Kawall's amazon, also known as the white-faced amazon, white-cheeked amazon or Kawall's parrot, is a relatively large species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the south-central Amazon. After not having been recorded in the wild for around 70 years, the species was rediscovered in the 1980s.
Region
South-central Amazon Basin, Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland Amazonian rainforest, favoring tall terra firme forest and edges of seasonally flooded (várzea) forests. Frequently uses riparian corridors, river islands, and palm-rich stands where fruit is abundant. It tolerates some secondary growth and selectively logged areas but declines in heavily deforested landscapes. Roosts communally in emergent trees and ranges widely to track fruiting trees.
Altitude Range
0–600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Kawall's amazon, or white-cheeked amazon, was long known only from old specimens and was rediscovered in the wild in the 1980s. It is often confused with the larger Mealy Amazon but can be told by its striking white face. The species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping for the pet trade. Loud dawn and dusk fly-overs make it more often heard than seen in tall forest.
Temperament
social and noisy
Flight Pattern
strong flier with rapid, direct wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically seen in pairs or small groups, joining larger flocks at communal roosts. Monogamous pairs nest in natural cavities of large emergent trees. Breeding coincides with the rainy season when fruit availability peaks. Adults show strong site fidelity to traditional roost and nest sites.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, carrying squawks and rolling screeches, especially at dawn and dusk. At close range it gives a mix of harsher contact calls and softer chatter within flocks.
Plumage
Mostly green with a slightly scalloped appearance, contrasting clean white cheeks and face, bluish forecrown, and yellowish edges to the tail. Primary coverts show blue tones, and there is a small reddish patch at the bend of the wing. The bill is pale horn with a darker smudge near the culmen.
Diet
Feeds mainly on fruits, seeds, and nuts from a variety of rainforest trees, including palms and figs. Takes seasonally available berries and occasionally flowers and new shoots. Will sometimes visit cultivated fruit or maize fields near forest edges. Regurgitates seeds away from parent trees, aiding in seed dispersal.
Preferred Environment
Forages high in the canopy and upper midstory, concentrating at fruiting trees along rivers and forest edges. Also uses palm swamps and mixed-species fruiting aggregations. May visit exposed riverbanks to obtain minerals.
