ForumHelp in identifying DOUBLE YELLOW HEADED AMAZON Parrots (Amazona oratrix)
Part one (oratrix/belizensis)
| A. oratrix oratrix |
A. oratrix belizensis |
|
|---|---|---|
| COLOUR | Dark green / light emerald | A lighter, brighter green. Same tone |
| BREAST | Paler than wing, varied marking | Paler brighter jade than wings & rear |
| FOREHEAD & CROWN | Deep daffodil yellow & over crown down into nape, extending to underbeak advancing with age, some splodges of yellow on throat & upper chest | If any difference, slightly paler yellow, extending only to centre of crown but enlarging with age very slowly - literally feather by feather thru' late teens and on; yellow gives a mask-like appearance to face |
| HEAD FEATHERS | Flecks of yellow in main colour. In juveniles yellow extending with years | As main colour |
| CERE | Horn | Very pale horn |
| NOSTRILS | Horn; sometimes ringed with black | Very pale horn |
| UPPER MANDIBLE | Horn, can be tinged with grey to base of upper mandible | Very pale horn only |
| MOUTH & TONGUE | Horn & black | Horn / flesh |
| BACK OF NECK | Definite heavy scalloping extending down back into area between wings | As main colour |
| BEND OF WING | Solid, pale blood red, some yellow under outside edge of red; varies from bird to bird | 99% dark red from body to shoulder on edge of wing |
| CARPAL EDGE | Yellow | |
| THIGHS | Predominantly yellow. Higher lighter emerald green | Yellow on lower thigh, usually more on inside edge / variable |
| LEGS & FEET | Horn/light grey with horn and/or dark grey toenails | Horn to very pale grey with horn-coloured toenails often striped with grey |
| GENERAL SHAPE | Well set-up bird, broad in chest & longer-necked than Belizensis | Very stocky, thick-set - a generally rounder looking bird. When coming into tiptop/breeding (?) condition the horn beak takes on an apricot sheen. Very short legs |
| DISTRIB-UTION | Colima, Guerrero, pacific slopes of central Mexico, caribbean slope from s. Nuevo Leon & Tamaulipas; south to east Oaxaco - Tabasco & maybe Yucatan | Only from British Honduras now Belize (hence Latin name!) |
Part two (oratrix/magna/tresmariae)
| A.oratrix oratrix |
A. oratrix magna |
A. oratrix tresmariae |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| COLOUR | Dark green / light emerald | Bright grass green, back feathers scalloped grey | Bright green |
| BREAST | Paler than wing, varied marking | Bright green feathers lightly scalloped grey. Odd yellow feathers in green | Upper breast yellow.'Blue sheen' to mid-green breast & underparts; no scalloping |
| FOREHEAD & CROWN | Deep daffodil yellow & over crown down into nape, extending to under beak advancing with age | Bright yellow both
|
Pale yellow forehead and around eyes & beak; deepening over crown |
| THROAT | Some splodges of yellow on throat & upper chest | Yellow extending to upper breast | Yellow |
| HEAD FEATHERS | Flecks of yellow in main colour. In juveniles yellow extending with years | Very deep bright yellow; more extensive than oratrix oratrix
|
More extensive yellow than other subspecies |
| CERE | Horn coloured | Horn-coloured | Light whitish to v pale blue-grey or pink-grey |
| UPPER MANDIBLE | Horn, can be tinged with grey to base of upper mand. | Horn-coloured | Whitish blue-grey or pink-grey, lower mandible also |
| MOUTH & TONGUE | Horn & black | Flesh coloured | Not observed |
| BACK OF NECK | Definite heavy scalloping extending down back into area between wings | Some yellow feathers interspersed in green feathers which are scalloped | Yellow extending over back of neck more extensively than other subspecies |
| BEND OF WING | Solid, pale blood red, some yellow under outside edge of red; varies from bird to bird | Extensive red & yellow | Usually red; may have odd yellow feather |
| CARPAL EDGE | Yellow | Red & yellow in some birds | Light green |
| THIGHS | Predominantly yellow; higher lighter emerald green | Yellow | Yellow, less extensive than magna |
| LEGS & FEET | Horn/light grey with horn &/or dark grey toenails | Cream to v light grey with light toenails | Pale pink/grey |
| GENERAL SHAPE | Well set-up bird, broad in chest | Larger than oratrix; shorter tail than tresmariae | Largest of all double yellow heads, 15" or more |
| OTHER OBSERVATIONS | Flecks of red on the yellow feathers where yellow joins green at the nape of the neck normally indicates a cock bird. This is very rare in hens but has been observed in a few | More colourful than all other subspecies; often incorrectly called tresmariae | Wing spectrum on 5 secondaries pinkish red. Feathers of mantle faintly edged dark green. Rest of feathers narrowly edged with yellow/green. Lower half of tail yellow-green as are upper tail coverts |
| DISTRIBUTION | Colima, Guerrero, pacific slopes of central Mexico, Caribbean slope from s. Nuevo Leon & Tamaulipas; south to east Oaxaco - Tabasco & maybe Yucatan | Atlantic slopes of Mexico, central Tamaulipas south to eastern Tabasco | Tres Marias Islands off west coast of Mexico |