White-fronted Amazon (Amazona albifrons)

OTHER NAMES: White-fronted Parrot, Spectacled Amazon Parrot
Latin Etymology: Amazona ("Amazon") albifrons ("white-forehead")

 

Two White-fronted Amazon (Amazona albifrons) at San Jose, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Amazona albifrons nana
Weight: 190-250g/kg  /  Length: 25cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The smallest species of amazon parrot, it is also the only amazon species to be strongly sexually dimorphic enough for easy differentiation in the field with the males having red shoulders that the females lack. As with many parrot species they are long lived and have been recorded living 40 years in the wild and over 50 in captivity. Native to Central America, there are some feral populations in places like Puerto Rico and Texas.

Related Species: 
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Amazona
SUBSPECIES: A. a. albifrons, A. a. nana, A. a . saltuensis

 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Loro frente Blanca ("white fronted parrot")
Found in the North West of the Country
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles and San Jose  

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis)

OTHER NAMES: Tovi Parakeet
Latin Etymology: Brotogeris ("with human voice") jugularis ("throat")

Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Brotogeris jugularis jugularis
Weight: 53-65g  /  Length: 18-19cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small parrot of Central and South America, they are skilled mimics able to replicate human voices well, hence the latin name. Primarily frugivorous, they are sometimes regarded as a pest as they damage commercially grown fruit, though generally has a vegetarian diet plus insects. As with many parrots, they supplement their diet with the ingestion of mineral rich soil to ensure their nutritional needs are met. 
 

Related Species: 

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Brotogeris

SUBSPECIES: B. j. jugularis, B. j. exsul

 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 
Found in Northern and Western Lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles

 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis)

OTHER NAMES: Orange-fronted Conure, Half-moon Conure, Petz's Conure 
Latin Etymology: Eupsittula ("good little parrot") canicularis ("of the star Sirius")

Flock of Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Eupsittula canicularis canicularis

Weight: 68-80g  /  Length: 23-25cm  /  Wingspan: 25cm
NO UK STATUS / Red List: Vulnerable Evaluated 

A bird with an unusual nesting strategy - they dig a cavity in the nest of a particular species of arboreal termite, then leave this nest for a short period to allow the termites time to seal off this hole. At that point, the excavated chamber is used for nesting. They feed on fruit, flowers and seeds and outside the breeding season, form into flocks. It is another species popular in the pet trade, where it is kown as the half-moon conure.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Eupsittula
SUBSPECIES: E. c. clarae, E. c. eburnirostrum, E. c. canicularis
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Peruci Atikero ("Collector Parakeet")
A fairy common resident of the North West
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Yellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata)

OTHER NAMES: Yellow-naped Parrot
Latin Etymology: Amazona ("Amazon") auropalliata ("gold cloaked")

Yellow-naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Amazona auropalliata auropalliata
Weight: 500g  /  Length: 36cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

A species of parrot which has recently been elavated to Critically Endangered level due to the twin pressures of deforestation and poaching for the pet-trade, with it being a popular species in aviculture. As mimics they develop extensive repartes of vocalisations and studies have shown they have developed dialects with geographically boundaries in ways with similarities to humans. Unfortunately, this vocal skill is also a contributing factor to their popularity in the pet trade as they mimic human speech.
 
Related Species: 

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Genus: Amazona

SUBSPECIES: A. a. auropalliata, A. a. parvipes, A. a. caribaea
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Loro de Nuca Amarilla ("Yellow-naped Parrot")
Widespread in North West
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles
 
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Loriculus (diminutive of "lorius") galgulus (small bird mentioned by Pliny)

Adult Male Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) at Ang Mo Kio, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 28g  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

The Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot is a tiny bird, and one of the few native parrot species in Singapore.  The hanging parrots have a unique ability amongst all birds in that they are capable of sleeping while hanging upside down, and while I didn't personally witness this behaviour, they did seem very acrobatic in the way they clambered through the trees to search for food.

Related Species:
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Loriculus
Subspecies: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

SINGAPORE - A fairly common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: A fairly regular sighting in locations with trees

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .