Figure 1. In the semi-arid interior of Ceará, there are still a few wild parrots. So far, I have not seen any, but I heard credible accounts of their existence, and I saw some indirect evidence, like the bird on the photo. This individual has been taken out of the nest (in the wild) before it could fly, and is now kept as a pet.

The comments I heard from the locals about these parrots, were all similar. They confirmed that there was, and possibly still is, a small wild population; and they explained how and where to find a parrot nest, to take the youngs away.

In its range, Amazona aestiva is not threatened by extinction, but here, in northern Ceará, it has all but disappeared, because of the systematic removal of the youngs from the nest.

Figure 2. Same bird as shown above.