Red-breasted Parakeet
Psittacula alexandri
Swarthily mustachioed parakeet of lowland forests and forest edges; found in gardens and parks in its introduced range. Both sexes are bright green with salmon-colored chests, gray-blue heads, and a black mustache. Males have a bright red upper bill, while females’ bills are wholly black. Usually seen flying over speedily, giving high-pitched, grating shrieks.
Taxonomy
The red-breasted parakeet was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus Psittacus and coined the binomial name Psittacus alexandri. The type locality is the island of Java. The red-breasted parakeet is now placed in the genus Psittacula that was introduced in 1800 by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. The genus name is a diminutive of the Latin word psittacus for a "parrot". The specific epithet alexandri is from Alexander the Great whose soldiers introduced parakeets to Greece.<p>Eight subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Psittacula alexandri
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Psittacula
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-throated Wattle-eye
Platysteira peltata
Small black-and-white bird with a patch of bright red bare skin above the eye. Females have a black hood, and males a white throat and black breast band. Found in forest, thick woodland, and mangroves. Generally local and uncommon. The unmusical song is usually given as a duet: a mix of low-pitched rasping notes and higher bleating notes. Similar to Brown-throated Wattle-eye but never shows white in the wing, and the female has a black rather than brown throat. Separated from batises by the red wattle and lack of white in the wing.
Chapman's Swift
Chaetura chapmani
Small swift of rainforest regions; fairly common but often overlooked. Difficult to distinguish from other small swifts. Overall dark blackish-brown, with barely paler throat and brownish rump. Chapman’s appears stockier and broader-winged than other species and lacks any gray or white on rump; has more obvious tail than Short-tailed Swift. Flight is quick with fluttery wingbeats, much like other Chaetura swifts. Calls are choppier and lower-pitched than those of other small swifts. Forages for insects over canopy of mature forest and second growth, and along rivers, often with other small swifts. Wide range over much of Amazonia.
Red-eared Parakeet
Pyrrhura hoematotis
Green parakeet with a long red tail, blue wings, and red ear patch. Mostly seen in large flocks flying, eating fruits, or perching quietly in trees. Common in cloud forest and forest edges within its limited range. Voice similar to related species. Similar in flight to Painted Parakeet, but differs in having smaller red belly patch with green chest and head; distinguished from Rose-headed Parakeet by lack of red crown and lack of white patch in wings. Endemic to Venezuela in the Coastal Cordillera and a small area at the north end of the Andes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.