• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
A4acd; C1+2a(i,ii); D	A4acd; B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v); C1+2a(i,ii); D	A2acd+4acd; B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v); C1+2a(i,ii); D1+2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2021	Critically Endangered	A4acd; C1+2a(i,ii); D
2019	Critically Endangered	C2a(i,ii); D
2016	Endangered	D
2013	Endangered	D
2012	Endangered	D
2008	Endangered	D1
2004	Endangered
2000	Endangered
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	240 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	240 km2
Number of locations	1	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	40-60 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2020
Population trend	decreasing	medium	estimated	2003-2029
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-39%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	82-92%	-	-	-
Generation length	8.7 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: Prior to 2017, when hurricane Maria hit Dominica, the population was estimated to number 250-350 individuals in total, roughly equivalent to 160-240 mature individuals (P. R. Reillo in litt. 2012). Since Maria, the population has not been quantified due to the inaccessibility of the core parts of the range in the interior of the island (C. Palmer in litt. 2019; Reillo 2019). However, inferences can be drawn based on the effects of previous hurricanes and on recent sightings of the species. Maria is considered to be the strongest and possibly most destructive hurricane to strike the island in Dominica's recorded history. Previously, the most severe storm was hurricane David in 1979, after which the population of Imperial Amazon plummeted to 40-60 individuals (Evans 1991). Tentatively assuming that the impact of Maria on the population was at least as severe as David, the population size again may have decreased significantly. Preliminary field data are encouraging with direct sightings of 11 individuals about half a year after hurricane Maria (Palmer et al. 2018) and over 20 since June 2019, distributed broadly across the pre-hurricane range (A. Fairbairn per C. Palmer in litt. 2019; P. R. Reillo and S. Durand in litt. 2019). To account for the uncertainty surrounding the current population size, and until more recent estimates become available the species is here conservatively assumed to number around 50 mature individuals, and placed in the band 40-60 mature individuals.

Trend justification: Historically, the species was common across its small, but relatively inaccessible range in the central highlands of Dominica. Around 1880, the species started to decline rapidly as a consequence of the conversion of habitat for agriculture as well as hunting for food and, at a low level, collection for the cage-bird trade (Collar et al. 2019). Following hurricane David in 1979, the population decreased to only 25-40 mature individuals (Evans 1991). After that, the population slowly recovered as a consequence of conservation action focusing on the protection of habitat and on environmental education. By 1993, the population numbered 50-70 mature individuals, and increased further to 100 mature individuals in 2000. By 2012, the population was estimated at 160-240 mature individuals. However, since the devastating hurricane Maria struck Dominica in September 2017, the population crashed again. As the species matures slowly and typically fledges a single offspring every other year, recovery from the effects of hurricane Maria may be protracted (C. Palmer in litt. 2019; Reillo 2019). The exact impacts of Maria on the habitat availability and the population size of Imperial Amazon are not yet known. However, it is estimated that Maria was the most severe storm to hit Dominica in recorded history, felling 30% of the trees on the island and stripping the remaining 70% of their leaves and fruits (Forestry and Agriculture Department per Palmer et al. 2018). This estimate is supported by Global Forest Watch, which indicates a loss of 24,000 ha of forest, equating to 34%, between 2000 and 2017 (Global Forest Watch 2018). Overall, while Imperial Amazon seems to have the potential to recover after a sharp population decline, as it proved in the aftermath of Hurricane David in 1979, climate change and the subsequent higher frequency of severe storms are of immediate concern. If Dominica were to be struck by other hurricanes in the near future, before the species could recover sufficiently, the risk of extinction could increase drastically (Collar et al. 2019).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Dominica	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Dominica	Morne Diablotin National Park
Dominica	Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	600 - 1300 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	(min) 150 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Reduced reproductive success
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Species mortality
Climate change & severe weather	Storms & flooding	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Whole (>90%)		Very Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Imperial Amazon Amazona imperialis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/imperial-amazon-amazona-imperialis on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.