-Perroquets eteints: Amazona vittata gracileps

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Amazona vittata gracileps
Amazone de l'ile de Culebra



Amazona vittata en comparaison:

Culebra Island Amazon


German: Culebra-Amazone


Description: as vittata, but with smaller, more slender feet; generally smaller.


Grà¶àŸe: 25 cm (10 ins)


Distribution: formerly on island of Culebra, east of Puerto Rico, became extinct at turn of this century.


Habitat: orginally found in almost all parts of Puerto Rico; today restricted to Luquillo Mountains, an area of about 114 sq. kilometres (44 sq. miles).


Status: extremely endangered; wild population about 50 birds; 30 to 40 in captivity; main causes of enormous decline logging, shooting, hurricanes, trapping for trade, competition from other birds and lack of suitable nesting sites; today protected and under continuous observation.


Habits: today mostly seen in pairs or small groups; formerly flocks of several hundred birds; pairs stay close together within flock; usually fly no further than 2 m (6 ft) apart; has regular habits; remains near roosting site for one hour after dawn; makes short orientation flights during this period screeching loudly; prefers to perch on prominent branches with good overall view; then flies with other pairs to feeding grounds; feeds between 6 to 9 a.m and 4 to 7 p.m; quiet and inconspicuous when feeding; fruit bitten off and held with foot until completely consumed; rest period between 10 a.m and 3 p.m; partners clean feathers, indulge in mutual preening and sleep; after 7.00 p.m amazons either fly straight to roosting sites or to nearby trees; calls loudly there; flies from branch to branch before finally settling down to roost in dense foliage; fixed flight routes within area; flight swift and with powerful wing-beats; blue flight feathers very conspicuous during flight; call raucous, rolling screech; special alarm call when flying off.


Natural diet: mainly fruits and berries; also seeds, leaves, branches, bark, flowers, buds and nuts; especially feeds off palm fruits (Prestoea montana) during breeding season.


Breeding behaviour: breeding season from February to June; nests in tree holes of Cyrilla racemiflora; this thick tree species occurs in upper areas of Luquillo Mountains; formerly other tree types in lowlands and limestone cliffs in northwest Puerto Rico; today articifical nest sites provided and in part accepted; clutch 2 to 4 eggs; usually 3 eggs; incubation time 25 to 27 days; fledging period 9 weeks; young remain with adults for several months after leaving nest; first breedsiat 3 to 4 years; egg measures 35.7 x 28.7 mm (1.41 x 1.13 ins).


Aviculture: medium-noisy to noisy parrot; at present only kept in breeding station of US Fish and Wildlife Service on Puerto Rico and in Patuxent Research Center, Maryland, U.S.A.; more susceptible than other amazon species; apparently difficult to acclimatise.


Accommodation: breeding station on Puerto Rico has aviaries 3.1 x 1.6 x 2.5 m (10.3 x 5.3 x 8.3 ft) or inside flights 2.0 x 2.9 x 2.5 m (6.6 x 9.6 x 8.3 ft); metal construction used; nest boxes 40 x 40 x 80 cm (16 x 16 x 32 ins) provided.


Diet: in breeding project mainly fruit, vegetables and nuts grown on Puerto Rico provided; in addition sunflower and peanuts; regular vitamin and mineral supplements.


Breeding in aviculture: only achieved few times; pairs isolated at breeding station on Puerto Rico; attempt made to regulate lighting to match natural light during breeding season; clutch 3 to 4 eggs; incubation time 25 to 27 days; not all hatch; fledging period 65 days.

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