The Cuban amazon (Amazona leucocephala), also called the Cuban parrot and the rose-throated parrot, is a medium-sized green parrot that lives in forests and dry areas of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. Although they have been seen in the wild in Puerto Rico, these birds are likely from escaped pets, and no baby parrots have been born there.

Taxonomy

In 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus first described the Cuban amazon in the tenth edition of his book Systema Naturae. He grouped it with other parrots in the genus Psittacus and gave it the scientific name Psittacus leucocephalus. Linnaeus based his description on an illustration and description of the "white-headed parrot" from George Edwards' A Natural History of Uncommon Birds, which was published in 1751. Linnaeus listed the type locality as "America," but in 1923, Thomas Barbour narrowed this to eastern Cuba. Today, the Cuban amazon is part of the genus Amazona, which was introduced in 1830 by the French naturalist René Lesson. The name Amazona comes from the Latinized version of "Amazone," a term used in the 18th century by the Comte de Buffon. The specific name leucocephala means "white-headed" in Ancient Greek, combining leukos ("white") and -kephalos ("headed").

Most scientists traditionally recognized four subspecies of the Cuban amazon, as outlined in a 1928 review by James Lee Peters.

• A. l. leucocephala (Linnaeus, 1758), also called the Cuban amazon. Found throughout Cuba, including Isla de la Juventud (formerly Isla de Pinos).
• A. l. bahamensis (Bryant, H, 1867), also called the Bahaman amazon. Two living populations exist in the Bahamas: one on the Abaco Islands and one on Great Inagua (with sightings near Little Inagua). Populations were once found on the Acklins and Crooked Islands but are no longer there.
• A. l. caymanensis (Cory, 1886), also called the Grand Cayman amazon. Found only on Grand Cayman Island.
• A. l. hesterna (Bangs, 1916). Now found only on Cayman Brac, but previously also on Little Cayman Island.

Another subspecies, A. l. palmarum (Todd, 1916), was once thought to live in western Cuba (east to Villa Clara Province) and Isla de la Juventud because of differences in feather color. However, a 1928 study found that these differences were due to age-related changes and that the birds were not significantly different from those in other parts of Cuba (A. l. leucocephala sensu stricto). While the two groups are very similar genetically, some scientists still consider A. l. palmarum a valid subspecies. A recent study based on physical traits and feather patterns supported recognizing A. l. palmarum as a distinct subspecies if limited to Isla de la Juventud, noting it has a longer wing length, longer foot bones, and a larger pink throat patch compared to A. l. leucocephala on the Cuban mainland. This study also found differences among Bahamian populations, suggesting that the subspecies A. l. bahamensis should be restricted to the now-extinct population on the Acklins and Crooked Islands, while the two living Bahamian populations (on Abaco and Inagua) may each represent new subspecies. Genetic evidence supports recognizing three subspecies in the Bahamas.

Description

The Cuban amazon is a medium-sized parrot that is 28–33 centimetres (11–13 inches) long. Its body is mainly green, with blue feathers on its wings. The green feathers have black edges. The lower face, chin, and throat are rosy pink, while the forehead and eye-rings are white. The amount of color on the head, the amount of rosy pink on the upper chest, and the amount of dull red on the abdomen vary among different subspecies. The eyes are pale olive-green, the beak is horn-colored, and the feathers near the ears are blackish. The legs are pink. Juvenile birds have little or no red on the abdomen, less black edges on the green feathers, and some feathers on the top of the head may be pale yellow instead of white.

Distribution and habitat

The Cuban amazon lives in different places on different islands. It was once found across all of Cuba, but now it is mainly found in forested areas on the main island and on Isla de la Juventud. There are about 10,000 Cuban amazons in Cuba, including about 1,100 to 1,320 on Isla de la Juventud.

On the Cayman Islands, the parrot lives in dry forests and on farmland. About 3,400 parrots live on Grand Cayman (based on a 2006 survey), and 400 to 500 live on Cayman Brac. The parrot population on Little Cayman no longer exists, as it disappeared in the 1940s.

In 2006, there were about 3,550 parrots on Abaco and 6,350 on Inagua. The parrot populations on the Acklins and Crooked Islands no longer exist, as they disappeared in the 1940s. Evidence from fossils and old human remains shows that the parrot was also found on other islands in the Bahamas, such as New Providence, San Salvador, and Grand Turk.

Behavior

During the winter, Cuban amazons group together in large numbers, and they split into pairs during the breeding season.

Cuban amazons eat various fruits and seeds, such as the fruit of palm trees and the seeds of West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni).

The breeding season lasts from March to September. Cuban amazons usually build their nests in hollows of trees across most of their habitat. However, the parrots living on the Abaco Islands nest in underground spaces within limestone rock formations, which protect them from wildfires in pine forests. Each nest contains two to four white eggs, which the female keeps warm for 26 to 28 days.

Status

The Cuban amazon is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of continuing habitat loss, occasional natural disasters, and trapping for the wild parrot trade. It is protected by being listed on CITES Appendix I, which forbids the sale of these birds in international trade if they were caught in the wild.

Aviculture

The Cuban amazon was rarely seen in bird breeding outside of Cuba and Florida (where it was raised in captivity by Cuban immigrants) until the 1980s. It is considered one of the hardest amazon parrots to breed, as male birds often act aggressively toward their mates and young. The species is also a popular pet in Russia, as many parrots were brought back from Cuba by Russian soldiers after the Soviet Union ended. Even though more Cuban amazons are available now, they remain one of the most expensive amazon parrots. Several color variations have been seen in parrots bred in captivity.

In the Cayman Islands, Cuban amazons (called Cayman parrots locally) are sometimes taken from the wild and kept as pets illegally. In 2020, officials offered a special program where people could legally register their parrots. During this program, the parrots received health checks and were given microchips and leg bands to help identify them and separate them from wild birds. A total of 326 parrots were registered during this event.

Gallery

• A. l. caymanensis, Grand Cayman
• A. l. caymanensis, Grand Cayman
• At Palmitos Park, Gran Canaria, Spain
• Two individuals in a fruiting tree in Cuba