The dusky-billed parrotlet (''Forpus modestus''), also known as Sclater's parrotlet, is a small species of

parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...

in the family

Psittacidae The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Old World or Afrotropical parrots) and 157 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or Neotropi ...

. It is the nominate species (''F. m. modestus''). There is one subspecies: ''Forpus modestus sclateri''.

Subspecies

Distribution and habitat

The dusky-billed parrotlet is found in the Amazon Rainforest in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, where it is locally fairly common; it also occurs in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

and the Amazonian foothills, the Amazon River outlet, and Marajo Island. Dusky-billed parrotlets prefer

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of p ...

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equa ...

edges and clearings,

riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks a ...

s, secondary habitats, and

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

. They seem to favor seasonally-flooding forests. They are not found at altitudes higher than above sea level.

Conservation

According to the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

, dusky-billed parrotlets are a species of

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

. Their population size is unknown, but is believed to be stable.

Threats

Unlike many members of the genus ''Forpus'', they are not captured for the

parrot trade The international trade in parrots is a lucrative enterprise, and forms an important part of the international wildlife trade. As parrots have become increasingly endangered, many countries have placed restrictions on the trade and/or prohibited t ...

, and they are relatively unaffected by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

. There are many protected areas throughout their range.

Behavior

Social

Dusky-billed parrotlets are usually found in flocks of up to 100 birds outside of their breeding season; otherwise, they are seen mostly in pairs. They are very

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

, and conspicuous in their habitat. Calls are high-pitched notes or soft wheezing sounds, made while in flight or perched.

Reproduction

Dusky-billed parrotlets typically breed during July. Clutch size is unknown, but eggs are small, white, and roughly spherical. They nest in tree cavities or similar structures.

Diet

Dusky-billed parrotlets' diet consists of approximately 10% seeds, buds, and blossoms and 90% berries and fruits,. Grass is occasionally eaten as well. Dusky-billed parrotlets have also been observed to eat clay as a primary source of minerals.

Taxonomy

The dusky-billed parrotlet was previously described by the name ''Forpus sclateri'' by

Jean Cabanis Jean Louis Cabanis (8 March 1816 – 20 February 1906) was a German ornithologist. Cabanis was born in Berlin to an old Huguenot family who had moved from France. Little is known of his early life. He studied at the University of Berlin from 1 ...

in 1849 but later reassigned to the genus ''

Psittacula Members of the parrot genus ''Psittacula'' or Afro-Asian ring-necked parrots they are commonly known in aviculture originate from Africa to South-East Asia. It is a widespread group with a clear concentration of species in south Asia, but also ...

'' as ''Psittacula modesta'' by

George Robert Gray George Robert Gray FRS (8 July 1808 – 6 May 1872) was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum, now the Natural History Museum, in London for forty-one years. He was the younger brother ...

in 1859. However, because the name ''modesta'' was assigned to at least two closely related birds of the genus ''Psittacula,'' the dusky-billed parrotlet was reverted to ''F. sclateri''. As of 2006, the binomial name for the dusky-billed parrotlet is ''Forpus modestus'', with ''F. m. sclateri'' as a subspecies. It has been suggested that the dusky-billed parrotlet is basal to all other species of the genus ''Forpus'' based on diversification and speciation rates and patterns.

Aviculture

The dusky-billed parrotlet is not commonly available in

aviculture Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds, especially of wild birds in captivity. Types There are various reasons that people get involved in aviculture. Some people breed birds to preserve a species. Some people breed parrots ...

. It is not commercially available in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and is very uncommon in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

References

External links

World Parrot Trust
Parrot Encyclopedia: species profile
Neotropical Birds
by Cornell Lab of Ornithology: species profile
eBird
by Cornell Lab of Ornithology: species profile {{Taxonbar, from=Q531132 dusky-billed parrotlet Birds of the Amazon Basin Birds of the Colombian Amazon Birds of the Ecuadorian Amazon Birds of the Peruvian Amazon Birds of Bolivia Birds of Venezuela Birds of the Guianas dusky-billed parrotlet Birds of Brazil Taxonomy articles created by Polbot