Members of the
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 ...
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''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
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, but also with representatives in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and the islands of the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
. This is the only genus of Parrot which has the majority of its species in continental Asia. Of all the extant species only ''
Psittacula calthropae'', ''
Psittacula caniceps
The Nicobar parakeet (''Psittacula caniceps''), also known as the Blyth's parakeet, is a parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', endemism, endemic to the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean. It is one of the largest parakeets, measuring 56 to 60  ...
'' and ''
Psittacula echo
The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activit ...
'' do not have a representative subspecies in any part of mainland continental Asia. The
rose-ringed parakeet
The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet (more commonly known as the Indian ringneck parrot), is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ran ...
, ''Psittacula krameri'', is one of the most widely distributed of all parrots.
The other two Asian genera, ''
Loriculus'' and ''
Psittinus
''Psittinus'' is a genus of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It was formerly considered to include a single species, the blue-rumped parrot (''Psittinus cyanurus''), but the Simeulue parrot (''P. abbotti'') was split as a distinct species by t ...
'' are represented by only two species each, which occur in the mainland part of Asia. The majority of the ''Loriculus'' species occur on islands. Moreover, since ''Loriculus'' is spread across both sides of the
Wallace Line
The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a tran ...
it can be considered more Australasian than Asian. These parrots mostly have green plumage, with adults having coloured heads. The bill is stout, and the tail is long and graduated.
Etymology
The genus name Psittacula is a diminutive of the Latin word psittacus meaning "parrot".
Taxonomy
The genus ''Psittacula'' was introduced in 1800 by the French naturalist
Georges Cuvier
Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier ...
. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
was designated in 1923 by
Gregory Mathews
Gregory Macalister Mathews Order of the British Empire, CBE FRSE FZS FLS (10 September 1876 – 27 March 1949) was an Australian-born amateur ornithologist who spent most of his later life in England.
Life
He was born in Biamble, New South Wal ...
as the
red-breasted parakeet
The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large red patch on its breast. An alternative nam ...
. The name of the genus is a diminutive of the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word ''psittacus'' for a "parrot".
The genus includes 16 species, of which three are extinct.
* †
Newton's parakeet
Newton's parakeet (''Psittacula exsul''), also known as the Rodrigues parakeet or Rodrigues ring-necked parakeet, is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the western Indian Ocean. Several of it ...
, ''Psittacula exsul'' -
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
(c.1875)
*
Echo parakeet
The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activ ...
, ''Psittacula eques''
** †
Réunion parrot
The Rodrigues parrot or Leguat's parrot (''Necropsittacus rodricanus'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It is unclear to which other species it is ...
, ''Psittacula eques eques'' -
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
mid-18th century
* †
Mascarene parrot
The Mascarene parrot or mascarin (''Mascarinus mascarinus'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. The taxonomic relationships of this species have been subject to ...
, ''Psittacula bensoni'' -
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
(c.1764) (formerly classified in genus †''
Lophopsittacus'', and still considered such by some authorities)
*
Rose-ringed parakeet
The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet (more commonly known as the Indian ringneck parrot), is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ran ...
, ''Psittacula krameri''
*
Alexandrine parakeet
The Alexandrine parakeet (''Psittacula eupatria''), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittaculidae. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Pu ...
, ''Psittacula eupatria''
* †
Seychelles parakeet
The Seychelles parakeet or Seychelles Island parrot (''Psittacula wardi'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was scientifically named ''Palaeornis wardi'' by the British ornithologist Ed ...
, ''Psittacula wardi'' -
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
(1883)
*
Plum-headed parakeet
The plum-headed parakeet (''Psittacula cyanocephala'') is a parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (''Psittacula roseata'') but was late ...
, ''Psittacula cyanocephala''
*
Blossom-headed parakeet
The blossom-headed parakeet (''Psittacula roseata'') is a parrot in the family Psittaculidae.
Taxonomy
The species is divided into two subspecies:
*''Psittacula roseata juneae'' Biswas, 1951 (S Myanmar and Thailand to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam)
...
, ''Psittacula roseata''
*
Slaty-headed parakeet
The slaty-headed parakeet (''Psittacula himalayana'') is the only psittacid species to exhibit altitudinal migration. The species' range extends from Pakistan, to Western Himalayas in India through Nepal and Bhutan and up to the Eastern Himalayas ...
, ''Psittacula himalayana''
*
Grey-headed parakeet
The grey-headed parakeet (''Psittacula finschii'') is closely related to the slaty-headed parakeet which together form a super-species. It is found in Southeast Asia from north-eastern India to Vietnam.
The binomial of this bird commemorates the ...
, ''Psittacula finschii''
*
Blue-winged parakeet
The blue-winged parakeet, also known as the Malabar parakeet (''Psittacula columboides'') is a species of parakeet endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screech ...
, ''Psittacula columboides''
*
Layard's parakeet
Layard's parakeet (''Psittacula calthrapae'') is a parrot which is a resident endemic (ecology), endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard; his first wife, Barbara Anne Cal ...
