Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Scaly-naped Amazon
Amazona mercenarius
Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenarius) — Parrots & Cockatoos of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenarius) is a member of the Psittacidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 340 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Psittaciformes
- Family Psittacidae African & New World Parrots
- Genus Amazona
- Species mercenarius
Quick facts
- Weight
- 340 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Scaly-naped Amazon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Scaly-naped Amazon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenarius) is a species of bird in the Psittacidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Venezuela to Bolivia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 340 g, with a wing length of about 21.4 cm and a tail of around 10.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 433,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Scaly-naped Amazon?
The Scaly-naped Amazon is a large bird that weighs around 340 g.
Where does the Scaly-naped Amazon live?
The Scaly-naped Amazon is found across South America with a range covering SA Venezuela to Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Scaly-naped Amazon belong to?
The Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenarius) belongs to the Psittacidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Scaly-naped Amazon eat?
The Scaly-naped Amazon is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Scaly-naped Amazon migrate?
The Scaly-naped Amazon is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Scaly-naped Amazon endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Scaly-naped Amazon make?
1 real field recording of the Scaly-naped Amazon — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Scaly-naped Amazon's range?
The Scaly-naped Amazon has a mapped global range of about 433,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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