The sisserou (its scientific name is Amazona imperialis, which means 'imperial Amazon') is the largest of the Amazon parrot family. An adult sisserou can grow to about 46 centimetres — roughly as long as your arm from wrist to shoulder. They have a deep, rumbling call that carries far through the forest.
Sisserou parrots mate for life — a pair stays together for decades, which can be a very long time because parrots can live to 60 or 70 years old. Pairs nest in hollow trees high in the rainforest, usually choosing the same tree year after year. They eat fruits, seeds, and flowers from the forest canopy.
Because the sisserou only lives in Dominica and there are fewer than 1,000 left in the wild, it is protected by law. Dominicans are very proud of their national bird, and the sisserou appears on coins, stamps, and the flag. Conservation teams work to protect the old-growth forest the parrots need to survive.