Painted Parakeet

The painted parakeet (''Pyrrhura picta''), more commonly known as the painted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae, the true parrots. Its taxonomy is highly complex, and has undergone significant changes in recent years. As here defined, it is restricted to forests in northern South America (north of the Amazon River) and Panama. Some of the taxa here included in the painted parakeet are highly endangered.

Taxonomy and distribution

Traditionally, the painted parakeet included the Santarém parakeet (''P. amazonum''), Bonaparte's parakeet (''P. lucianii'') and rose-fronted parakeet (''P. roseifrons'') as subspecies. Following a review in 2002, it was recommended treating these as separate species.Joseph, L. (2002). ''Geographic variation, taxonomy and distribution of some Amazonian Pyrrhura parakeets.'' Ornitologia Neotropical 13(4): 337-363. In 2006, a study based on mtDNA confirmed that the "traditional" painted parakeet was polyphyletic, as ''P. p. picta'' was closer to the taxon ''emma'' (traditionally considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet, ''P. leucotis'') than it was to ''amazonum'' and ''roseifrons''.Ribas, C. C., L. Joseph, & C. Y. Miyaki (2006). ''Molecular systematics and patterns of diversification in Pyrrhura (Psittacidae), with special reference to the picta-leucotis complex.'' Auk 123(3): 660-680. The taxon ''lucianii'' was not sampled, but based on plumage and biogeography it likely falls between ''P. amazonum'' and ''P. roseifrons''. In 2002 it had also been recommended treating the Azuero parakeet (''P. eisenmanni''), Sinú parakeet (''P. subandina'') and Todd's/Perijá parakeet (''P. caeruleiceps'') as separate species.Joseph, L., & D. R. B. Stockwell (2002). ''Climatic modeling of the distribution of some Pyrrhura parakeets of northwestern South America with notes on their systematics and special reference to Pyrrhura caniceps Tood, 1947.'' Ornitologia Neotropical 13(4): 1-8. Of these, only ''eisenmanni'' was sampled in 2006, where it, although with low bootstrap support, was found to be relatively close to ''P. p. picta'', and arguably should be retained as a subspecies of the painted parakeet. Based on plumage and biogeography, ''caeruleiceps'' and ''subandina'' are likely also part of this group. Consequently, the South American Classification Committee voted for treating these as subspecies of the painted parakeet.SACC (2007).
Redefine species limits in Pyrrhura picta and leucotis complexes.
'' Accessed 2008-10-27. The IOC has also split the Venezuelan parakeet from this species, but other authorities, including the American Ornithological Society have not followed. Following this treatment, the painted parakeet includes the following subspecies:

* ''P. p. picta'' (nominate): North-eastern Brazil (north of the Amazon River and east of the lower Rio Negro/ Rio Branco, though crossing west of the latter in northern Roraima), the Guianas and south-eastern Venezuela.
* ''P. p. caeruleiceps'' (Todd's or Perijá parakeet): Perijá Mountains in Colombia and Venezuela, and the eastern slope of Magdalena Valley (= western slope of Cordillera Oriental) in Colombia.
* ''P. p. subandina'' (Sinú parakeet): Sinú Valley in Córdoba, Colombia.
* ''P. p. eisenmanni'' (Azuero parakeet): Azuero Peninsula, Panama.

Nevertheless, the possibility that some of the above are separate biological species cannot be discounted at present. It has been suggested that ''auricularis'' should be considered a synonym of ''emma'',Joseph, L. (2000). ''Beginning an end to 63 years of uncertainty: the Neotropical parakeets known as Pyrrhura picta and P. leucotis comprise more than two species.'' Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien. Phil. 150: 279-292. but a recent review has suggested that ''auricularis'' is valid,Restall, R., C. Rodner, & M. Lentino (2006). ''Birds of Northern South America.'' Christopher Helm, London. (vol. 1), (vol. 2). and consequently it has tentatively been included here. Another taxon, ''pantchenkoi'', has often been considered a valid subspecies or rarely even a separate species,Rodríguez-Mahecha, J. V., & J. I. Hernández-Camacho (2002). ''Loros de Colombia.'' Conservation International, Colombia. but recent opinion is that it is a synonym of ''caeruleiceps''.Salaman, P., T. Donegan, & D. Caro (2009).
Checklist to the Birds of Colombia 2009
''. Conservación Colombiana 8.

Description

The painted parakeet has a total length of approximately .Juniper, T., & M. Parr (1998). ''A Guide to the Parrots of the World.'' Pica Press, East Sussex. As other members of the genus ''Pyrrhura'', it has a relatively long pointed tail and a mainly green plumage. The rump, central belly and tip to the tail are maroon-red, and the primary-coverts and outer webs of the primaries are blue. Except for ''subandina'' and some ''eisenmanni'', adults of all subspecies have red to the leading edge of the wing, but this is often difficult to see (especially when perched). The feathers on the chest are dark with broad whitish-grey tips, resulting in a distinctly scaled effect. Depending on subspecies, the face and cheeks are dusky-maroon to maroon-red (sometimes with a bit of blue on the lowermost part), except in ''subandina'' where the cheeks are bluish-green. The ear-coverts are whitish to yellowish-buff. They have blue to the forecrown and nape, although the extent of this varies and blue to the foreground is typically barely visible in ''eisenmanni''. The iris is generally reported and shown as being brown or dark, but at least ''eisenmanni'' and ''caeruleiceps'' can have light cream irides.Wilson, V. (2010).
Azuero Parakeet in Rio Playita, Veraguas.
' Xenornis.com. Accessed 2010-06-26. ''Primeras fotos publicadas de dos aves raras.''
ProAves Colombia. Accessed 2008-10-27.

Status

Overall, this species remains widespread and relatively common, and consequently it is considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN. The situation for the taxa in north-western South America (''caeruleiceps'' and ''subandina'') and Panama (''eisenmanni'') is more problematic, as all have restricted distributions within regions with extensive habitat destruction, and are also threatened by capture for the parrot trade. The taxon ''eisenmanni'' is believed to have a population of a less than 2000 individuals,''Pyrrhura picta''
Lexicon of Parrots, online version. Arndt-Verlag. Accessed 2008-11-03. but it remains locally relatively common, and a part of its range is within protected areas.
Xenornis. Accessed 2008-10-27. Living individuals of the taxon ''caeruleiceps'' were only photographed for the first time in 2007, and the only relatively well-known population (in Norte de Santander) has been estimated to consist of at least 55 individuals.Tovar-Martínez, A. E. (2010).
Redescubrimiento y notas sobre la ecología y vocalizaciones del Periquito de Todd (Pyrrhura pica caeruleiceps) en el Nororiente de Colombia.
' Ornitología Colombiana 9: 48-55. Little is known about the status of ''caeruleiceps'' elsewhere, but in 2011 two previously unknown populations, likely numbering less than 120 individuals in total, were discovered in the Cesar Department.SELVA (2011).
Biogeography of Pyrrhura: Phase II.
' Accessed 20 December 2011. Despite surveys specifically aimed at finding the taxon ''subandina'', ''Áreas de estudio e investigaciones, 2005.''
ProAves Colombia. Accessed 2008-10-27. there are no recent records and it is possibly extinct.

References

External links

Photo of ''P. p. picta''.
Pascal Dubois.

Photo of ''P. p. eisenmanni''.
Jose García.

Photo of ''P. p. auricularis''.
Jonas Rosquist.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1270389

painted parakeet
Birds of Panama
Birds of Colombia
Birds of Venezuela
Birds of the Guianas
painted parakeet
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot