The grey-cheeked parakeet (''Brotogeris pyrrhoptera''), less commonly known as fire-winged parakeet, is a 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 Psittacoid ...

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 Neotropic ...

Taxonomy

The grey-cheeked parakeet was described and named by John Latham in 1801.

Description

It is mostly green in color, with characteristic gray cheeks and a gray-blue crown. The underside of the wings bears a bright-orange swath between the lesser coverts and the mantle, earning them the name "orange-flanked parakeet", and the primary flight feathers are normally blue or bluish-green in color. Indeed, the

specific Specific may refer to: * Specificity (disambiguation) * Specific, a cure or therapy for a specific illness Law * Specific deterrence, focussed on an individual * Specific finding, intermediate verdict used by a jury in determining the fina ...

name ''pyrrhoptera'', (flame wing) gives light to these attributes. The average wingspan, length, and weight are 117 mm, 20 cm, and 54 g, respectively. Their average lifespan in captivity is about 23 years. Grey-cheeked parakeets vocalize quite loudly despite their size. The sound could be described as a quick, sharp screech, and vocalizations may involve many monotone screeches in succession.

Distribution and habitat

The grey-cheeked parakeet is indigenous to northwestern Peru and western Ecuador, living in subtropical or tropical regions encompassing dry

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s, moist lowland forests,

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

, and

arable land Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...

. It has been developing a successful habitat as far north in the United States of America as far New York. Recent sightings of successful colonies in Brooklyn lead to believe they are expanding their territory well.

Breeding

Grey-cheeked parakeets do not build their nests in the canopies of trees. Rather, they prefer to build their nests in protected areas such as active termite mounds or tree hollows. Why termites tolerate their presence is unknown. Their eggs, which are about 2.0 x 1.6 cm, are laid in clutches of four to six in a nest padded with moss. The female incubates the eggs for about 25–26 days, while the male stands guard outside the nest.

Status

Grey-cheeked Parakeet (Brotogeris pyrrhoptera) captivity

The grey-cheeked parakeet now faces habitat loss, irresponsible smuggling of pet birds, and hunting due to their destruction of banana plantations. The species is now vulnerable, most populations existing in the homes of private individuals as pets. Because of this, efforts have been undertaken to save this and several other species of ''Brotogeris'' endemic to the region. It is protected by the

Bonn Convention The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...

on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

Aviculture

Even in its native home, the grey-cheeked parakeet is widely kept as a pet. With patience, these birds may be taught to mimic human sounds, albeit without the clarity of larger parrots.

References

External links

World Parrot Trust
Parrot Encyclopedia - Species Profiles

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grey-cheeked parakeet The grey-cheeked parakeet (''Brotogeris pyrrhoptera''), less commonly known as fire-winged parakeet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. Taxonomy The grey-cheeked parakeet was described and named by John Latham in 1801. Descript ...

Birds of Ecuador Birds of Peru Birds of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot