Pfrimer's parakeet (''Pyrrhura pfrimeri'') is a non-migratory species within the

parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...

family Psittacidae. It also is known as Pfrimer's conure, Goias parakeet, and maroon-faced conure. The Pfrimer's parakeet has been qualified as endangered by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

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 i ...

since 2007. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the Goiás and Tocantins regions of Brazil. It is mainly found within a belt of dry

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

and semi-deciduous areas of the

Caatinga Caatinga () is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" comes from the Tupi word '' ka'atinga'', meaning "white forest" or "white vegetat ...

forest.Handbook of the Birds of the World https://www.hbw.com/species/goias-parakeet-pyrrhura-pfrimeri It was considered a subspecies of the

white-eared parakeet The white-eared parakeet or maroon-faced parakeet (''Pyrrhura leucotis'') is a Vulnerable species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Brazil. Taxonomy and systematics The w ...

, as ''Pyrrhura leucotis pfrimeri''. The split was based on range, differences in habitat and distinctive differences in

plumage Plumage () is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, there can b ...

(it is the only member of the P. leucotis complex where the pale patch on the ear-coverts is greatly reduced). A recent study based on

mtDNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the DNA contained in ...

has confirmed its status as a distinct species. The population of Pfrimer's parakeet is currently decreasing, with a current population of between 20,000 and 49,000 individuals. The main factor behind the decreasing population is

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction 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. Ab ...

for agriculture. Individuals have an average lifespan of 6–8 years.

Morphology

Adult and juvenile Pfrimer's parakeet look similar in

. They have brown and red faces and ear

coverts A covert feather or tectrix on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts (or ''tectrices''), which cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail. Ear coverts The ear coverts are small feathers behind t ...

, with a blue crown. They have white or grey eye rings surround their brown or orange eyes above their gray or black beaks. Their necks are covered in green or blue feathers. The breasts are colored blue or green with hints of white and brown, while their abdomen is brown/red. The wings have a blend of red, green, and blue. Their tails are typically seen to be maroon with a green base. World Parrot Trust Encyclopedia https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/maroon-faced-conure Adult Pfrimer's parakeets grow up to a size of around 22–23 cm (8.5–9 ins) including the tail. Beauty of Birds https://www.beautyofbirds.com/pfrimersconures.html

Range

Pfrimer's parakeet is

forest of the Goiás and Tocantins states of

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. These birds are known to be found up to 600 m up in

or semi-deciduous forests. According to the BirdLife International and the IUCN they have an estimated extent of occurrence up to 20,300 km². The range of this bird is severely fragmented due to habitat loss and ecosystem degradation. This is partly why

has listed this species as

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

Ecology

Behavior

These social birds can usually be found in flocks that can consist of up to 10 birds. These flocks are typically noisy when in flight but will be quiet when resting or feeding in the

canopy Canopy may refer to: Plants * Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests) * Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes Religion and ceremonies * Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an a ...

Breeding

The breeding season for is thought to start in April and continue until June. Adult Pfrimer's parakeets typically have around 3–8 eggs per nest.

Diet

The diet of Pfrimer's parakeet is mostly made up of fruits, berries, and seeds; though they have been known to eat certain flowers, insects, and their

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

Conservation

Threats

Currently the Pfrimer's parakeet is

. Since they only live within a small area human activities affecting their habitat are devastating. Currently there are anywhere from 20,000 to 49,000 individuals living in

. This number is decreasing as

and

habitat degradation Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

increase within their range.

Anthropogenic Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to: * Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity Anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows: * Human impact on the enviro ...

activities, such as

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

, and

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

are reasons as to why the population is currently decreasing. According to the

there has been a 66% decrease in its natural habitat within the last 31 years due to

. This

is typically through selective logging, fires, and the conversation of forested land to meadows.

Use and trade

Pfrimer's parakeet is not threatened by trade of exotic species as much as other

exotic species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...

but is still captured for this purpose on occasion.

Conservation actions in place

Currently the only action in the conservation of this species is some protection of its native

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

. Other than this there are no major conservation plans in place are specifically for the Pfrimer's parakeet in place.

Conservation/research needed

More general research is needed for Pfrimer's parakeet. Little research has been done on this species and therefore reliable information and sources are uncommon. The

currently has the largest source of data on the Pfrimer's parakeet, but other sources should as the

Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which studies birds and other wildlife. It is housed in the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuar ...

and

are lacking in complete information. The habitat of Pfrimer's parakeet shrinks by 2.1% each year and is in dire need of conservation.

Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksagriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

interests are currently the main threats against this species, which it needs protection from.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet
* South American Classification Committee

* 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.'' The Auk 123(3): 660–680. Pfrimer's parakeet Parakeets Birds of the Caatinga Endemic birds of Brazil Pfrimer's parakeet {{parrot-stub