By GrrlScientist Senior Contributor at Forbes, evolutionary & behavioural ecologist, ornithologist & science writer

After conducting a high-tech survey of Red-crowned Parrots (Amazona viridigenalis), a team of scientists were surprised to discover that these parrots are actually thriving alongside human communities in southern Texas. Considering that this species is endangered in its native range in north-eastern Mexico, their remarkable ability to live alongside humans makes them unique.

The Red-crowned Amazon parrot is also known as the Green-cheeked Amazon parrot or the Mexican Red-Head. It is mostly olive-green with bright red feathers on its forehead and crown, a dark blue streak behind its eyes, bright green cheeks, and a horn coloured beak and ceres. Males and females look alike.

In the wild, this parrot is found in the lowland forests, wooded areas and the neighbouring foothills of north-eastern Mexico. In 1994, its wild population was estimated to number somewhere between 2,000 and 4,300 adults, leading the IUCN red list to classify this species as globally endangered.

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