Plate 001 · on pino del cerro IdentificationSeven marks on the plate
- 1Red forehead and forecrown, the most obvious field mark.
- 2Bare white eye-ring around an orange iris.
- 3Pale horn-coloured bill, heavy and hooked.
- 4Scaly green plumage. Each feather is edged in black.
- 5Red primary coverts at the bend of the wing, flashing in flight.
- 6Yellow-orange thighs, unique among Argentine amazons.
- 7Short square tail with a yellowish-green tip; bluish flight feathers.
Easily confused with Turquoise-fronted AmazonAmazona aestivaBlue forehead and yellow face, no red crown. Scaly-headed ParrotPionus maximilianiDull olive with a bluish throat and red under the tail. 001 / 100 · BIRDS · PSITTACIDAEVULNERABLE Tucumán Amazon
Amazona tucumana
Loro alisero · Tucumán Parrot
The parrot named after the province. It breeds high in alder and pino del cerro forest, then drops down the mountain in big, noisy flocks for the dry season. Its fortunes rise and fall with the seed crop of a single conifer.
- Length
- c. 31 cm
- Altitude
- 700 – 2,600 m
- Breeding
- Nov – Feb
- Population
- 6,000 – 15,000 adults
- Altitudinal migrant
- Cavity nester
- Seed eater
- CITES Appendix I
- Regional endemic
Altitude rangeUp for summer, down for winter
Breeding (Nov–Feb)Non-breeding (Mar–Oct) Breeds in open montane woodland of alder (Alnus acuminata) and pino del cerro (Podocarpus parlatorei) between 1,600 and 2,600 m. Afterwards it moves down into transition forest, as low as about 700 m.
FoodA seed specialist
- Pino del cerro seedsPodocarpus parlatorei · staple
- Nogal criolloJuglans australis · nuts
- Myrtle family fruitsMyrtaceae · e.g. horco molle
- Viscote seedsAcacia visco · key in winter
- Alder conesAlnus acuminata · seeds
Breeding success swings from year to year with the pino del cerro fruiting crop. Outside the breeding season it relies on a few trees, above all Acacia visco.
BehaviourLoud, social, seasonal
J F M A M J J A S O N D Breeding up highFlocking lower down - Altitudinal migrant. Pairs nest high on the slopes in summer, then the whole population shifts downhill.
- Communal roosts. Outside the breeding season it gathers in large flocks that mix birds from several areas.
- Cavity nester. Uses natural holes in large old trees, mainly pino del cerro and nogal, so it depends on old-growth forest.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Río Los Sosa
- PN Aconquija
- Cuesta del Clavillo
- Los Ñuñorcos