Description

The Saint Lucia Amazon (Amazona versicolor) is a stocky parrot endemic to Saint Lucia and has been designated as the island’s national bird since 1979. It measures about 43 cm in length and weighs between 700 and 800 g. The bird is often green with a bluish head but also displays touches of red on the chest and belly. Its wings feature a red wing speculum visible from above and below in flight. There is no physical difference between males and females.

Its diet mainly consists of fruits, nuts, seeds, and berries from a wide variety of trees, including gum trees, chestnut trees, and many others.

Its calls are harsh and piercing in flight, including a sharp “ca-tchouc” sound and a plaintive “ay-ââ.” They also produce high-pitched chatter or soft purring sounds when feeding or resting.

Pairing for life, females usually lay two or three white eggs at the beginning of the dry season, between February and April. The chicks fledge about 67 days after hatching.

Habitat

This colorful bird nests in tree cavities within humid tropical and subtropical montane forests, mainly between 500 and 900 meters in elevation. It is confined to an area of approximately 10,000 hectares on Saint Lucia and is the only native parrot within its range.

It can be observed along trails such as those in the Cartiers Rainforest at Micoud, the Edmond Forest Reserve, the Millet Ornithological Reserve, and the Quilesse Forest Reserve. Occasionally, it also ventures into surrounding orchards.

Threats

In 1988, the IUCN listed the Saint Lucia Amazon as endangered, then as vulnerable in 1994, due to its small population confined to a single isolated island. This limited range makes the species particularly susceptible to hurricanes, relaxed hunting restrictions, and deforestation.

The 1988 threat status was mainly attributed to hunting, habitat destruction, and deforestation of critical breeding areas, as well as the illegal bird trade, which caused a rapid population decline—estimated at around 150 individuals in the mid-1970s.

Today, the colorful parrot benefits from protection through a hunting moratorium in forest reserves (J. D. Gilardi in litt., 1999), and several initiatives have been implemented to prevent the species’ extinction. Notably, a captive breeding program operated from 1975 to 2021 at Jersey Zoo, formerly Durrell Wildlife Park, on the island of Jersey.

Between 1991 and 1992, the World Parrot Trust, in partnership with RARE and Paradise Park, launched an educational bus called the “Jaquot Express.” Equipped with educational games, videos, and exhibits, this bus aimed to raise awareness among children through visits to schools and public spaces, teaching them about the history of the Saint Lucia Amazon and the measures needed to protect it from extinction.

By 2009, the population was estimated at 1,750–2,250 parrots, with approximately 1,167–1,500 mature individuals. Although the population appears to be increasing today, it remains vulnerable to ongoing threats.

Sources

Web Portal of the Government of Saint Lucia (govt.lc)

Amazone de Sainte-Lucie – Amazona versicolor (oiseaux.net)

Amazone de Sainte-Lucie – eBird

Amazone de Sainte-Lucie | Amazona versicolor | St Lucia Parrot (aerien.ch)

St. Lucia Amazon (Amazona versicolor) | Parrot Encyclopedia (parrots.org)

Saint Lucia Amazon (Amazona versicolor) – BirdLife species factsheet

Amazona versicolor (Saint Lucia Amazon) (iucnredlist.org)