, ''Psittacula calthrapae''
*
Lord Derby's parakeet
Lord Derby's parakeet (''Psittacula derbiana''), also known as Derbyan parakeet, is a parrot species, which is confined to a small pocket of moist evergreen forest in the hills and mountains of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a ...
, ''Psittacula derbiana''
*
Red-breasted parakeet
The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large red patch on its breast. An alternative nam ...
, ''Psittacula alexandri'' (also called moustached parrot)
*
Long-tailed parakeet
The long-tailed parakeet (''Psittacula longicauda'') or Burung Bayan Nuri in Malay is a parakeet endemic to the regions of Andaman and Nicobar islands, Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (including Singapore). It is allopatric with the co ...
, ''Psittacula longicauda''
*
Nicobar parakeet
The Nicobar parakeet (''Psittacula caniceps''), also known as the Blyth's parakeet, is a parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', endemic to the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean. It is one of the largest parakeets, measuring 56 to 60 cm from ...
, ''Psittacula caniceps''
Alternative taxonomy
Genetic evidence has found that the genus ''Psittacula'' is likely
paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
; for example, genetic analysis has supported merging short-tailed parrots of the genus ''
Tanygnathus
''Tanygnathus'' is a genus of parrots in the Psittaculini tribe, of the superfamily of Psittacoidea (true parrots).
Its species are native to Southeast Asia and Melanesia.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Tanygnathus'' was introduced by the German natura ...
,'' ''
Psittinus
''Psittinus'' is a genus of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It was formerly considered to include a single species, the blue-rumped parrot (''Psittinus cyanurus''), but the Simeulue parrot (''P. abbotti'') was split as a distinct species by t ...
,'' and the extinct ''
Mascarinus'' with ''Psittacula.'' A revised classification was proposed by Michael Braun and coworkers in 2019 that splits the genus ''Psittacula'' into multiple
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
genera in order to preserve ''Tanygnathus, Psittinus,'' and ''Mascarinus'' as distinct genera. After the proposed split, the only remaining species in ''Psittacula sensu stricto'' are ''P. derbiana'', ''P. caniceps'', and ''P. alexandri''.
This is also the taxonomic system followed by 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 ...
and
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
. The list of split or monophyletic genera and species (and any of their allied species) is displayed below:
* Genus ''Himalayapsitta''
**
Plum-headed parakeet
The plum-headed parakeet (''Psittacula cyanocephala'') is a parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (''Psittacula roseata'') but was late ...
, ''Himalayapsitta cyanocephala''
**
Grey-headed parakeet
The grey-headed parakeet (''Psittacula finschii'') is closely related to the slaty-headed parakeet which together form a super-species. It is found in Southeast Asia from north-eastern India to Vietnam.
The binomial of this bird commemorates the ...
, ''Himalayapsitta finschii''
**
Slaty-headed parakeet
The slaty-headed parakeet (''Psittacula himalayana'') is the only psittacid species to exhibit altitudinal migration. The species' range extends from Pakistan, to Western Himalayas in India through Nepal and Bhutan and up to the Eastern Himalayas ...
, ''Himalayapsitta himalayana''
**
Blossom-headed parakeet
The blossom-headed parakeet (''Psittacula roseata'') is a parrot in the family Psittaculidae.
Taxonomy
The species is divided into two subspecies:
*''Psittacula roseata juneae'' Biswas, 1951 (S Myanmar and Thailand to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam)
...
, ''Himalayapsitta roseata''
* Genus ''Nicopsitta''
**
Blue-winged parakeet
The blue-winged parakeet, also known as the Malabar parakeet (''Psittacula columboides'') is a species of parakeet endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screech ...
, ''Nicopsitta columboides''
**
Layard's parakeet
Layard's parakeet (''Psittacula calthrapae'') is a parrot which is a resident endemic (ecology), endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard; his first wife, Barbara Anne Cal ...
, ''Nicopsitta calthrapae''
* Genus ''Belocercus''
**
Long-tailed parakeet
The long-tailed parakeet (''Psittacula longicauda'') or Burung Bayan Nuri in Malay is a parakeet endemic to the regions of Andaman and Nicobar islands, Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (including Singapore). It is allopatric with the co ...
, ''Belocercus longicauda''
* Genus ''Psittacula''
**
Red-breasted parakeet
The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large red patch on its breast. An alternative nam ...
, ''Psittacula alexandri''
**
Lord Derby's parakeet
Lord Derby's parakeet (''Psittacula derbiana''), also known as Derbyan parakeet, is a parrot species, which is confined to a small pocket of moist evergreen forest in the hills and mountains of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a ...
, ''Psittacula derbiana''
**
Nicobar parakeet
The Nicobar parakeet (''Psittacula caniceps''), also known as the Blyth's parakeet, is a parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', endemic to the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean. It is one of the largest parakeets, measuring 56 to 60 cm from ...
, ''Psittacula caniceps''
* Genus ''Palaeornis''
**
Alexandrine parakeet
The Alexandrine parakeet (''Psittacula eupatria''), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittaculidae. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Pu ...
