Sulphur-winged Parakeet
Pyrrhura hoffmanni
Medium-sized parakeet with long pointed tail. Most distinctive in flight, when the wings look mostly bright yellow. When perched, look for the isolated red cheek patch, which is unlike any other parakeet in range. Sexes similar. Found in small flocks, usually in forested areas or edges. Calls are high-pitched and squeaky.
Identification
The sulphur-winged parakeet is about 23 to 24 cm (9.1 to 9.4 in) long and weighs an average of 82 g (2.9 oz). The sexes are the same. Adults of the nominate subspecies are mostly green. Their head, nape, and throat have some yellow inclusions; bare white skin surrounds their eye and their ear coverts are bright terracotta. Their breast has a dull orange wash. Their wing is mostly green with yellow primary coverts, inner primaries, and outer secondaries; the outer primaries are blue. Their tail's upperside is rufous olive with green fringes on the feathers; its underside is reddish brown. Immature birds have duller scaling, less orange on their breast, and much less yellow on their wings. Subspecies P. h. gaudens has some orange-red markings on its head and its underparts are slightly darker than those of the nominate.
Taxonomy
The sulphur-winged parakeet has two subspecies, the nominate P. h. hoffmanni (Cabanis, 1861) and P. h. gaudens (Bangs, 1906).<p>It is named for the German naturalist Karl Hoffmann.
- Scientific name
- Pyrrhura hoffmanni
- Authority
- (Cabanis, 1861)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Pyrrhura
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the sulphur-winged parakeet is found in the Cordillera de Talamanca and the Dota region of southern Costa Rica. P. h. gaudens is found in western Panama as far east as Veraguas Province. The species inhabits primary and logged montane forest and adjacent shrubby areas and secondary forest. In elevation it ranges from 700 to 3,000 m (2,300 to 9,800 ft) but usually occurs above 1,600 m (5,200 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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