Short-tailed Parrot
Graydidascalus brachyurus
Medium-sized, uniformly bright green parrot with a short tail. Note the indistinct black eye-line, the dusky bill, and the darker green flight feathers; other parrots have more colorful plumage and longer tails. Inhabits seasonally flooded forest along large rivers, occasionally venturing into adjacent urban areas.
Identification
The short-tailed parrot is 24 to 25 cm (9.4 to 9.8 in) long and weighs 188 to 233 g (6.6 to 8.2 oz). It has a large head and, as suggested by its name, a very short tail. Adults are almost entirely green that is yellowish on their underparts and their uppertail coverts. Their lores are dark which continues behind the eye. Their primaries are a darker green and their wing coverts have yellow edges. Their shoulder is a reddish brown that is seldom visible except in flight. Their outer tail feathers have red bands at their base. Their bill ranges from light green to dark gray and their iris is orange-red. Immature birds are the same as adults except they have no red on their tail.
Taxonomy
The short-tailed parrot is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies. Its closest relatives are the yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops) and the members of the genus Pionus.
- Scientific name
- Graydidascalus brachyurus
- Authority
- (Temminck & Kuhl, 1820)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Graydidascalus
Range and habitat
The short-tailed parrot is found along the Amazon River and its tributaries from southern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru to the Atlantic. Its range also extends north along the coast of Brazil into northeastern French Guiana. Along the rivers it inhabits várzea, swampy floodplains, and islands; on the coast it inhabits mangroves. It also locally ranges into cultivated areas. In elevation it ranges from sea level to about 400 m (1,300 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The short-tailed parrot is thought to make some movements, perhaps in response to the timing of seasonal flooding.<p>The short-tailed parrot feeds on fruits, especially those of figs (Ficus), and on those of cultivated guava (Psidium guajava) and mango (Mangifera indica). It also feeds on seeds, nuts, berries, and the catkins of Cecropia.<p>The short-tailed parrot's breeding season appears to include September but nothing else is known about its breeding biology.<p>The short-tailed parrot is rather noisy. Its flight call is "a rather high-pitched rolling “kree-ki-ki”." It makes a variety of loud, harsh, "conversational" calls when perched.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Nemosia pileata
Small tanager found in semiopen woodlands, savannas, and pastures with scattered trees often in association with mixed-species flocks. In males note the yellow eyes contrasting with its black hood and white forehead. Otherwise mostly gray above and white below. Females lack the black cap and have a bicolored bill, which is all black in males, and generally look duller overall.
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschata
Large, hefty duck that has wild and domestic types. Wild birds are dark blackish overall with iridescent green and bronze, especially on the wings. Look for bold white wing patches in flight and red warts on the face (more extensive on males). Tends to be shy and most often seen in flight over extensive wetlands or along large rivers. Occurs extensively throughout Middle and South America, but typically scarce. Very restricted range in the U.S., only known from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Domestic birds, on the other hand, are regularly found walking around in parks and farms, looking for scraps of food and chasing native waterfowl. Plumage varies from all white to all black, typically with more extensive red warts on the face than wild birds. There is a well-established feral population in Florida, with smaller domestic populations spread across the globe.
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle
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Large raptor with broad wings and short tail. Fairly common and widespread in South America, from high elevations in the Andes of Colombia to the lowlands in Tierra del Fuego. Adults have a dark gray head and breast contrasting with a white belly. Wings are silvery-gray from above; from below, the coverts are white contrasting with dark flight feathers. Note the shape in flight with bulging secondaries, tapered wingtips, and a very short tail. Young birds are brown and streaky, tricky to distinguish from Variable Hawk. Look for bulkier shape and shorter, more graduated tail.
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