Pileated Parrot

Overview

The South American pileated parrot (Pionopsitta pileata) is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae, found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. It is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, though its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss.

Identification

• Body length is 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in) with a weight of 98 to 120 g (3.5 to 4.2 oz).
• Adults have an essentially all-green body with a yellowish abdomen; primaries, primary coverts, and tail feather edges are dull blue.
• Males possess a red forehead, crown, lores, and upper ear coverts, whereas females lack red and display a faint blue wash on the forehead and breast.
• Vocalisations include very high, piercing shrieks described as 'tjeéreweét' and flight calls of 'high 'tjer-tjer'tjer- -''.

Habitat

Found in southeastern Brazil from Bahia south, extending into eastern Paraguay and Argentina's Misiones Province, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m. It mostly inhabits humid forest but also occurs in more open and dry forest dominated by Araucaria and partially cleared landscapes.

Diet

Little is known about its feeding behaviour, but it feeds on fruits and seeds of several plant families as well as Eucalyptus bark.

Did you know?

The species was formerly known as the red-capped parrot, a name that easily leads to confusion with the Australian Purpureicephalus spurius. Locally in Brazil, it is referred to as 'cuiú cuiú'.