Red-faced Parrot
Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops
Rare and threatened parrot found only in high Andean forest in southern Ecuador and adjacent parts of northern Peru. Small compared to most other parrots. Red face is bordered with patches of blue and yellow. Wings are green and blue with red on the shoulder. Usually encountered in pairs or small flocks that fly over the forest and then disappear into the canopy, where they can be very hard to pick out as they forage for fruit behind the foliage.
Taxonomy
The parrot is monotypic. Historically, it was treated as a subspecies of the rusty-faced parrot (Hapalopsittaca amazonia). However, a 1989 study by Graves & Uribe Restrepo found substantial evidence to regard it as a full species.
- Scientific name
- Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops
- Authority
- (Salvin, 1876)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Genus
- Hapalopsittaca
Range and habitat
Currently, the red-faced parrot has only been found in Ecuador and Peru, mostly between the eastern Andes mountain range of southern Ecuador and the northwest region of Peru. More specifically, they inhabit mild forests of the provinces of Azuay, Loja and Morona-Santiago and the Piura department in Peru. They are also found in Selva Alegre which has the largest population of red-faced parrots. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. They have been noted to reside in shrubby growth next to páramo. This parrot is known to have vocalizations to find other flocks of birds in their area.
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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