There are two endemic species of Amazon parrots (i.e. parrots of the genus Amazona) in Jamaica. They are the Yellow-billed Parrot (Amazona collaria), shown above, and the Black-billed Parrot (Amazona agilis), pictured below.
Both species are found largely in the central regions of Jamaica, from Cockpit Country to Mount Diablo, and in the John Crow mountains. The Yellow-billed Parrot is also found in the Blue Mountains. Both species have been classed as vulnerable (facing a high risk of extinction in the wild) and population trends indicate a slow decline. Both birds are protected species under Jamaican law, and poaching/trading is illegal.
More about the Yellow-billed Parrot, from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), from BirdLife International, and photos at Arkive.
More about the Black-billed Parrot, from the IUCN, BirdLife, and Arkive.
This post is part of a series to celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival.
[Photos: Wayne Sutherland; Brennan Mulrooney]
