Yellow-shouldered Amazon (also known as Yellow-shouldered Parrot)

This feather belongs to a medium-sized green parrot known for its yellow patches on the 'shoulders' and forehead. The bird has a stocky build, a powerful horn-colored beak, and a short, square tail. It is a noisy, social bird known for its distinct screeching calls and expert climbing ability.

Vibrant grass-green base with a deep bluish-green hue on the outer vane. The rachis is dark, nearly black, transitioning to a translucent white at the calamus.

Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs on the distal portion with a small tuft of plumulaceous (downy) barbs near the superior umbilicus.

Waxy and smooth with a slight sheen. The surface is somewhat water-repellent due to preen oil, typical of tropical psittacines.

Electric green coloration, dark rachis, and the specific structural stiffness found in Psittaciformes flight feathers.

Arid scrublands, cacti-rich deserts, and dry coastal woodlands.

Islands of the Southern Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Margarita) and isolated coastal areas of northern Venezuela.

Primary seed predator and occasional disperser; its presence is a key indicator of the health of arid tropical ecosystems.

Orange-winged Amazon (Amazona amazonica) and Mealy Amazon (Amazona farinosa); however, the specific shade of green and rachis color are diagnostic for the Yellow-shouldered.

The Yellow-shouldered Amazon is the only Amazon parrot adapted to extremely arid, desert-like conditions, often nesting in cliffs or cacti.

Good condition with some mechanical stress (splitting of the vane) mid-shaft, likely occurring during molt or collection. Minimal sun-bleaching.