Red-crowned amazon, Amazona viridigenalis, also known as the red-crowned Parrot, green-cheeked amazon, or Mexican red-headed Parrot, photographed at Elizabeth Street Parrotry, Brownsville, Texas, USA. This species is endangered.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 7 April 2008 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
After finishing this story, I am in a parrot-y mood. Especially since I have another parrot story in the works (now, all I have to do is find the time to finish that -- after I've finished another story that is demanding my attention right now!). My question for you is a simple one: are any of you going to visit this location in January 2011 to include this bird and its friends in the World Parrot Count? If so, will you please send me pictures and video so I can visit alongside you? If your photos and video are especially fine, I will happily share them with everyone else here, too.
Question: This stunning species is living far away from home -- can you tell me where is its original home?
Response: This is an adult red-crowned Amazon, Amazona viridigenalis. This species, also known as the red-crowned parrot, green-cheeked Amazon, or Mexican red-headed parrot, is an endangered Amazon parrot that is native to the lowlands of northeastern Mexico.
Even though this species has been introduced to urban areas in southern California and southern Florida, the population located in Texas may be either feral, descendants of natural vagrants from Mexico, or both.
You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.
If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.
