Amazon aestiva genome sequencing and assembly. Amazona aestiva isolate:FVVF132

The Amazon parrot (Amazona aestiva), one of the best vocal learners in the animal kingdom, is also a long lifespan bird and an emblematic species of the Brazilian fauna. Here we present a draft assembly of the Amazon parrot genome generated with a combined strategy of assembly and scaffold gapfilling using Illumina and 454 data. This assembly provides new opportunities for investigating the basis of characteristic parrot traits, such as longevity, vocal learning and other complex cognitive capabilities, as well as for better understanding the evolution of avian genomes and phenotypes