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Orange-winged Amazon (Orange-winged Parrot)
Contour feather (Body or Covert)

Orange-winged Amazon (Orange-winged Parrot)

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Aves, Order: Psittaciformes, Family: Psittacidae, Genus: Amazona, Species: amazonica

Family: Psittacidae (African and New World Parrots)

Shape
Broadly rounded and asymmetrical, typical of lateral body or smaller wing covert feathers
Size
Approximately 4-6 cm (1.5-2.5 inches); fits the size profile of a medium body or small covert feather for this species
Rarity
Common within its native range; one of the most widespread Amazon parrot species
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Description

A medium-sized green parrot roughly 33cm long with a blue and yellow face and blue-violet crown. The orange wing speculum, for which it is named, is its primary field mark during flight

Colour & Pattern

Shows a transition from a pale grey/blue base into a vivid lime green, with a distinct orange-yellow wash on the outer web distal portion

Barb Structure

The distal portion is pennaceous with locked barbs forming a smooth vane; the proximal half is plumulaceous (downy) with loose, long filaments for insulation

Texture & Surface

Smooth and slightly waxy on the pennaceous vane with a soft, fuzzy, and airy texture at the plumulaceous base

Key Features

The combination of lime green pigmentation with the bright internal orange-yellow tinting on a single vane is diagnostic for Amazona amazonica

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical forests, mangroves, and savannas; frequently found near rivers and swampy areas

Geographic Range

Common across South America, from Colombia and Venezuela down to central Brazil and northern Argentina; also found in Trinidad and Tobago

Ecological Role

Functions primarily as a seed predator and seed disperser within tropical forest canopy ecosystems

Similar Species

Turquoise-fronted Amazon (A. aestiva) which has red in the wing instead of orange, and Mealy Amazon (A. farinosa) which is much larger with duller tones

Interesting Facts

Despite being common, they are highly social and can gather in roosts of several thousand individuals at sunset

Condition Notes

Good condition; showing natural molting characteristics with an intact quill tip and minor separation of the distal barbs