Red-crowned Amazon Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A fairly large parrot with a large, round head and deep, curved bill. The wings are broad and rounded, and the tail is relatively short and square.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Mourning Dove, smaller than an American Crow.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 13.0 in (33 cm)
    • Weight: 11.2 oz (316 g)
    • Wingspan: 25.0 in (63.5 cm)

  © Liam Wolff / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Green overall, palest on the cheek, with a red crown and a bluish wash behind the cheek. The tail has a yellowish-green band; the wings show dark blue tips to flight feathers, and red secondaries. Adult female is similar but with red only on the forecrown. Juveniles are similar but have only a narrow band of red at the base of the bill.

• Behavior

  Forages inside the crowns of trees, moving slowly to take seeds and fruit. Lives in flocks for most of the year, roosting in traditional locations and flying out in the early morning, often calling in flight. Wingbeats are shallow and fluttery.

• Habitat

  Mostly native to relatively dry lowland forests of northeastern Mexico and southernmost Texas, as well as riparian forest (e.g., along the Rio Grande), thorn forest, and urban and suburban parks and gardens.