| Red-spectacled Parrot (Amazona pretrei)
(aka Red-spectacled Amazon) |
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Santana da Boa Vista, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
August 2004The Red-spectacled Parrot is almost confined to the state of Rio Grande do Sul but with some wintering birds in south-east Santa Catarina and some scarce records for Argentina and Paraguay. |
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It is classified by Birdlife International as Vulnerable because of its restricted range and the fact that it is a target of illegal trapping for the caged bird trade. Its rapid decline during the 20th century reflects the deforestation of Rio Grande do Sul. In 1914 25% of the state was forested but by 1988 this had dropped to 3%. |
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During the breeding season from September to January the birds disperse to savanna woodland and gallery forests where they nest in tree hollows. During the non-breeding season they are associated more with Araucaria forest eating the pine nuts when they ripen. It is at this time of year that they can roost in large flocks at known sites. The pair of birds in these photos were flying over the rio Camaquã and you can see the red on the forehead, face and front edge of the wings, the pale bill and the white eye-ring. The bird furthest from the camera is the male which shows more extensive red on the wings while the female is nearest the camera. There is an excellent page by Birdlife International here. |
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