The grey-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots.[1][3] Long thought to be endemic to Ceará in northeastern Brazil, it has also been documented in Bahia.[4][5]
| Grey-breasted parakeet | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Pyrrhura |
| Species: | P. griseipectus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pyrrhura griseipectus Salvadori, 1900
| |
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Taxonomy and systematics
editUntil the early 2000s the grey-breasted parakeet was considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet (P. leucotis), which is also called maroon-faced parakeet. There is some thought that the specific epithet griseipectus should be replaced by anaca, which was originally applied to another parakeet, but which appears to have priority.[6][7]
Description
editThe grey-breasted parakeet is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long. The sexes are the same. Adults have a brown crown, a plum-red face, and white ear coverts. Their upperparts are mostly green with a red-brown rump. Their chin, throat, and the sides of their neck are grayish with a scaly appearance. The center of their belly is red-brown and the rest of their underparts are green. Their wing is mostly green with a red shoulder and bluish flight feathers. Their tail is red-brown. Immatures are similar to adults.[6][8]
Distribution and habitat
editAs of 2020 the grey-breasted parakeet was known in only three sites in the Brazilian state of Ceará: Serra do Baturité, Quixadá, and Ibaretama. Its historical range included at least 15 locations in Ceará, Alagoas, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte.[1][6] A 2022 publication documented a flock in Bahia, approximately 800 km (500 mi) south of the Ceará sites. It also identified earlier photographs taken in Bahia of birds that at the time were identified as the white-eared (or maroon-faced) parakeet.[5] The Ceará population inhabits patches of tall humid forest within otherwise dry caatinga and in granite- or sandstone-dominated areas. It is almost always found above 500 m (1,600 ft) of elevation.[6][8] The Bahia birds were found near the coast in mangroves, restinga, and abandoned coconut plantations.[5]
Behavior
editMovement
editThe grey-breasted parakeet is not known to have any pattern of movement.[6]
Feeding
editThe grey-breasted parakeet forages for fruits and seeds in the forest canopy.[6]
Breeding
editThe grey-breasted parakeet's breeding season is not fully known but in Ceará includes February and March. It nests in cavities in trees and in rocks, and also uses nest boxes erected by conservation projects. The clutch size can be as high as seven eggs. The incubation period, time to fledging, and details of parental care are not known.[6]
Vocalization
editThe grey-breasted parakeet's call is a "piercing, fast, chattering 't'kreet-kreet-wik-kreet-krit'."[8]
Status
editThe IUCN originally assessed the grey-breasted parakeet as Critically Endangered but in 2017 revised the status to Endangered. It occupies very small enclaves and has an estimated population of between about 400 and 600 mature individuals. As a result of intensive conservation efforts including the provision of nest boxes the population is believed to be increasing at all three known locations. Most of what had been its forest habitat has been converted to agriculture, especially coffee farming. An ongoing threat is illegal trapping for the pet trade, both domestic and international, though the rate of it has apparently lessened since the early 2000s. The lack of natural nest cavities has somewhat been offset by the provision of nest boxes.[1][9] The authors of the 2022 publication note that their discovery in Bahia "suggests that the species has considerable ecological plasticity and supports both the possibility of a larger former distribution and its potential capability to use 'new' habitats".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d BirdLife International (2018). "Grey-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura griseipectus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22733968A132181930. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22733968A132181930.en. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2024). "Parrots, cockatoos". IOC World Bird List. v 14.1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ Clements, J. F., P.C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved October 28, 2023
- ^ a b c d Félix, Rafael; Sampio, Sidnei; El-Hani, Charbel N. (2022). "The Endangered Grey-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura griseipectus occurs in Bahia, Brazil". Cotinga. 44: 2–8.
- ^ a b c d e f g del Hoyo, J., N. Collar, G. M. Kirwan, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Gray-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.gybpar1.01 retrieved July 26, 2024
- ^ Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, G. Del-Rio, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 4 March 2024. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved March 5, 2024
- ^ a b c van Perlo, Ber (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-19-530155-7.
- ^ Hennessey, Bennett. "In Brazil, The 'Nest-Best' Hope For Protecting Gray-Breasted Parakeets". 27 Dec 2018. Blog post. American Bird Conservancy. Accessed March 8, 2023
Further reading
edit- Ribas, C. C., L. Joseph, C. Y. Miyaki (2006). Molecular systematics and patterns of diversification in Pyrrhura (Psittacidae), with special reference to the picta-leucotis complex. The Auk 123(3): 660–680.