The jaco's full name is the red-necked Amazon parrot (scientific name: Amazona arausiaca). 'Jaco' is the local Dominican name, used by everyone on the island. Unlike the sisserou, which tends to be quiet and solitary, jacos are social birds — you usually see them in groups of five to twenty, flying fast and noisily between fruiting trees.
Jaco parrots are famous for being clever and curious. They are known to mimic sounds they hear in the forest, including other bird calls. In the past, people kept jacos as pets because of this mimicking ability, but Dominica now protects both parrot species by law so that wild populations stay strong.
Jacos nest in tree cavities and compete with sisserou parrots for nesting spots — but because they are smaller and more numerous, they usually find spots in younger trees lower down the slopes. The two parrot species share the same rainforest but tend to live in slightly different parts of it.