| El Oro parakeet | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Pyrrhura |
| Species: | P. orcesi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyrrhura orcesi Ridgely & Robbins, 1988 | |
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The El Oro parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi) is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Ecuador. [3]
The El Oro parakeet is monotypic. [3] Its closest relative is believed to be the maroon-tailed parakeet (P. melanura). [4]
The El Oro parakeet is 22 to 24 cm (8.7 to 9.4 in) long and weighs 65 to 75 g (2.3 to 2.6 oz). Adult males have a mostly green head with a red forehead and lores. Their upperparts are green. Their throat, the sides of their neck, and their breast are green with grayish buff bars giving an indistinct scaly appearance. The rest of their underparts are green with some faint dull reddish on the belly. Their wing is mostly green with red primary coverts; their primaries are blue. Their tail is maroon with a green base and a dusky maroon underside. Their bill is dusky and their iris is dark with bare pinkish skin surrounding it. Females are almost the same as males but with much reduced red on the forehead. Immature birds are similar to adults but with even less red on the head and wing and none on the belly. [4] [5]
The El Oro parakeet is found only on the west slope of the Ecuadoran Andes in Azuay and El Oro provinces. It is known only from an area of about 3,800 km2 (1,500 sq mi) that is 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 mi) wide and 100 km (60 mi) long. It inhabits humid subtropical and tropical forest mostly between 600 and 1,300 m (2,000 and 4,300 ft) of elevation but has been found as low as 300 m (1,000 ft) and as high as 1,800 m (5,900 ft). [4] [5] [6] [1]
The El Oro parakeet is not known to have any pattern of movements. [4]
The El Oro parakeet feeds on fruit and berries; some known sources are figs ( Ficus ), Heliocarpus , Hieronyma , and Cecropia . It typically forages in flocks of up to about 15 individuals but flocks as large as 60 have been observed. [4] [5]
The El Oro parakeet's breeding season appears to span from March to July. It nests in natural tree cavities that have been noted as high as 24 m (80 ft) above the ground. It uses a variety of trees but Dacroide peruviana appears to be preferred. It also uses nest boxes provided by Buenaventura Reserve. [4] [1] El Oro parakeets breed cooperatively, a breeding pair being accompanied by up to six helpers. [7]
The El Oro parakeet's most common call is "a series of grating notes with a rather hoarse quality, e.g. “crreeet crreeet crreeet” " that is given both from a perch and in flight. Perched birds also call with single "chuk" or "krrr" notes, though perched birds are often silent. Members of a flock "call frequently and simultaneously, producing a noisy chattering." [4]
The IUCN originally assessed the El Oro parakeet as Vulneralble but since 2000 has listed it as Endangered. It has a very limited range and an estimated population of fewer than 1000 mature individuals. "Remaining habitat is fragmented, and both range and population are thought to be declining." [1] The Buenaventura Reserve was created in 1999 by Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco to conserve this species and the El Oro tapaculo (Scytalopus robbinsi). It encompasses about 4,000 ha (15 sq mi) of cloudforest in which the Fundación maintains a network of nest boxes. [8] About 75% of the El Oro parakeet's population is found there and nearby. [1]
Conures are a diverse, loosely defined group of small to medium-sized parrots. They belong to several genera within a long-tailed group of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. The term "conure" is used primarily in bird keeping, though it has appeared in some scientific journals. The American Ornithologists' Union uses the generic term parakeet for all species elsewhere called conure, though Joseph Forshaw, a prominent Australian ornithologist, uses conure.
The green-cheeked parakeet, known as the green-cheeked conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The sulphur-winged parakeet, also known as Hoffmann's conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Pyrrhura is a genus of parrots in the Arini tribe. They occur in tropical and subtropical South America and southern Central America. Most are restricted to humid forest and adjacent habitats, but one species, the blaze-winged parakeet, prefers deciduous or gallery woodland, and another, the Pfrimer's parakeet, is restricted to dry regions. Some species are highly endangered.
The maroon-bellied parakeet is a small parrot found from southeastern Brazil to north-eastern Argentina, including eastern Paraguay and Uruguay. It is also known as the reddish-bellied parakeet, and in aviculture it is usually referred to as the maroon-bellied conure, reddish-bellied conure or brown-eared conure.
The blue-fronted parrotlet is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela.
The grey-cheeked parakeet, less commonly known as fire-winged parakeet, is a vulnerable species of bird in the subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
The white-breasted parakeet or white-necked parakeet is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in southern Ecuador and possibly in adjacent northern Peru.
The blaze-winged parakeet, known as the blaze-winged conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and possibly Argentina.
The blood-eared parakeet, also known as the red-eared parakeet and in aviculture as the red-eared conure, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The maroon-tailed parakeet is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The crimson-bellied parakeet, known as the crimson-bellied conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Bolivia and Brazil.
The painted parakeet, known as the painted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, and Venezuela.
The Santa Marta parakeet is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Colombia.
The grey-breasted parakeet is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Ceará in northeastern Brazil.
The white-eared parakeet or maroon-faced parakeet is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Brazil.
Pfrimer's parakeet is a non-migratory species within the parrot family Psittacidae. It also is known as Pfrimer's conure, Goias parakeet, and maroon-faced conure. The Pfrimer's parakeet has been qualified as endangered by the IUCN and BirdLife International since 2007. It is endemic to the Goiás and Tocantins regions of Brazil. It is mainly found within a belt of dry deciduous and semi-deciduous areas of the Caatinga forest.
The rose-fronted parakeet, known as the rose-fronted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in the subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
The Venezuelan parakeet or Emma's conure is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Venezuela.
The Tumbes–Piura dry forests (NT0232) is an arid tropical ecoregion along the Pacific coasts of southern Ecuador and northern Peru. The ecoregion contains many endemic species of flora and birds adapted to the short wet season followed by a long dry season. Threats include extraction of wood for fuel or furniture, and capture of wild birds for sale.
