Dec 23 2008
Northeast Mexico Endemics IV: Red-crowned Parrot
This is my last post in a series of four on the endemic birds of Northeast Mexico. That doesn’t mean I’ve run through the entire list of species, not hardly. But I hope I’ve given you a taste of some of what makes the area unique.
I’m ending on a chromatically appropriate note with Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis. You can’t get much more red and green than this, can you? Sure, it’s not a cardinal in a snow-frosted holly tree, but it’s worth remembering that much of the world celebrates Christmas with warm weather and birds other than chickadees.
Actually, this picture was taken in April, outside San Benito, Texas, near Marci & Terry’s house, a/k/a Fuller’s Eco-Lodge. Though Red-crowned Parrots are native to a fairly small corner of Northeast Mexico (the Spanish Name in Howell & Webb is Loro Tamaulipeco: Tamaulipan Parrot), many U.S. birders have seen them in South Texas, South Florida, and/or Southern California. (Hmmm…why South Texas & Florida, but Southern California? Is it an issue of syllabic balance? Southern Texas and Southern Florida work OK, but South California sounds just plain wrong.)
Back to the birds. I’m not ruling out the possibility that some of the South Texas flock members reached the U.S. under their own power, but clearly most of them are pet trade birds, as are all the Florida and California birds.I haven’t heard population estimates, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to find that the U.S. population of Red-crowned Parrots is a significant percentage of the total population of the species. U.S. “townie” parrots appear to be increasing, while the numbers in Mexico are obviously crashing, due to both habitat loss and capture for the pet trade.
This is an unfortunate state of affairs, but in this case, I’m glad of having a couple of reservoir populations, even if they are sort of golf course geese. Though I’m no fan of exotic species of any sort, I think Red-crowned Parrots, whose native range is so small and so close to our own border, are a special case. In my opinion, we should be carefully looking after these birds, whatever we decide to do or not do about the menagerie of other parrot and parakeet species, not to mentiong the mynas and the bishops and so on, that increasingly populate our border cities.
One of the things I find so fascinating about borders, both political and ecological, is the many questions they raise and the fine opportunities they offer us to puzzle out the answers. Being places where different populations meet, they are places where things are thrown into high relief, where they come to a head. If you’ll allow me a Holiday/New Year’s wish for 2009, it’s that we approach the myriad of issues surrounding our border with Mexico with renewed wisdom, compassion, and vision.
Whatever side of whichever borders you find yourself on as 2008 draws to a close and families of all types gather for holiday celebrations, I wish you a new year filled with plenty of birds, plenty of love, and an abundance of peace.
NB: Posts may be sparse from now until mid-January. I’ll update this blog as time and the vagaries of internet access permit. Please check back from time to time…I really do appreciate my readers and I don’t want to lose any of you.
Beautiful photo and message. ‘Wisdom, compassion and vision’, a fitting attitude to adopt during all our coming challenges. Best wishes to you and your family! Vickie
Have a good holiday season Jeff. I can’t wait to see some of these amazing birds for myself in February. We are lucky to have you as a guide!
I’ve really been enjoying your Mexico Endemics posts. I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy New Year!
Boy, what sweet comments! That’s as good as another Christmas morning. Thanks, Vickie, Ron, & Kyle.
[...] and parakeet species, an impressive number considering its rather northerly location. (Here’s a post I did recently on the Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis, which is endemic to northeast Mexico.) An eighth [...]