Mealy Parrot

The Mealy Parrot is the largest member of the Amazon parrot genus, a bulky, mostly uniform green bird with a pale, whitish, powdery bloom dusted over the nape and back that lends the species its evocative name. A pale eye-ring and a small patch of red sometimes visible in the wing add subtle accents to otherwise understated plumage, and the head can show a faint bluish or yellowish wash depending on subspecies.

Usually encountered in pairs or small flocks moving heavily through the upper canopy, it favors tall, undisturbed forest and is often heard well before it is seen, its deep, resonant calls carrying through the treetops at dawn and dusk as birds commute to and from communal roosts.

Key field marks

• Large, bulky Amazon parrot, the biggest in its genus
• Mostly uniform green plumage with a pale, powdery, "mealy" bloom over the nape and back
• Pale eye-ring
• Deep, resonant, far-carrying calls

Similar species

• Orange-winged Parrot is smaller with a more colorful face pattern of yellow and blue and an orange wing patch, lacking the dusty mealy bloom.
• Other large Amazon parrots can be difficult to separate at a distance, but the Mealy Parrot's larger size, plainer face, and mealy-looking back are useful clues.

Habitat

Inhabits tall, humid lowland tropical forest, favoring the upper canopy of mature forest.

Range

Found from southern Mexico through Central America and across much of the Amazon basin in South America.

Migration

Non-migratory, though flocks make regular daily movements between roosting and feeding areas.

Behavior

Usually seen in pairs or small flocks flying high above the canopy with slow, deliberate wingbeats, often forming larger communal roosts at night.

Voice

Deep, resonant squawks and screeches, generally lower-pitched than the calls of smaller Amazon parrots.

Feeding

Feeds mainly on fruit, seeds, nuts, and flowers gathered in the forest canopy.

Nesting

Nests in large natural tree cavities high in mature forest trees; lays 2-3 white eggs.