Hispaniolan parakeet

Hispaniolan parakeet
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Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Superfamily:	Psittacoidea
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Arinae
Tribe:	Arini
Genus:	Psittacara
Species:	P. chloropterus
Binomial name
Psittacara chloropterus (Souancé, 1856)

The Hispaniolan parakeet, or perico (Psittacara chloropterus) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family.

It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). Localized feral populations exist in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and the Miami, Florida area, where they sometimes associate with canary-winged parakeets.

Description

The bird is a medium-sized parakeet, evenly colored green, with a long and pointed tail, pale beak and legs, white eye-ring and red patch on the wing's wrist area. Sexes are identical; the bird is highly gregarious, forming flocks which can surpass several dozen individuals. The only similar bird in its native range is the possibly introduced olive-throated parakeet, from which it can be readily differentiated mainly by wing patches that are blue, instead of red.

File:Aratinga chloroptera maugei.jpg

Psittacara chloropterus maugei

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and arable land; nonetheless, there are populations that live in urban areas, like the ever-increasing one in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It, like many psittacids, is threatened by habitat loss and illegal captures for the pet trade.

A subspecies, the Puerto Rican conure (Psittacara chloropterus maugei) was previously found on Mona Island, but became extinct circa 1882.

External links

• Species factsheet - BirdLife International
• Estudio de Aves Dominicanas Comunes (Spanish)
• Videos and photos - Internet Bird Collection