Blue-fronted Parrotlet
Touit dilectissimus
Small, short-tailed parrot that occurs from Venezuela to Ecuador and into eastern Panama. Green overall with a pale bluish eyering and red patches around the eye. Blue forecrown can be difficult to see but, look for red shoulder. Rarely seen perched; most often detected by voice as it flies rapidly over the forest, mostly often in pairs or small groups. With a quick flight view, note small size and short, square tail. The only member of its genus in range. Scarce and local, occurring mainly in the foothills and lower subtropics but occasionally ranging into the lowlands. Listen for bisyllabic calls with a grating quality: “chuwee, chuwee.”
Identification
The blue-fronted parrotlet is about 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 59 to 71 g (2.1 to 2.5 oz). Its body is mostly green, darker above than below. Its forehead ("front") is blue; it has a white eye ring and a red line in front of and below the eye with more blue below it. Its crown and hindneck are bronze-green. It has much red on the wing's "wrist", and its primaries are black with green outer edges. Its underwing coverts are yellow. Its central tail feathers are black and the others yellow with black tips. Males have more red on their wing than females; immatures resemble females with a less distinctive facial pattern.
Taxonomy
The blue-fronted parrotlet is monotypic. However, some authors have treated it as conspecific with red-fronted parrotlet (T. costaricensis) under that English name. The two form a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Touit dilectissimus
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1871)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Touit
Range and habitat
The blue-fronted parrotlet is found from eastern Panama south along the Pacific slope of Colombia and Ecuador as far as El Oro Province and in the Andes and Serranía del Perijá of Venezuela. It inhabits cloudforest and mature secondary forest. In the Andes it mostly ranges in elevation between 500 and 1,400 m (1,600 and 4,600 ft) but is found as low as 100 m (300 ft) and in Colombia often to 2,000 m (6,600 ft); in Venezuela it mostly occurs between 1,300 and 1,600 m (4,300 and 5,200 ft). It has been recorded as high as 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Its population is localized and spread out across its range.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Behavior
They are gregarious, often found in small groups of up to 15 individuals. They are usually overlooked due to their quiet nature while feeding and roosting in tree canopies, but can be very noisy when in flight. Blue-fronted parrotlets are seen more often at the forest edge.<p>Blue-fronted parrotlets make seasonal movements from their core range to the lowlands and high elevations.<p>Little is known about the blue-fronted parrotlet's diet. Stomach contents of specimens have included small fruits, though it is unknown whether the fruit pulp or the seeds were the target. It has been documented feeding on the seeds of fruits of the family Clusiaceae.<p>The blue-fronted parrotlet apparently breeds in May and June in Panama. Its season in Colombia includes March and June but is not well defined. The few known nests were excavated in arboreal termite nests; one in Colombia was about 7 m (23 ft) above the ground.<p>The blue-fronted parrotlet's most common calls are "a slightly nasal “chree” or bisyllabic “chu-ree”." Flocks in flight call together, "resulting in a continuous, noisy chattering." When perched it also makes "a soft churring “krr”."
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Widespread and common vulture in lowland rainforest. Head may not appear yellow unless seen at close range. Best identified by steady flight with wings held at a slight dihedral. Similar to Turkey Vulture, but has broader wings which it holds flatter and does not teeter from side to side as often. Occurs in rainforest, cities, and agricultural areas.
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Striking small wheatear. Males are black and white with some dark markings on central crown and often buff or even brighter orange underparts. Females are almost as dark as males with dark brown and warm tones. Endemic breeder to Cyprus, where it breeds in holes and crevices in a variety of habitats. During migration, found in open, scrubby habitats. Winters in open habitats with sparse vegetation. Smaller and more delicate than similar Pied Wheatear. Song is a remarkable series of high-pitched buzzing notes. Call is a dry “chek, chek.”
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