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
Black-sided Robin
Poecilodryas hypoleuca
A medium-sized, fairly small bird of lowland and foothill forest interior. Black upperparts, head and marks on the sides of the chest, underparts white up to the bill, thin white eye-brow, wedge below the eye and patch in the wing. Shy and difficult to see. Very similar to Black- chinned Robin and co-occurs in some areas, but Black-sided has black on the sides of the chest, and has a narrower white eyebrow. Heard more often than seen. Voice, a distinctive “wee-chow!”, the second note with an explosive quality.
New Caledonian Myzomela
Myzomela caledonica
Striking red, black, and whitish myzomela found throughout New Caledonia, though preferring areas with native habitat. Male has red head and chest, black back, wings, and tail, and whitish flanks. Female much plainer, mostly brown with faint reddish tinge on face. Notably smaller than other honeyeaters on New Caledonia.
Dusky Sunbird
Cinnyris fuscus
A small sunbird. The male is dark overall, with a pale lower belly and orange tufts at the shoulder that are sometimes hidden. The female is plain gray-brown with a paler lower belly. Singles and pairs prefer arid scrub and savanna, feeding on insects and nectar. The species is nomadic and can irrupt in large numbers into areas where it is normally irregular, often on the fringes of its range. The female Dusky Sunbird has paler underparts than the similar female Southern Double-collared Sunbird.
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