Yellow-faced parrot

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The yellow-fronted parrot (Poicephalus flavifrons) from Africa is occasionally called "yellow-faced parrot".

Yellow-faced parrot
Papagaio-galego.jpg
Adult
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Alipiopsitta
Caparroz & Pacheco, 2006
Species:
A. xanthops
Binomial name
Alipiopsitta xanthops
(Spix, 1824)
Alipiopsitta xanthops map.svg
Synonyms

Amazona xanthops
Salvatoria xanthops

The yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops), formerly also known as the yellow-faced amazon, is the only species of the genus Alipiopsitta. It is a Neotropical parrot (tribe Arini), and was classified in the genus Amazona for many years. It is a predominantly green and yellow-plumaged bird with a yellow head. It is a semi-nomadic species found in the cerrado region of Brazil and adjacent Bolivia. [1] As the yellow-faced parrot has disappeared from parts of its former range due to habitat destruction and generally occurs in low densities, it was considered vulnerable by the IUCN, but it remains locally fairly common, occurs in several protected areas and can survive in fragmented habitats, leading to its downlisting to near-threatened. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

The German naturalist Johann Baptist von Spix first described the species in 1824 as Psittacus xanthops. Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek xanthos "yellow", and ops "face". [2] For many years, it was placed within the genus Amazona , although Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro proposed the new genus Salvatoria in 1920 due to differences in the bill and plumage. A 1995 study showed its distinctness genetically, [3] followed up by more data which showed it to be much more closely related to the short-tailed parrot (Graydidascalus brachyurus) and to the members of the genus Pionus . [4] Following this discovery, it was briefly placed in the genus Salvatoria again, until this name was found to be pre-occupied by a group of polychaete worms from the superfamily Nereidoidea, thus leading to the transferral of the yellow-faced parrot to the new genus Alipiopsitta. [5]

Description

Measuring about 27 cm (11 in) in length, the yellow-faced parrot has a stocky body and short tail. [6] It is a predominantly green and yellow-plumaged bird that in adults has a yellow crown, lores, cheeks and auriculars. The rest of the head, upperparts and chest are green with some yellowish-green scalloping. The sides of the belly are often mottled orange and yellow, and the belly is often yellow. However, there are significant variations in the amount of yellow to the underparts, and some show virtually none. [7] The wings are predominantly green, occasionally with some yellow spots. [7] There is blue edging on the primary coverts. The central feathers of the short tail are green, while the lateral ones are more yellow-green and have orange-red bases. The bill is yellowish-horn with a dark culmen, the cere is pinkish, and the iris is yellow. [7] The legs are light grey. There is no sexual dimorphism; the male and female are alike in plumage and size. [8] Immatures have less yellow to the head. [6]

Distribution and habitat

The majority of its range is in central and eastern Brazil, where found from Maranhão and Piauí to São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. [1] It inhabits the cerrado on the plateau of Brazil, [8] as well as the dryer Caatinga scrubland. There are two records from Beni in northeastern Bolivia. [1] Despite occasionally being listed for Paraguay, evidence supporting its presence in this country is lacking. [1] Within its range it appears to be semi-nomadic. Much of its habitat is being converted to agricultural land and the populations are declining. [1]

Behaviour

The yellow-faced parrot forages for and eats the fruit and seeds of trees including Anacardium species, Salacia crassifolia and Astronium fraxinifolium . Flocks have also been recorded raiding crops of mango and unripe guava trees. [1] Termites are another diet item. [9]

Until recently, comparatively little was known of its habits. It has been studied in Emas National Park in Brazil. Its breeding season there is May to October. Nests are hollows in termite mounds. The eggs are incubated for 19–22 days, while the young take up to 45 days to leave the nest. [9]

Like most species of parrots, the yellow-faced parrot is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its placement on the Appendix II list. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

Amazon parrots are parrots in the genus Amazona. They are medium-sized, short-tailed parrots native to the Americas, with their range extending from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. Amazona is one of the 92 genera of parrots that make up the order Psittaciformes and is in the family Psittacidae, one of three families of true parrots. It contains about thirty species. Most amazons are predominantly green, with accenting colors that depend on the species, and they can be quite vivid. They feed primarily on seeds, nuts, and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.

<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">Lilac-crowned amazon</span> Species of bird

The lilac-crowned amazon, also known as lilac-crowned parrot, Finsch's parrot or Finsch's amazon, is a parrot endemic to the Pacific slopes of Mexico. Also known as Finsch's amazon, it is characterised by green plumage, a maroon forehead, and a violet-blue crown and neck.

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

The short-tailed parrot 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, and Peru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neotropical parrot</span> Subfamily of birds

The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and (formerly) the southern United States. Among them are some of the most familiar and iconic parrots, including the blue and gold macaw, sun conure, and yellow-headed amazon.

