Amazona barbadensis (Yellow-shouldered Amazon)
(Gmelin, 1788)
Identification: 33 cm. Overall green parrot with white forehead and lores. Yellow crown and
ear-coverts around bare white orbital patch. Yellow chin. Bluish tinge on lower cheeks and
around chin. Yellow shoulders and thighs. Red speculum. Dark blue tips to flight feathers.
Voice Noisy and raucous, including dry rattling screeet and trilling scree-ee-ee-ak.
Taxonomic source
Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Stotz et al. (1996)
SACC (2005)
Category: VU
CR:
EN:
VU: B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
Threat justification: This species has a small range within which trade and habitat loss are
probably causing some declines. This combination qualifies it as Vulnerable.
Questions for reviewers
Amazona barbadensis is considered Vulnerable (under B1+2c,e; C1) as it has a
small (less than 20,000 km2), fragmented range and a population of less than 10,000
individuals. The population is declining due to loss of suitable habitat and the effects
of illegal trapping.
Population trend decreasing (continuing). Range trend decreasing (continuing).
Population details (Note: zeros may equate to 'unset')
Year of estimate: 2000
Popn: 0 - 0
Popn band: 2,500-9,999
Data quality: medium
Data derivation: estimated (indirectly)
Sub-population no.: 0
Sub-population band: >1
Mature individuals in 1 sub-population: unset
Largest sub-population: 1900 Largest sub-poulation band: unset
Population justification:
Population trend details (Note: zeros may equate to 'unset')
Trend period: 1998 - 2008
Trend: decreasing
Data quality: poor
Data derivation: suspected
Fluctuation: some (<10 fold)
Decline (10 years/3 generations past): 0 or Estimate: 1-9
Decline (10 years/3 generations future): 0 or Estimate: 1-9
Decline (10 years/3 generations past+future): 0 or Estimate: unset
Trend justification: Suspected due to illegal poaching and habitat loss.
Range details (Note: zeros may equate to 'unset')
Year: 2000
EOO (br/res): 10400 EOO (non-br): 0
Data quality:
medium
Year: 0
AOO (br/res): 0
AOO (non-br): 0
Data quality:
unset
Number of locations: 0
Locations band: 6-10 locations
Fragmentation: some
Taxonomy:
Population and Range: Amazona barbadensis has a disjunct range in northern coastal
Venezuela (Falcón, Lara, Anzoátegui and Sucre) and the islands of Margarita, La Blanquilla
and Bonaire (this last in the Netherlands Antilles). It is now extinct on Aruba (to
Netherlands). Although never proven to naturally occur on Curaçao, a feral population
apparently now breeds in suburban areas6. The mainland population seems low, while
numbers on the islands (1,900 on Margarita and 80-100 on Blanquilla in 19965, 360 on
Bonaire in 19996) appear to fluctuate, but have increased on Margarita from 750 birds in
19894. In 1992, 12 captive-reared birds were reintroduced to Margarita, with some success4.
Country distribution
Aruba (to Netherlands)
Netherlands Antilles
Extinct
yes
no
Occur status
N
N
Res.
no
yes
Br.
yes
yes
Non-Br.
no
no
Passage
no
no
Ecology: It inhabits xerophytic vegetation, frequenting desert shrublands dominated by cacti
and low thorn-bushes or trees. Nesting takes place in cavities in trees, cacti or cliffs, generally
from March to May but varies depending on weather conditions1. It tends to roost
communally in tall trees or rock-crevices, with groups of up to 700 birds recorded2.
Altitude: 0 - 0 (Note: zeros may equate to 'unset')
Habitat
Shrubland
Type
Subtropical/tropical (lowland) dry shrubland
Season
resident
Tolerance
medium
Importance
critical
Threats: It is widely exploited for trade, which (at least in Venezuela) serves a strong internal
pet market. Tourist and associated developments are destroying habitat, especially on
Margarita, where the principal breeding, roosting and feeding-sites are threatened by
unregulated mining for construction materials1,5. In some areas, it is hunted for allegedly
damaging crops3,5. On Bonaire, natural vegetation has been heavily degraded for charcoal
production, and through intensive grazing by goats6.
Threat
01 Residential & commercial development
03 Energy production & mining
05 Biological resource use
05 Biological resource use
08 Invasive & other problematic species &
genes
05 Biological resource use
Cause
1.3 Tourism/recreation areas
3.2 Mining/quarrying
5.3.5 Logging/wood harvesting: Motivation
unknown/unrecorded
5.1.3 Hunt/trap terrestr animals:
Persecution/control
8.1.004 IAS: Goat (Capra hircus)
Timing
continuing
continuing
continuing
Scope
minority
minority
minority
Severity
slow decline
slow decline
slow decline
Impact
low
low
low
continuing
minority
low
continuing
minority
negligible
decline
slow decline
5.1.1 Hunt/trap terrestr animals: Intentional
mortality (human use)
continuing
majority
slow decline
medium
low
Action: CITES Appendix I and II, but legal protection in Venezuela is not enforced7. It
occurs in Morrocoy, Cerro El Copey, Laguna de la Restinga and Washington-Slagbaai
National Parks. There is a conservation and awareness-raising campaign on Margarita and La
Blanquilla5. The reintroduction programme on Margarita was preceded by five years of
environmental education, public awareness and ecological studies4. On Bonaire, an awareness
campaign was organised in 1998-1999 and supplemental feeding has been carried out during
extreme droughts6. On Margarita artificial nests were introduced but suffered higher rates of
poaching. The repair of natural nesting cavities has proved more successful8.
Targets: •Survey to determine distribution and status throughout range.•Monitor key
populations. •Regulate captive populations and reduce poaching incentives6. •Deploy antipoaching measures in known breeding areas6. •Restore habitat on Bonaire6.
References: Collar et al. (1992). 1. Collar (1997a). 2. Juniper and Parr (1998). 3. Rodríguez
and Rojas-Suárez (1995). 4. Sanz and Grajal (1998). 5. Snyder et al. (2000). 6. A. O. Debrot
in litt. (1999). 7. C. J. Sharpe, J. P. Rodríguez and F. Rojas-Suárez in litt. (1999). 8. Sanz et
al. (2003).
Contributors
Jean-Paul Rodríguez (Centro de Ecología - IVIC)
Franklin Rojas-Suárez (Conservation International)
Chris J. Sharpe (unset)
Red List evaluators
Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Andy Symes (BirdLife International)