Grey-breasted parakeet

The grey-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to Ceará in north-eastern Brazil and restricted to a few mountains with relatively humid forest and woodland in a region otherwise dominated by arid Caatinga. They now only live in two locations, Serra do Baturité and Quixadá.

Grey-breasted parakeet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Pyrrhura
Species:
P. griseipectus
Binomial name
Pyrrhura griseipectus
Salvadori, 1900
Synonyms
  • Pyrrhura leucotis griseipectus
  • Pyrrhura anaca

Until recently, it was considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet, as Pyrrhura leucotis griseipectus. The split was based on their widely disjunct distributions, differences in measurement of bill, and subtle differences in colour of crown, ear-coverts and chest. A recent study based on mtDNA has failed to confirm the status of the grey-breasted parakeet as a species distinct from the white-eared parakeet, while confirming the species status of Pfrimer's parakeet.

After a decade of conservation efforts that included providing nest boxes, the population has seen a significant increase in size from less than 250 to upwards of 1,000 individuals. In 2017, the species was down-listed on the IUCN Red List from Critically Endangered to Endangered.[2]

References
  1. BirdLife International. 2018. Pyrrhura griseipectus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22733968A132181930. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22733968A132181930.en. Downloaded on 01 January 2019.
  2. Hennessey, Bennett. "In Brazil, The 'Nest-Best' Hope For Protecting Gray-Breasted Parakeets". 27 Dec 2018. Blog post. American Bird Conservancy. Accessed 03 Jan 2019.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.