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

The golden parakeet or golden conure, or the Queen of Bavaria conure is a medium-sized golden-yellow Neotropical parrot native to the Amazon Basin of interior northern Brazil. It is the only species placed in the genus Guaruba.

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

The blue-cheeked amazon, also known as blue-cheeked parrot or Dufresne's amazon, is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, the Guianas, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulturine parrot</span> Species of bird

The vulturine parrot is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Brazil.

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

The yellow-crowned amazon or yellow-crowned parrot is a species of parrot native to tropical South America, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. The taxonomy is highly complex and the yellow-headed and yellow-naped amazon are sometimes considered subspecies of the yellow-crowned amazon. Except in the taxonomic section, the following deals only with the nominate group .They are found in the Amazon basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jandaya parakeet</span> Species of bird

The jandaya parakeet or jenday conure is a small Neotropical parrot with green wings and tail, reddish-orange body, yellow head and neck, orange cheeks, and black bill, native to wooded habitats in northeastern Brazil. It is a member of the Aratinga solstitialis complex of parakeets very closely related to, and possibly subspecies of the sun parakeet.

<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">Red-tailed amazon</span> Species of bird

The red-tailed amazon, also known as the red-tailed parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to coastal regions in the south-east Brazilian states of São Paulo and Paraná. The bird has been threatened by habitat loss and capture for the wild bird trade, and is a symbol of the efforts to conserve one of the Earth's most biologically diverse ecosystems. Consequently, it is considered Near Threatened by BirdLife International and the IUCN. In 1991–92, the population had fallen below 2000 individuals. Following on-going conservation efforts, a count and estimate from 2015 suggests a population of 9,000–10,000, indicating that this species is recovering from earlier persecution. A recent study shows that the population of this species is stable at Paraná state, Southern Brazil, revealing population trend fluctuation during the last 12 years.

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

The yellow-billed amazon, also called the yellow-billed parrot or Jamaican amazon, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is a predominantly green parrot with a short tail and pink throat and neck. It is endemic to Jamaica, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and illegal trapping of wild birds for the pet trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawall's amazon</span> Species of bird

Kawall's amazon, also known as the white-faced amazon, white-cheeked amazon or Kawall's parrot, is a relatively large species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the south-central Amazon. After not having been recorded in the wild for around 70 years, the species was rediscovered in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-browed amazon</span> Species of bird

The red-browed amazon is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil. It has been considered a subspecies of the blue-cheeked amazon, but today all major authorities consider them separate species. It is threatened both by habitat loss and by being captured for the trade in wild parrots.

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

The golden-capped parakeet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae found in Brazil and Paraguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, dry savanna, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss. The A. auricapillus is a good biological indicator because of its vulnerability, high detectability as well as its sensitivity to forest fragmentation.

<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">Saffron-headed parrot</span> Species of bird

The saffron-headed parrot 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, Panama, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santarem parakeet</span> Species of bird

The Santarém parakeet, also known as Hellmayr's parakeet or in aviculture as Hellmayr's conure or the Santarém conure, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found in the eastern and central sections of the Amazon basin south of the Amazon River, only just extending onto the northern bank of this river.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 BirdLife International (2016). "Alipiopsitta xanthops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22686311A93106694. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22686311A93106694.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Liddell, Henry George; Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-910207-4.
  3. ↑ Duarte JMB and Caparroz R (1995) Cytotaxonomic analysis of Brazilian species of the genus Amazona (Psittacidae, Aves) and confirmation of the genus Alipiopsitta (Caparroz and Pacheco). Braz J Genet 18:623-628.
  4. ↑ Russello, M.A. & Amato, G (2004) A molecular phylogeny of Amazona: implications for Neotropical parrot biogeography, taxonomy, and conservation. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 30: 421-437.
  5. ↑ Caparroz, R., & Pacheco, J.F. (2006). A homonymy in Psittacidae: new name for Salvatoria Miranda-Ribeiro. Rev. Brasileira de Ornitologia 14: 174–175.
  6. 1 2 BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Alipiopsitta xanthops. Accessed 6 December 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 van Perlo, B. (2009). A Field Guide to the Birds of Brazil. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-530154-0
  8. 1 2 Forshaw, Joseph M.; Cooper, William T. (1978) [1973]. Parrots of the World (2nd ed.). Melbourne Australia: Landsdowne Editions. pp. 553–54. ISBN   0-7018-0690-7.
  9. 1 2 Bianchi, Carlos A. (2009). "Notes on the Ecology of the Yellow-faced Parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops) in central Brazil". Ornitologia Neotropical. 20 (4): 479–89.
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