Also known as: Cuban Parrot, Bahama Parrot, Cayman Brac Parrot; Loro o Cotorra de Cuba (ES).
A parrot of three island groups
The Rose-throated Parrot (Amazona leucocephala) is a beautifully coloured and conspicuous Amazon native only to the Bahamas, Cuba and the Cayman Islands. Across these islands it carries many names — Cuban Parrot, Bahama Parrot, Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac Parrot — and in Spanish, Loro o Cotorra de Cuba.
Identification
A pigeon-sized parrot of 28–33 cm, green overall, with a white forehead and eye-ring, pale red (rose) on the chin, throat and lower face, and blue primary wing feathers. Dark feather edges give the plumage a scalloped look, and in flight the bird can appear surprisingly dark. Coloration varies noticeably between islands, especially on the face and throat.
It is very noisy, particularly in a perched flock, and gives a harsh squawk in flight. Vocalisations differ between populations, and captive birds readily learn to mimic words.
Subspecies and behaviour
The species is presently divided into five subspecies — two in Cuba, two in the Cayman Islands and one in the Bahamas. Birds usually gather in large flocks that break into pairs in the breeding season. The diet is a variety of fruits and seeds, including poisonwood berries, mahogany seeds and palm fruits; the parrots will also take oranges and other cultivated fruit, occasionally to farmers’ frustration.
Most populations nest in tree cavities. The Abaco population in the Bahamas is unusual in nesting in limestone cavities in the ground — an adaptation linked to fire-prone pine forest.
Conservation
The Rose-throated Parrot is assessed as Near Threatened. Island subspecies with small ranges are the chief conservation concern, vulnerable to habitat loss, hurricanes, introduced predators and historical capture for the pet trade. Protected areas and nest monitoring on several islands support the most at-risk populations.
