FAMILY PSITTACIDAE 101 



Isla Coiba ; Isla Escudo de Veraguas ; Archipielago de las Perlas 

 (islas San Jose, Pedro Gonzalez, del Rey, Cafias, Santelmo). 



The red- fronted parrot, in general, resembles the mealy parrot in 

 size and in longer tail (compared with the yellow-head) so that at a 

 distance the two appear identical. Near at hand the red forehead of 

 the present species is diagnostic. This species and the mealy parrot 

 utter strident calls in which the notes are similar, but in the red- 

 front the sound usually is harsher. 



Like the related species the red- front congregates in small bands 

 where figs or other fruits are attractive. At such times, I have found 

 them occasionally with macaws. Toward sunset pairs cross the sky 

 to spend the night in a common roost that, near the sea, may be in tall 

 mangroves. Elsewhere they gather in tall trees along rivers. 



The species is one of those kept commonly as a pet. In towns usu- 

 ally they are confined in cages, but around Indian ranchos range more 

 or less at freedom. 



AMAZONA OCHROCEPHALA PANAMENSIS (Cabanis) : 

 Yellow-headed Parrot; Loro Real 



Figure 12 



Chrysotis panamensis Cabanis, Journ. f. Orn., vol. 22, July 1874, p. 349. 

 (Panama). 



A large green parrot with yellow on the crown. 



Description. — Length 280-315 mm. Adult (sexes alike), general 

 color green, darker above, more yellowish green below ; forehead, 

 lores, and anterior half of crown yellow, in some, the feathers with 

 concealed red base; superciliary area and center of crown, (bordering 

 the yellow area) somewhat bluish green ; anterior lesser wing cov- 

 erts, and outer webs in center of outer secondaries red ; tips of sec- 

 ondaries and outer webs of inner primaries dark blue ; primaries 

 otherwise green on basal portion, black on tips ; outer webs of longer 

 secondaries edged lightly with greenish yellow ; distal end of tail 

 feathers except central pair greenish yellow ; inner webs at base light 

 red; a narrow, partly concealed band of yellow around distal end 

 of tibia ; under surface of wing dull green, except for black tip ; in 

 some, a few red or yellowish feathers on carpal margin. 



Immature, less red in tail, and without yellow on tibia. 



Iris yellow, or orange-yellow ; upper half of maxilla, including tip, 

 fuscous-brown to dull black ; broad base of gonys dull red ; base of 

 maxilla and rest of mandible pale dull buffy white ; tarsus and toes 

 dull brownish flesh color ; claws fuscous-black. 



