Amazona farinosa guatemale - Guatemalan or Blue Crown Mealy Amazon Parrot

Natural History:

Subspecies of Amazona farinosa with blue crown coloration and separate geographical distribution in south -East Mexico and Guatemala.

Length: 40 cm

Weight: 600 gm.

Description: Mexican Blue Crown is beautiful large Amazons with subdued coloration of nominate Mealy but with wonderful sky blue front turning into lilac on the crown and nape. Cheeks are paler green. Beak is black in real Blue Crowns and somewhere in between  black and horn colored in birds originating more south. It integrades into virenticeps which is distributed in rest of southern Central America. Most of the birds in the USA originate from Nicaragua so real Mexican Blue Crown are somewhat rare to find. That combined with lack of demand and less interest in breeding this species could cause its disappearance from US aviculture. Male and female are similar with male having slightly larger beak and head. Young have paler overall colors with less head coloration and brown, not orange iris.


Habitat:  low lying moist forest in South East Mexico, including Yucatan, Belize and parts of Honduras.


Diet in the wild: reported to be fruits, seeds and flowers.


Breeding in the wild: clutch is averages 3 eggs.  Incubation is reportedly 25-28 days.


Status in the wild: CITES appendix II. Threatened by loss of habitat and capture for pet trade. From my personal communication with local Mayas they still see it frequently in low forest south of Cancun- January 2011.



Status in Captivity: some numbers imported to the Europe,  and the USA in the past. Breeding success limited by small numbers in captivity and general lack of interest in this species.



Breeding Stock: Young male purchased in 2006. Some feather plucking on neck and chest. Closed ring from FL.  As I was unable to find suitable female Bird was sold to breeder in FL



Behavior: Compared to other Amazons Blue Crowns seem to be more sedentary.  Their voice is harsh and, even for Amazon standards  loud. Reported as a gentle giants my bird was withdrawn and aggressive in classic amazon hormone raging way.


Diet: consists of canary mix and seed mix for medium  and large hookbils. Zupreem pellets and veggies and fruit provided several times a week.

Breeding: none