Breeding the Bodin's Amazon

Abstract

The Bodin's Amazon (Amazona Jestiva bodini) is relatively new to American aviculturists. Few specimens were available prior to 1986 when 294 were imported from Guyana. In 1987 and 1988, an additional 46 were brought in and few have arrived since then. Mortality was approximately 18% during quarantine and apparently continued after quarantine with numerous breeders reporting deaths of recently acquired stock. As a result, the number of Bodin's in the United States probably does not exceed 250 birds. The Festive Amazon (Amazona Jestiva Jestiva) is even more uncommon in aviculture as it has never been commercially imported.

The status of the Bodin's Amazon in the wild is difficult to ascertain due to an apparent lack of data. Studies from the 1960s and 1970s do not distinguish between the Bodin's and the nominate species, the Festive Amazon. They suggest the Festive Amazon was common throughout its range at that time. The range of the Bodin's Amazon includes eastern Venezuela and northwestern Guyana while the range of the Festive Amazon includes northwestern Brazil, southeastern Colombia, northeastern Peru and eastern Ecuador. Recent anecdotal sightings still report both species as common within their ranges.

The Bodin's Amazon is a medium sized Amazon approximately 36 centimeters in length and weighing from 391 to 574 grams (n = 13). It and the Festive Amazon are distinguished from all other Amazons by a patch of crimson feathers on the back. This patch of feathers is only visible in flight. They also do not have the red or orange wing speculum feathers typical of most of the larger mainland Amazons. The Bodin's and Festive Amazons are distinguished from each other by the amount and positioning of the red and blue on the face. The Bodin's Amazon has a broad band of maroon across its forehead and blue cheeks while the Festive Amazon has a narrow band of maroon and green cheeks. The Festive Amazon also has blue behind its eyes, under its chin and on its primary coverts. Both make devoted pets and are apparently good talkers.

The Bodin's Amazon was first described by Dr. Otto Finsch in 1873 who named the parrot Chrysotis bodini in honor of Dr. Karl August Heinrich Bodinus. Dr. Bodinus (c. 1814 - 1884) was a German physician as well as a bird breeder and collector. He was also the director of the Koln Zoological Gardens and the Berlin Zoo during his lifetime. Chrysotis was the prior name for the genus Amazona. 

We acquired nine Bodin's and one Festive Amazon in the summer of 1987. Eight of the Bodin's were received directly from Miami quarantine stations while one was a longterm captive, estimated to be 12 years old. The Festive was also a longterm captive known to be at least 20 years old.

All of the eight recent imports had medical problems upon arrival. Most tested positive for psittacosis as well as feather lice, tapeworms and gram negative pharyngitis/ enteritis (mostly Klebsiella sp.). The Bodin's were treated with doxycycline to control the psittacosis. Two required inordinately high doses and longer than normal treatment periods to effect a cure. Ivermectin was used to treat the feather lice successfully and praziquantel was used with moderate success to treat the tapeworms. One Amazon was also afflicted with kyphosis (curvature of the spine) and bilateral arthritis of the hocks. It died approximately one year later. Three additional Amazons from the original group also died, one to liver failure (likely secondary to the psittacosis infection) one to acute hepatitis of unknown cause and one to trauma ( courtesy of a marauding male Double Yellow-headed Amazon).

Most of the imported Bodin's appeared to be young as they had very little....