''Pionus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of medium-sized

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 ...

s native to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and Central and

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 ...

. Characteristic of the genus are the chunky body, bare eye ring (which can vary in color), and short square tail. They are superficially similar to

Amazon parrot Amazon parrots are parrots in the genus ''Amazona''. They are medium-sized, short-tailed parrots native to the Americas, with their range extending from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. ''Amazona'' is one of the 92 genera of parrots ...

s, but smaller and in flight their wing-strokes are far deeper. Coloration is generally subdued yet complex compared to member species of the genus ''Amazona''; under bright lighting, their feathers shimmer with iridescent brilliance. All species share bright red undertail coverts; the scientific name of one species, the blue-headed parrot (''P. menstruus''), refers to this. Males and females are similar, with no notable

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

Taxonomy

The genus ''Pionus'' was introduced in 1832 by the German naturalist

Johann Georg Wagler Johann Georg Wagler (28 March 1800 – 23 August 1832) was a German herpetologist and ornithologist. Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and gave lectures in zoology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich after it was moved ...

. The name is from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

''piōn'', ''pionos'' meaning "fat". 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 specime ...

was designated as the

blue-headed parrot The blue-headed parrot, also known as the blue-headed pionus (''Pionus menstruus'') is a medium-sized parrot of about 27 cm in length. The body is mostly green, with a blue head and neck, and red undertail coverts. It is a resident in tropi ...

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 1840. A small number of authorities have suggested the blue-headed parrot should be split into two or three species. The genus contains eight species. *

Blue-headed parrot The blue-headed parrot, also known as the blue-headed pionus (''Pionus menstruus'') is a medium-sized parrot of about 27 cm in length. The body is mostly green, with a blue head and neck, and red undertail coverts. It is a resident in tropi ...

, ''Pionus menstruus'' * Red-billed parrot (or coral-billed parrot), ''Pionus sordidus'' * Scaly-headed parrot (or Maximilian's parrot), ''Pionus maximiliani'' * White-crowned parrot, ''Pionus senilis'' * Plum-crowned parrot, ''Pionus tumultuosus'' (speckle-faced parrot before split from ''Pionus seniloides'') * White-capped parrot, ''Pionus seniloides'' (split from ''Pionus tumultuosus'') * Bronze-winged parrot, ''Pionus chalcopterus'' *

Dusky parrot The dusky parrot (''Pionus fuscus'') or dusky pionus is a medium-sized mainly dark brownish-gray parrot of the genus '' Pionus'' in the true parrot family. Description The dusky parrot is approximately long. It has a medium-wide gray eye-ring ( ...

(or dusky pionus), ''Pionus fuscus''

Pets

''Pionus'' parrots are regarded as excellent pets, although some species are very rare in captivity. Most commonly kept species are the Blue-headed, Maximillian (Scaly-headed) and White-capped. Others, such as the Dusky and the Bronze-winged have become more common due to captive breeding. ''Pionus'' parrots are quieter than Amazon parrots. Unlike some other

companion parrot A companion parrot is a parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make excellent companions, but must be carefully managed around other common pet species like dogs and cats a ...

s, aviculturists have noted that they are not particularly energetic, and do not generally enjoy hands-on play (for example, being flipped on their backs), but they do provide companionship and are described as gentle and charming pets. When excited or frightened, birds of this genus emit a characteristic wheezing or snorting sound that is sometimes mistaken for a sign of distress, or a symptom of disease. They also give off a musky or sweet odor that some caretakers find unpleasant, but others enjoy.

Health

''Pionus'' parrots are susceptible to obesity, vitamin A deficiency, and

aspergillosis Aspergillosis is a fungal infection of usually the lungs, caused by the genus ''Aspergillus'', a common mould that is breathed in frequently from the air around, but does not usually affect most people. It generally occurs in people with lung di ...

in captivity. These conditions, with the exception of aspergillosis, are easily prevented.

Diet

As a species, the Pionus naturally eats mostly fruits, especially guavas. Pet owners should take care to not feed their bird any high-fat foods. Pet stores often carry banana chips (which are good snacks for many other birds) that are fried in oil to make them crispy, but they contain too much fat for the Pionus and could result in high cholesterol or other health issues related to too much fat intake. Pionus owners should consult a knowledgeable veterinarian (preferably a South American exotic bird expert) on proper Pionus dietary needs.

Species

References

External links

Pionus info from Upatsix.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q777422 Androglossini