What Sub Specie of Amazon is my Parrot?

[Russ]

I have searched parrot guide books and on-line and I am not sure what specie my Amazon parrot is. Can you identify it for me? Thanks.

[Pajarita]

He is a Lilac Crowned (aka Finsch's amazon -Amazona finschi) but it's not a subspecies, it's a species (it has no subspecies).

[Russ]

Thank you very much, now I can research this parrot more. The first item of interest I found is another similar Amazon, the Green-cheeked Amazon Amazona viridigenalis looks something like this one but has a lot more red. Another interesting fact; sources mention they come from Mexico!

Now, maybe my "Panchito" was not bred in Peru where I got him and where I have him with my other Amazons. He shares a large cage with two Blue Front Amazons and gets along well, sleeps with them and shares food, but usually keeps to himself. The two Blue Fronts, stick together like mates. Like the references mention, he is very tame and calm. The others are reluctant to come out of the cage but Panchito will climb on to my finger and let me take him out.

For a time, Panchito shared a cage with my Mealy Amazon and they got along fine. However, due to their great size difference, I thought it would be better if Panchito shared a cage with the smaller Parrots. Actually, I have the two large cages joined together, so they all can see each other but not fight.

[Russ]

Another question: My "Panchito" has a red crown, not lilac color. There is a band behind the red crown that is a brownish color, maybe lilac.

On Sally Blanchard's web page "companion parrots" on line, she describes a "Red-Lored" Amazon which is found in Ecuador and Brazil as well as Mexico. Could it be that Panchito of Peru is a Red-Lored and not a Lilac-Crowned Amazon from Mexico and is feral in Southern California? She does mention that they are very similar.

[Pajarita]

Actually, looking at him again, he might be a diadema red lored or a hybrid of diadema and lilac crown. I don't really know because his beak is dark like the diadema, but his orbital ring is grey, like the lilac crown instead of white like the diadema, and his forehead is a darker red, more like the lilac crown than they diadema subspecies.

[Cuervo's mama]

He's not a pure lilac crowned. The head coloring on them is usually a much lighter, almost smokey purple. My aunt has one (appropriately named screech) and he looks nothing like this.