations across their range to support conservation efforts.

Diet

Like many parrot species, the yellow-naped amazon feeds on nuts, berries, seeds, and fruit.