University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBCO), New Mexico State University (NMSU), American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Kyle Brown Legacy, Barbara Delano Foundation, Área de Soltura Monitorada de Fauna Silvestre – ASM Cambaquara
Northern (Amazona guatemalae) and Southern (A. farinosa) Mealy Amazons are heavily exploited for trade and affected by hunting and habitat loss. Since 1981, tens of thousands of individuals have been traded on the international market. Much of the birds’ original forest is being cleared for agriculture. A. guatemalae has been wiped out from almost half of its original range.
The World Parrot Trust has funded research on the effects of forest disturbance and genetic analysis on the Central American and South American subspecies, leading to a species split and reassessment of status. The WPT takes part in captive management and long-term monitoring of birds caught in trade and released from rehabilitation centres in Brazil. Rescue facilities take in and rehabilitate Southern Mealy Amazons caught in the trade. Many individuals have been released back into the wild.
As a result of molecular studies, Northern and Southern Mealy Amazons were recognised as separate species by the IUCN. Other molecular work in 2019 determined that the Atlantic population in Brazil merited a special conservation focus.
Along with continued rescues from trade and other human-wildlife conflicts in Brazil, ASM Cambaquara is conducting surveys on the Southern Mealy Amazon population on the island of Ilhabela off the Atlantic coast of Brazil. The first count took place in October 2024 and a second in April 2025. Fifty volunteers from the community completed the counts totaling just over 2000 individuals, with a conservative estimate for the second census showing a minimum abundance of 201 individuals. Future actions aim to increase community engagement and expand data collection efforts.
Status: Northern – IUCN Near Threatened / CITES Appendix II Southern – IUCN Least Concern / CITES Appendix II
Populations: Unknown, decreasing.
Range: Northern – Along the Caribbean slope of Central America, from Veracruz and Oaxaca, Mexico, south through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Southern – Widespread from eastern Panama, south and east through Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.
Threats: Northern – In Mexico, the species is scarce in Veracruz but more common further east. Is uncommon in Honduras but still reasonably stable in N Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rica. The population is suspected to be declining due mainly to ongoing habitat destruction and unsustainable levels of hunting and trapping. Deforestation is also a threat. Is now believed to exist in only 53-55% of its original distribution. Southern – The species is locally common. It is undergoing declines due to habitat loss and the impacts of hunting and trapping. Since 2000, tree cover within the range has been lost at a rate equivalent to roughly 13% over three generations. Forest loss is historically more severe in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, while forests in parts of the Amazon Basin and Guinanan Shield remain largely intact. The species appears to tolerate some habitat degradation. Based on the data, population declines are suspected to be 10-19% over thirty years.
Natural history: Both species live in humid lowland or montane rainforest, near clearings and on plantations with forest edge. They are seen in pairs or small flocks; outside the breeding season, roosts may have several hundred birds. Feeding is in the upper canopy for figs, young shoots and legumes.
