Lilac-crowned Amazon, Amazona finschi

This small parrot’s length ranges from 30 to 33 cm. The species is endemic to the northeast of Mexico, especially the areas of Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí and the northern regions of the states of Veracruz and Hidalgo.

Main characteristics

Males: The primary colour of the Lilac-crowned is green. His body is accented in many colours. Greenish yellow feathers can be seen decorating the front of his crown, abdomen, ear coverlets, chest, and cheeks. His lores, forehead, and the front of his crown are red, while pale blue is seen on his nape and the sides of his neck. The wings and tail feathers have red and blue spots at the ends. Their eyes have yellow iris, which is surrounded by an area of naked skin. Females: their colour pattern is similar to the males’, but their red parts are limited to the front and the area between beak and eyes.

The Red-lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis) differs from the Lilac-crowned in its colour pattern. Its cheeks are yellow up to the beak, the crown of the males never shows red colour and its blue parts are more intensive than those of the Lilac-crowned, while the superior part of the head of the Lilac-crowned Amazon is violet, not blue.

Lilac-crowned Amazon, Amazona finschi

Facts:
How are they? Their average body length is 33 cm. Their dominating colour is green, with scaly feathers in the back of its neck. Blue colour behind and often underneath the eyes. Yellow iris. Red and blue spots on the tip of the wings. The forehead and the front of their crown is red. There is a clear sexual dimorphism: Females do only have red parts on the front and between the beak and the eyes.
Where do they live? In tropical forests as well as pine and oak tree forests.
How is the species geographically distributed? Mexico.
What do they feed on? Fruits, nuts and berries.