Maroon-tailed Parakeet

Overview

The maroon-tailed parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae found across parts of South America. It is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, though its population size is unknown and believed to be decreasing due to deforestation and hunting.

Identification

• Measures 23 to 25 cm in length and weighs approximately 83 g, with no visible sexual dimorphism in plumage.
• Nominate subspecies possess a mostly green body with a brown crown and nape, and a dark green throat and breast featuring buffy whitish feather edges that create a scaly appearance.
• Wings display green plumage with red and yellowish-orange primary coverts and mostly blue primaries, while the upper tail is maroon with a green base and the under tail is dusky grayish.
• Common vocalisation includes a series of loud, harsh notes such as 'screeet screeet screeet', with flock members often chattering simultaneously to create a noisy effect.

Habitat

Found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, the species inhabits the canopy and edges of various landscapes including wet lowland premontane forest, cloud forest, and partially cleared areas. Most populations occur between 500 and 1,700 m elevation, though certain subspecies range up to 3,200 m.

Diet

This parakeet forages in flocks of approximately six to twelve individuals. Its diet consists of fruit from forest trees and palms, as well as cultivated fruits such as mangoes and guavas.

Did you know?

Although the breeding season varies geographically, in captivity the species typically lays a clutch of four eggs with an incubation period of about 25 days, followed by a fledging time of seven to eight weeks.