Conservation Status
The Yellow-headed Amazon is considered endangered by the IUCN, and is on the CITES Appendix I, which by international treaty, has made export, import and trade of wild-caught Yellow-headed Amazons illegal and the trade in birds bred in aviculture subject to controls in most of the world. Captive-bred Yellow-headed Amazons can be sold and owned legally subject to checks and regulations. Populations range from Central America, through Mexico, and even into the Southmost region of Texas. Generally, throughout the world, sale of Appendix I species bred in aviculture must be accompanied with official certification which is provided by the breeder, and they must have a closed ring on one leg.
The popularity of Yellow-headed Amazons as a pet continues to fuel poaching efforts, which have nearly driven it to extinction in the wild. Their wild population has declined from 70,000 to 7,000 in the past two decades alone. An estimated 40-60% of poached Yellow-headed Amazons die before they are sold. Yellow-headed Parrots nest in holes in tree trunks or fallen branches. Poachers usually hack at the nest site with a machete to steal parrots, which is especially destructive because habitat is lost at the same time that the wild parrot population is reduced. The situation for tresmariae, which potentially can be treated as a separate species, is unclear, but its very small range gives cause for concern and some reports indicate it is under considerable threat.
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