Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species is suspected to be undergoing a moderately rapid population decline owing to on-going habitat loss and trapping pressure; however, little is known about its overall population size. It is therefore listed as Near Threatened, but additional information regarding its population size and trends may result in it being listed under a different threat category in the future.
Population justification
This species's population has not been quantified.
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be in moderately rapid decline owing predominantly to on-going habitat destruction, and unsustainable levels of hunting and trapping. Amazona guatemalae has now been extirpated from a significant proportion of its original range and is now present in just ~53-55% of its original distribution (Ríos-Muñoz and Navarro-Sigüenza 2009, Monterrubio-Rico et al. 2016, De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2017).
Amazona guatemalae is present along the Caribbean slope of Middle America, from Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico, south through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, to western Panama, and is also found on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica and western Panama (Juniper and Parr 1998, Forshaw 2006, 2010). Its abundance varies locally and although it is common in many areas, it is now considered extirpated from a significant proportion of its original range and is now present throughout just ~53-55% of its original distribution (Ríos-Muñoz and Navarro-Sigüenza 2009, Monterrubio-Rico et al. 2016, De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2017).
It inhabits dense humid lowland rainforest, especially near clearings and edges, but also ranges to lower montane forest and frequents plantations, cultivation, gallery forest and deciduous forest (Juniper and Parr 1998, Forshaw 2006). It nests in the cavities of primary tropical moist forest species, particularly Terminalia amazonia and Dialium guianense (De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2016).
This species is hunted and trapped for food, pets and international trade, however population declines in this species are largely attributable to deforestation (Juniper and Parr 1998, Forshaw 2006, Wenner et al. 2012, De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2017). Amazona guatemalae has now been extirpated from a significant proportion of its original range and is now present in just ~53-55% of its original distribution (Ríos-Muñoz and Navarro-Sigüenza 2009, Monterrubio-Rico et al. 2016). Such declines are the result of dramatic forest conversion as this species is highly dependent on the primary, old-growth tropical forest of Mesoamerica (De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2016), evidenced by densities of 18.9 parrots/km² in evergreen forest and 35.9 parrots/km² in riparian forest, compared with just 3.4 parrots/km² in secondary forest (De Labra-Hernández and Renton 2017).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species is listed under CITES Appendix II. It occurs in some protected areas, such as Tikal National Park, Guatemala (del Hoyo et al. 1997).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Monitor habitat trends through remote sensing. Quantify the impacts of hunting and trapping. Conduct awareness-raising activities to reduce trapping pressure. Increase the area of suitable habitat that receives effective protection.
Text account compilers
Everest, J.
Contributors
Butchart, S., Ekstrom, J., Stattersfield, A., Symes, A. & Taylor, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Northern Mealy Amazon Amazona guatemalae. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/northern-mealy-amazon-amazona-guatemalae on 23/12/2024.
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 23/12/2024.