Maroon-bellied Parrot
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Psittaciformes
Superfamily:
Psittacoidea
Family:
Psittacidae
Subfamily:
Arinae
Tribe:
Arini
Genus:
Pyrrhura
Species:
P. frontalis
Binomial name:
Pyrrhura frontalis
The Maroon-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis) is
a small parrot found
from southeastern Brazil to north-eastern Argentina,
including eastern Paraguay and Uruguay. It is
also known as the Reddish-bellied Parakeet, and in aviculture it
is usually referred to as the Maroon-bellied Conure, Reddish-bellied
Conure orBrown-eared Conure.
It has been suggested that the Reddish-bellied Parakeet
should include the Blaze-winged Parakeet (P. devillei) as a
subspecies based on intermediate specimens from Paraguay. But such hybrids are
not common in the wild and the two populations generally maintain their
integrity; recent sources are undecided on whether to treat them as one species
or two.
Description
These birds range from 25 to 28 cm (10–11 in), and
are primarily green, with a maroon patch on the belly, a "scaly"
yellow-green-barred breast and sides of neck, a whitish ear-patch often tinged
brown, and a maroon undertail. The specific name frontalis is a
reference to its dark maroon frontlet - a feature which separates it from most
similar species. The primaries are blue on the outer webs, green on
the inner webs, and dark on the tips. The beak is black.
There are two subspecies,
with extensive intergradation where their ranges contact:
Maroon-bellied Parakeet proper, Pyrrhura frontalis
frontalis – Brazil from south Bahia to Rio
Grande do Sul, and west to Mato Grosso do Sul.
Uppertail greenish-yellow grading into a broad reddish tip.
Azara's Conure, Pyrrhura frontalis chiripepe –
Eastern Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and far
southern Brazil.
Uppertail entirely greenish-yellow.
Another subspecies, kriegi, was described from Bahia in
1932, but today it is universally considered a junior
synonym of the nominate subspecies. Distinguished by a narrow
brownish-red tip to the tail, it consititutes just a morph or
an intermediate genotype making up just 20% of the specimens even in the supposed range. The
name Krieg's Conure is occasionally used in aviculture for such
birds, and some breed them exclusively; they are of course perfectly
interfertile with individuals of the normal morph however.
Ecology
The Maroon-bellied Parakeet is common in woodland, and forest
edges. In the northern part of its range, it mainly lives in highlands up to
1,400 m (4,600 ft), but elsewhere it is primarily found in lowlands up to
1,000 m (3,300 ft). Tolerates disturbance well and even lives in urban
parks (e.g., Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo)
and feeds in gardens. Flock size is usually only 6-12
individuals, but up to 40. As other members of the genus Pyrrhura, it
primarily feeds on fruits, flowers, and similar plant matter; they rarely
participate in mixed-species feeding flock.
It is generally common and not considered threatened by the IUCN. Though there
is little trade in these parrots, captive-bred birds are occasionally available
as pets. Maroon-bellied
Parakeets can learn to talk, although not clearly. They are among the quietest conures, but their
shrill voices still irritate some people.