, ''Palaeornis eupatria''
** †
Seychelles parakeet
The Seychelles parakeet or Seychelles Island parrot (''Psittacula wardi'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was scientifically named ''Palaeornis wardi'' by the British ornithologist Ed ...
, ''Palaeornis wardi''
* Genus ''Alexandrinus''
**
Rose-ringed parakeet
The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet (more commonly known as the Indian ringneck parrot), is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ran ...
, ''Alexandrinus krameri''
** †
Newton's parakeet
Newton's parakeet (''Psittacula exsul''), also known as the Rodrigues parakeet or Rodrigues ring-necked parakeet, is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the western Indian Ocean. Several of it ...
, ''Alexandrinus exsul''
**
Mauritius parakeet
The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activ ...
, ''Alexandrinus (eques) echo''
* Genus ''Tanygnathus''
**
Great-billed parrot
The great-billed parrot (''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'') also known as Moluccan parrot or island parrot, is a medium-sized, approximately 38 cm long, green parrot with a massive red bill, cream iris, blackish shoulders, olive green back, pale ...
, ''Tanygnathus megalorynchos''
**
Blue-naped parrot
The blue-naped parrot (''Tanygnathus lucionensis''), also known as the blue-crowned green parrot, Luzon parrot, the Philippine green parrot, and locally known as pikoy, is a parrot found throughout the Philippines.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoo ...
, ''Tanygnathus lucionensis''
**
Blue-backed parrot
The blue-backed parrot (''Tanygnathus everetti''), also known as Müller's (or Mueller's) parrot is a large, endangered species of parrot endemic to the Philippines. It is found in tropical moist lowland forests. Flocks are small and often acti ...
, ''Tanygnathus sumatranus''
**
Black-lored parrot
The black-lored parrot (''Tanygnathus gramineus'') also known as the Buru green parrot, is a parrot endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru. It is a long green parrot with black lores, and a turquoise crown. Males have red beaks, and females a ...
, ''Tanygnathus gramineus''
* Genus ''Psittinus''
**
Blue-rumped parrot
The blue-rumped parrot (''Psittinus cyanurus'') is a parrot found in the very southern tip of Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and nearby islands. It is a small parrot (18 cm) and is primarily green with bright red und ...
, ''Psittinus cyanurus''
**
Simeulue parrot
The Simeulue parrot (''Psittinus abbotti'') is a parrot endemic to two small islands off Sumatra. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the blue-rumped parrot (''Psittinus cyanurus''), but is split by the HBW/BirdLife checklist, with the I ...
, ''Psittinus abbotti''
* Genus †''Mascarinus''
**†
Mascarene parrot
The Mascarene parrot or mascarin (''Mascarinus mascarinus'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. The taxonomic relationships of this species have been subject to ...
, ''Mascarinus mascarin''
*Genus †''Lophopsittacus''
**†
Mascarene grey parakeet
The Mascarene grey parakeet or Thirioux's grey parrot (''Psittacula bensoni''), is an extinct species of parrot which was endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Réunion in the western Indian Ocean. It has been classified as a member ...
, ''Lophopsittacus bensoni''
The extinct Mascarene grey parrot(''P. bensoni'') was not sampled in the study and has not been reclassified to ''Psittacula
sensu lato
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' by the IUCN or BirdLife, so it is still classified in ''
Lophopsittacus'' under this taxonomy. The Nicobar parrot(''P. caniceps'') was also not sampled but kept in ''Psittacula'' by the authorities that incorporated this taxonomy.
The study has also found that the rose-ringed and red-breasted parrots are likely paraphyletic species themselves, and thus need to be split into multiple species.
[
]
Hypothetical extinct species
The Rothschild's or intermediate parakeet
The intermediate parakeet (''Psittacula intermedia'') or Rothschild's parakeet was a kind of parakeet reported from the sub-Himalayan region of India and was described on the basis of about seven undated specimens. Similar individuals have been ...
''P. intermedia'', found in northern India, was formerly considered a mystery, as only very few specimens were known. It has since been demonstrated to be a hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
between the slaty-headed parrot ''P. himalayana'' and the plum-headed parrot ''P. cyanocephala''.
The taxonomy of the Réunion parrot
The Rodrigues parrot or Leguat's parrot (''Necropsittacus rodricanus'') is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It is unclear to which other species it is ...
''P. eques'' is also confusing. Extinct since 1770, little evidence even exists of the bird's existence. A study skin had been discovered at the Royal Museum of Scotland, explicitly referencing a book description of the Réunion birds. It is known from other descriptions, as well as illustrations of which it is unknown whether they were drawn from live or stuffed specimens. This may be the only material proof of these birds' existence. Taxonomists are unsure if the birds were a distinct species, or conspecific with the Mauritius parrot
The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activ ...
, although genetic analysis supports it being a subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of the Mauritius parrot.
References
External links
Psittacula World
Stamps featuring Parrots including ''Psittacula''
Images and German Descriptions
{{Taxonbar, from=Q518087
Bird genera
Psittaculini
Taxa named by Georges Cuvier