Red-lored Amazon

Amazona autumnalis

At the Zoo

You can find the Red-lored amazons in the South American Tropical Rainforest and Aviary.

Fascinating Facts

  • Red-lored amazons are a type of parrot!
  • They have a strong beak which allows them to crack nutshells and a strong tongue that helps them to husk seeds.
  • They also use their special zygodactyl feet to manipulate or open food items. “Zygodactyl” means that they have two toes facing forward and two toes facing backward.
  • These birds are loud and raucous and are generally only quiet when resting or eating.

Physical Characteristics

Male and female red-lored Amazons are similar in appearance. They have primarily green plumage with red “lore” feathers around the forehead, yellow cheeks and blueish feathers on the crown of the head. They have powerful gray beaks. They are approximately 12 – 13 inches in length and weigh between 11 – 17 ounces.

Habitat/Diet

These parrots are arboreal and found in tropical rainforest canopy, as well as other types of lowland forests and woodlands. Red-lored Amazons are found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela.

They eat a variety of fruits, including figs, citrus, mangoes, and palm fruits, as well as seeds, flowers, buds, and nuts. They even eat coffee beans!

Social Behavior

It is thought that red-lored Amazons mate for life. They engage in mutual preening and partner feeding. They stay in flocks, except during the breeding season when they form pairs. A clutch of 3 – 4 eggs is laid in a tree cavity and the female will incubate them for 26 days. Males will help tend to the chicks after they have hatched.

Status In The Wild

IUCN – Least Concern

Animals & Exhibits