Forpus

Forpus
Blue-winged parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Superfamily:	Psittacoidea
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Arinae
Genus:	Forpus F. Boie, 1858
Species
see text

Forpus is a genus of parrot in the Psittacidae family.

Species

• Mexican parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius)
• Green-rumped parrotlet (Forpus passerinus)
• Blue-winged parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius)
• Spectacled parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus)
• Dusky-billed parrotlet (Forpus modestus)
• Pacific parrotlet (Forpus coelestis)
• Yellow-faced parrotlet (Forpus xanthops)

Description

Forpus parrots, also known as parrotlets, are sexually dimorphic. Males have somewhat dull colors but have a bright blue streak on their wings and eye. Females have bright colors and do not have the blue on the wing. They may or may not have it on the eye. Some parrotlet species are exceptions; but it is usually easy to tell them apart.

Aviculture

Parrots in the Forpus genus make good pets and are very friendly. They are not easy to breed as they are extremely aggressive and will sometimes kill or severely maim their partners. Pacific parrotlets are known to be good talkers and are good at tricks too; they are also known as biters. Green-rumpeds aren't much of biters but they don't usually talk as well. Mexican, spectacled, and yellow-faced parrotlets are rarer in the U.S. but are found captive in other places as well. Dusky-billed, also more commonly known as Sclater's parrotlets are extremely rare and are only found captive in Europe.

Species photographs

• Forpus passerinus-Venezuela-8a.jpg

  Green-rumped parrotlet (Forpus passerinus)

• Forpus xanthopterygius -Brazil-6-4c.jpg

  Blue-winged parrotlet
  (Forpus xanthopterygius)

• Forpus conspicillatus -Colombia -pair-8-3c.jpg

  Spectacled parrotlet
  (Forpus conspicillatus)

• Forpus coelestis -Peru -male-8-2c.jpg

  Pacific parrotlet
  (Forpus coelestis)

• Forpus xanthops -AFA show bird-8a.jpg

  Yellow-faced parrotlet
  (Forpus xanthops)