Santa Marta Parakeet

Overview

The Santa Marta parakeet (Pyrrhura viridicata) is an Endangered species of bird in the family Psittacidae that is endemic to Colombia. It belongs to the subfamily Arinae and its exact placement within the genus Pyrrhura remains uncertain, though it is a monotypic species.

Identification

• Adults measure 23 to 25 cm in length and possess a mostly green head with a red forehead and brownish ear coverts.
• The upperparts are green, while the breast and upper belly feature a distinct scarlet "belt" over otherwise green underparts.
• Wings are primarily green with yellow to orange coverts and blue primaries, complemented by a dull reddish tail.
• Immature birds resemble adults but lack the red belt on their underside, and the species emits screeching calls during flight.

Habitat

Restricted to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, the species primarily inhabits humid pre-montane and montane forests with at least 2,000 mm of annual rainfall between elevations of 2,000 and 3,500 m. It now occurs mainly along the north and northwestern slopes of this isolated range, though it less frequently appears in secondary forests and cultivated areas.

Diet

Foraging in flocks of up to twenty individuals, the bird consumes a varied diet of fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, and lichens, with the fruit of Croton bogotanus being particularly significant. It demonstrates ecological flexibility by widening its resource use when preferred foods are scarce, and moves nomadically to track food availability.

Did you know?

In completely natural settings, this species nests exclusively in dead wax palms (Ceroxylon ceriferum), and it exhibits cooperative breeding. It experiences two distinct breeding season peaks, with the later period likely serving as a response to competition for nest cavities from larger parrot species.