Puerto Rican Amazon Amazona vittata Scientific name definitions

The Critically Endangered Puerto Rican Amazon currently numbers just c.50 individuals in the wild and a further c.200 birds in captivity, which are planned for release. Since human colonization of the island, there has been an almost total loss of suitable forest habitat for this parrot, while hunting for food and pest control, and the cagebird trade have also taken their toll on this bird. However, the principal threats at present are competition for nest sites, predation, and natural disasters such as hurricanes. Currently, the highly intensive conservation program designed to save this species from extinction is having some success, certainly when compared to the all-time low in the mid 1970s, when just 13 individuals survived in the wild. The Puerto Rican Amazon’s plumage is largely green, relieved solely by the red forecrown, white eye-ring, and blue primaries.