
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