St. Lucia Parrot

SCI Name:  Amazona versicolor
Protonym:  Psittacus versicolor Natursyst.Suppl. Suppl. p.78
Taxonomy:  Psittaciformes / Psittacidae / Amazona
Taxonomy Code:  stlpar1
Type Locality:  Havana, error = St. Lucia.
Author:  Statius Muller
Publish Year:  1776
IUCN Status:  Vulnerable

DEFINITIONS

AMAZONA
(Psittacidae; Ϯ Southern Mealy Amazon A. farinosa) French name “Amazone” given to various tropical American parrots by de Buffon 1770-1783, because they came from the Amazonian rainforests. The Amazon was probably first seen in 1500 by the Spanish commander Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, but real exploration of the river came with the voyage of Francisco de Orellana in 1540-1541. His florid tales of female warriors, perhaps based on a misunderstood Tupí word amassona ‘boat destroyer’, gave the river its name; "VII.^e Sous-genre. AMAZONE; Amazona.  Bec robuste, très-crochu, épais; à arête rubanée ou formant une dépression aplatie, étroite, qui suit la courbure du bec, les côtés renflés, les bords festonnés; la mandibule inférieure échancrée en avant; narines arrondies, très-ouvertes dans la cire et à rebord saillant; ailes s'étendant jusqu'au tiers de la queue; les tarses très-courts, réticulés, robustes.   26. AMAZONE MEUNIER; Amazona pulverulenta: Psittacus pulverulentus, Gm.; Levaill., Perroq., pl. 92.  ...  plumage vert pruineux et à teint glauque   ...   27. AMAZONE A FRANGES; Amazona Levaillantii: Psittacus Levaillantii, Lath.; Psittacus infuscatus, Shaw.   ...   28. AMAZONE DUFRESNE; Amazona Dufresniana: Psittacus Dufresnianus, Shaw (?); Levaill., pl. 91.   ...   29. AMAZONE A TÊTE JAUNE; Amazona icterocephala: Psittacus ocrocephalus Gm.; Buff., Enl., 312 et 313; Levaill., Perroq., pl. 98." (Lesson 1830); "Amazona Lesson, Traité d'Orn., livr. 3, 1830, p. 189. Type, by subsequent designation, C. farinosa = Psittacus farinosus Boddaert (Salvadori, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., 20, 1891, p. 268)." (Peters, 1937, III, p. 216).
Synon. Androglossa, Chrysotis, Oenochrus.

amazona
Mod. L. Amazonus Amazonian, of Amazonia.
● ex “Amazonian Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (Chloroceryle).

versicolor
L. versicolor, versicoloris  of various colours  < vertere  to change; color, coloris  colour.
● ex “Perroquet de La Havane” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 360 (Amazona).
● ex “Barbu des Maynas” of Brisson 1760 (Eubucco).
● ex “Perruche à gorge tachetée de Cayenne” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 144, “Perruche, no. 2” of Fermin 1769, “Perruche à gorge variée” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Wave-breasted Parrakeet” of Latham 1781 (syn. Pyrrhura picta).
● ex "Pato pico de tres colores" of de Azara 1802-1805, no. 440 (Spatula).
● ex “Variable Crow” of Latham 1801 (Strepera).