Blue-throated Parakeet

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Blue-throated Parakeet
Blue-throated Parakeet (Pyrrhura cruentata)

Blue-throated Parakeet ( Pyrrhura cruentata )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Tribe : New World Parrots (Arini)
Genre : Red-tailed Parakeets ( Pyrrhura )
Type : Blue-throated Parakeet
Scientific name
Pyrrhura cruentata
( Wied , 1820)

The blue-throated parakeet ( Pyrrhura cruentata ) is one of the red-tailed parakeets native to South America .

Appearance

With a length of approx. 30 cm, the blue-throated parakeet is the largest species of the red-tailed parakeet genus . The plumage is generally green in color, the vertex blackish, the eye region and ear covers reddish brown, the lower cheeks green and the lateral neck yellowish. The eponymous blue bib that extends to the back of the head is characteristic. The belly spot (indistinct in some animals) and rump are red and the outer flags of the wings are blue. The tail feathers are olive on the top and brownish red on the underside. The beak and the bare eye ring are blackish, the iris yellowish, the legs gray.

There is no such thing as gender dimorphism. Males and females cannot be distinguished in appearance. The plumage of the young birds is duller with less red on the wing bend, the crown feathers still have light red edges and the ear area is still reddish in color. The iris is dark.

The clear differences to the other representatives of the genus in color and size make it unique in this genus.

Habitat and way of life

Blue-throated Parakeets inhabit primary rainforests and forest edges in eastern Brazil (states Bahia , Espírito Santo , Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro ) , usually below 400 m, in Minas Gerais sometimes up to 960 m. Sometimes the species can also be seen in cleared areas and occasionally on agricultural land. The range is strongly fragmented and shrunk to isolated areas.

Little is known about the way of life in the wild, as they are difficult to observe due to their camouflage color and their calm behavior. They live together in groups of 4 to 10 birds, but also form larger flocks, especially at feeding grounds. They feed mainly on seeds and tree fruits, for example ant trees ( Cecropia ) and Trema micrantha , but occasionally also visit grain fields. They are not true to their location, outside of the breeding season they migrate to other areas in search of food.

Blue-throated Parakeets probably breed during September and October and lay 2 to 4 eggs in a tree hole. Their breeding behavior is still largely unknown.

Hazard and protection

The stock is endangered because of the destruction of the habitat ( habitat destruction ). The substitute habitats used by birds, such as cocoa and banana plantations, are increasingly being converted into pastureland. The remaining populations are small and seem to continue to decline, and protection is usually insufficient. The species is classified as endangered (Vulnerable, VU) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). As the only representative of the genus, it is listed in Appendix 1 of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species . It is listed in the EU regulation 709/2010 [EG] in Appendix A and is strictly protected according to the Federal Nature Conservation Act [BG] (Status :: s).

The bird differs so clearly from its relatives in terms of color, size and behavior that some experts would like to remove it from the group of red-tailed parakeets and place it in its own genus.

source

The blue-throated parakeet. In: Budgies and Parrots. 1/2008 pp. 14-15

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Mike Parr, Tony Juniper: A Guide to Parrots of the World. A & C Black, 2003, ISBN 978-0713669336 , p. 164.
  2. ↑ Ber Van Perlo: A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. Oxford Univ. Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0195301540 , P. 49.1.
  3. ↑ a b c Pyrrhura cruentata in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  4. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation: WISIA-Online : Pyrrhura cruentata (Wied, 1820) , accessed on November 6, 2011
  5. ↑ Website Budgie and Parrot magazine 172008 , accessed on January 4, 2013

Web links

Commons : Pyrrhura cruentata  - album with pictures, videos and audio files