Geographic Range
Mealy parrots are found in Mexico and Central and South America, occupying a wide
range from southern Mexico to northern Bolivia and southern Brazil. They are most
common in Costa Rica and Panama, particularly on the Caribbean coast.
- Biogeographic Regions
- neotropical
Habitat
Mealy parrots inhabit dense, humid lowland rainforests near clearings but also populate
wooded areas in savannas.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
- Other Habitat Features
- agricultural
Physical Description
One of the largest of the Amazon parrots, mealy parrots measure approximately 38 to
40 cm in length and have an average weight of 540 to 700g. They are considerably less
vibrant than other closely related parrots. Mealy parrots are mainly green with a
crown of blue and violet feathers on the head, as well as a powdery appearance given
by the dull, bluish feathers on the head, neck, and shoulders. A few spots of red,
yellow, or blue can be seen on the feathers underneath the wings, which are mainly
dull green with lighter green tips. Around each eye is a white, featherless ring.
The iris is a reddish-orange color. The beak is a gray, brown color. One way to discern
mealy parrots from other
Amazona
species is the tail, which consists of two distinct tones: green and yellowish green.
The feet are a grayish color. Males and females are monomorphic. A distinguishing
feature between adults and juveniles is a brown iris in juveniles.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
Mating occurs once a year and normally begins in the spring. Once sexually mature,
mealy parrots will choose one partner for life.
- Mating System
- monogamous
Breeding normally ranges from November to March. Nesting takes place in the tree-cavity.
Female parrots usually lay one clutch per year of three eggs. Eggs are incubated
for about four weeks, after hatching male parrots assist females in raising the young
by regurgitating food for the female to eat. The offspring are ready to leave the
nest after a period of about eight weeks.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- oviparous
During the incubation period, the male parrot will assist the female by regurgitating
food for the female to eat. The female will protect and feed the hatched offspring
until they are ready to leave the nest.
- Parental Investment
- altricial
- female parental care
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- male
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
protecting
- female
-
protecting
Lifespan/Longevity
Mealy parrots in captivity is typically between 50 and 100 years. Information on
lifespan of mealy parrots in the wild is unavailable.
Behavior
Mealy parrots are social animals, often seen flying in pairs or small flocks of up
to 20. They will also form larger groups of several hundred birds near the breeding
season. Mealy parrots are very active and are often seen interacting with other species
of parrots, such as macaws (
Ara
).
Communication and Perception
Mealy parrots can be very noisy, with a variety of different calls, including chattering,
squawking, and whistling. The calls can be heard at a distance, as their voice usually
has a deeper tone than that of other
Amazona
parrots.
Food Habits
Mealy parrots feed mostly on plant parts, including seeds, fruits, nuts, blossoms,
and leaf buds.
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- fruit
- flowers
Predation
Mealy parrots are prey to various predators, such as hawks and monkeys. Snakes may
steal eggs or young offspring.
Ecosystem Roles
Although their importance to the environment has not been extensively researched,
mealy parrots are speculated to play a role in seed dispersal as well as act as a
pollinator of the flowers they feed on.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
- pollinates
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Of special interest to the international live exotic bird trade, mealy parrots are
most commonly taken into captivity and sold as pets. In some areas, they are also
hunted for food, due to their relatively large size.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Mealy parrots may eat crops occasionally, including corn crops.
- Negative Impacts
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Mealy parrots are not currently identified as a species in crisis. They do not meet
the criteria for a population decline, meaning a thirty percent loss of the population
in ten years or three generations, as defined by the IUCN Red List. They are considered
a species of least concern. This, however, does not suggest that the species is completely
free from danger. Both the large amount of trading and the loss of habitat from deforestation
have a significant impact on population declines of mealy parrots in certain areas.
Additional Links
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Kathleen Sholty (author), Kalamazoo College, Ann Fraser (editor, instructor), Kalamazoo College.
- Neotropical
-
living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- agricultural
-
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- monogamous
-
Having one mate at a time.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- altricial
-
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- pet trade
-
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- frugivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fruit
- granivore
-
an animal that mainly eats seeds
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Bates, H., R. Busenbark. 1969. Parrots and Related Birds . United States: T.F.H. Publications.
Brough, C. 2005. "Animal-World" (On-line). “Mealy Amazon”. Accessed October 15, 2005 at http://www.exotictropicals.com/encyclo/birds/amazons/mealyamazon.php. .
Juniper, T., M. Parr. 1998. Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World . New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Ridgely, R. 1976. A Guide to the Birds of Panama . New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
2004. "Avian Web" (On-line). Amazon Parrots. Accessed November 19, 2005 at http://www.avianweb.com/amazons.htm .
2005. "BirdLife International" (On-line). Species factsheet: Amazona farinosa. Accessed October 15, 2005 at http://www.birdlife.org .
2005. "Feathered Family Inc." (On-line). Accessed November 19, 2005 at http://www.featheredfamily.com/mealyamazon.htm .