Imperial Amazon
2 Photo Gallery
1 Imperial Amazon Breed Overview
The Imperial Amazon is a typical climbing bird with zygodactyl feet, two toes forward and two back, ideal for gripping. Its plumage is also very vivid and handsome, and it is the national bird of Dominica.
Chinese Name: Imperial Amazon
Latin Name: Amazona imperialis
Aliases: Imperial Amazon Parakeet, Imperial Parrot
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Amazona
Named by and Year: Richmond, 1899
English Name: Imperial Amazon
English Name: Imperial Parrot
2 Imperial Amazon Appearance
The Imperial Amazon is very handsome, with vivid plumage and bright eyes, born with a noble imperial air; it is also the national bird of Dominica. See the Imperial Amazon pictures for details.
The Imperial Amazon is 45-50 cm long and weighs 650-900 g, the largest Amazon parrot. Males and females look nearly identical. The body is green with black edges on the feathers; the head is purple-brown, the feathers near the neck blue-green with black edges; the ear coverts are red-brown, the cheeks purple-brown with thin black edges; the throat, breast, and lower belly are purple with black edges; the tail coverts are olive-green with blue-green tips; the wings are green with red edges and a blue-purple base with some green and brown tips; the inner wing coverts are green with blue tips; the middle tail feathers are red-brown with blue-green tips; the bill and feet are gray-black, the iris bright orange.
3 Imperial Amazon Living Environment
The Imperial Amazon is rarely kept in captivity; it likes to inhabit forests, palm groves, open plains, woodland, and farmland. Wild individuals have their own habits, but can be tamed after captive rearing.
The Imperial Amazon is usually alone or in pairs, occasionally gathering in groups of about 10, sometimes with the Red-necked Amazon (another rare Dominican Amazon) on roosting trees. It likes the high canopy of tropical rainforest, perching high in trees to avoid predators, is very quiet, and uses its camouflage as cover, making it hard to spot. It is cautious; it calls loudly at dawn and dusk, and when startled by a gunshot-like sound it gives a short, sharp cry then suddenly stops to assess whether it must flee.
4 Imperial Amazon Feeding Guidelines
The Imperial Amazon is the national bird of Dominica, mainly distributed in Dominica; it is rarely kept in captivity. If you are lucky enough to keep one, you can refer to its wild diet.
In the wild the Imperial Amazon is usually alone or in pairs, occasionally in groups of about 10. Its main foods are fruit, berries, seeds, nuts, flowers, and plant buds.