Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies
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Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies |
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| © Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences, Dec. 2004 | Home Page | Comments & Suggestions |Site Coordinator | Gardens Curator |
| Birds of the Botanic Gardens
Imperial Parrot: Amazona imperialis; Local name: Sisserou; |
 Source: Dominica’s Birds
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Description: The national bird of Dominica, endemic to the island and the only place where it is found; a magnificent bird with beautiful green and purple plumage; large, compact, sturdy-looking, 46-51 cm long (18-20 in); scaly, purplish face, and purplish-black head; dark, sometimes grey, hooked bill; eyes red with orange-red eye-rings; neck deep purplish-blue, with back darkish green; wings mostly green, with red shoulder patch; underparts dominantly purple; tail red and green-tipped, with undertail purplish black; legs short and grey; feeds on young shoots, nuts, seeds and fruit; generally shy and secretive, but very noisy during mating season (March-August); found mainly between 600 and 1,300 metres elevation (2,000-4,200 ft), the Imperial, largest and most magnificent of Amazons, is on the world list of protected birds, and is protected by law in Dominica; numbers had been declining due to hunting, habitat reduction and hurricanes; now increasing due to new law and establishment of the Morne Diablotin and Morne Trois Pitons National Parks; while natural habitat is high up in the mountains, several specimens are kept caged on view in the Gardens; click here and here to listen to its calls (compliments of 3-Rivers Eco-Lodge), the latter recording has the Scaly-naped Pigeon/Ramye cooing in background.
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