Parrotlet

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Parrotlet
Forpus coelestis - male pet.jpg
A pet male Pacific parrotlet (Forpus coelestis)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Subfamily: Arinae
Tribe: Arini
Groups included

Parrotlets are a group of the smallest New World parrot species, comprising several genera, namely Forpus , Nannopsittaca , and Touit . They have stocky builds and short tails and are endemic to Middle and South America. [1] They resemble the lovebirds of Africa in size, body shape and behaviour and have sometimes been referred to as "South American lovebirds", but are not closely related. [2]

Contents

In the wild, parrotlets travel in flocks ranging in size from about four to over a hundred birds. Most species travel in flocks of about five to forty. They form lifelong, tight pair bonds with their chosen mates.[ citation needed ]

Behavior

If left alone for too long, a single parrotlet can lose some of its companionability.[ citation needed ] The Pacific parrotlet, in particular, does not understand that it is a tiny bird, and has little trouble challenging other animals and humans. [3] Parrotlets in general are feisty, affectionate, and willful. Parrotlets should be housed separately due to their aggressive nature.[ citation needed ] Even bonded pairs have been known to kill or injure a mate.[ citation needed ] For this reason, most parrotlet species should not be kept in aviaries[ citation needed ] and it is best to keep them separate from other species.[ citation needed ]

Parrotlet species

The following species within three genera are considered to be parrotlets:

Forpus

Touit

The Touit parrotlets are a genus of parrotlets found in the Venezuela-Guyana area, the northern Andes, and Bahia. Only three of the seven species have ever been brought into aviculture, none successfully.

Nannopsittaca

There are only two species in the genus Nannopsittaca .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovebird</span> Genus of birds

Lovebird is the common name for the genus Agapornis, a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native to the African island of Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conure</span> Group of small to medium-sized parrots

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-rumped parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The green-rumped parrotlet, also known as the green-rumped parakeet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae that is found in northeastern South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The green-rumped parrotlet occurs from northern Venezuela eastwards to the lower Amazon in Brazil, Also Suriname and has been introduced to Curaçao, Jamaica and Barbados. It prefers semi-open lowland areas and is also sometimes present in city parks. There are five subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manu parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The Manu parrotlet or Amazonian parrotlet is a species of parrotlet native to the western Amazon basin, from southern Peru to northwest Bolivia. It is found in lowland forests near bamboo and rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-fronted parrotlet</span> Species of bird

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobalt-rumped parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The cobalt-rumped parrotlet or blue-winged parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-backed parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The brown-backed parrotlet also known as the black-backed parrotlet, the black-eared parrotlet, and Wied's parrotlet, is a small green parrot found in south-eastern Brazil from Bahia to southern São Paulo. It has a dark brown mantle and back, brown ear coverts, and red outer tail with back tips. They frequent humid forest from 500–1,000 m (1,600–3,300 ft), and are mostly found in small flocks of 3–20 birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The Pacific parrotlet, also known as Lesson's parrotlet, or the celestial parrotlet, is a species of small parrot in the family Psittacidae.

<i>Forpus</i> Genus of birds

Forpus is a genus of neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae. It is the only genus in the Forpini tribe of the subfamily Arinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectacled parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The spectacled parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The Mexican parrotlet, also known as the turquoise-rumped parrotlet or the Mexican blue-rumped parrotlet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusky-billed parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The dusky-billed parrotlet, also known as Sclater's parrotlet, is a small species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is the nominate species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-faced parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The yellow-faced parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilac-tailed parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The lilac-tailed parrotlet is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet-shouldered parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The scarlet-shouldered parrotlet, also known as the red-winged parrotlet or Huet's parrotlet, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela, possibly in Suriname, and as a vagrant to Trinidad and Tobago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sapphire-rumped parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The sapphire-rumped parrotlet 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, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spot-winged parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The spot-winged parrotlet is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-tailed parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The golden-tailed parrotlet is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to eastern Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turquoise-winged parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The turquoise-winged parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Pscittacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riparian parrotlet</span> Species of bird

The riparian parrotlet or large-billed parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

References

  1. Forshaw, Joseph (2006). Parrots of the World . Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p.  123. ISBN   0-691-09251-6.
  2. Grindol, Diane (20 February 2014). "Lovebird or Parrotlet?". Lafeber. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. "They May be Small, but Parrotlets Have a Big Bird Personality".