The brown-backed parrotlet (''Touit melanonotus'') also known as the black-backed parrotlet, the black-eared parrotlet, and Wied's parrotlet, is a small () green

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 ...

found in south-eastern

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 ...

from

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

to southern

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. It has a dark brown mantle and back, brown ear coverts, and red outer tail with back tips. They frequent humid forest from (occasionally down to sea level), and are mostly found in small flocks of 3–20 birds.

Ecology

It is mostly known from lower montane evergreen forest at , but also up to in the Itatiaia National Park. In addition it is found in near sea-level in Bahia and São Paulo. Seasonal migration or dispersal is suspected, though this may amount to little more than short altitudinal movements. Food items are poorly studied but include large

leguminous Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

seeds, fruit of '' Rapanea acuminata'', '' Clusia'' sp. and

mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate parasite, obligate parasitic plant, hemiparasitic plants in the Order (biology), order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they ...

s. Observed feeding on ''Clusia criuva'' where presumed adults pluck the fruit from the tree snipping the stalk with their bills and carry the fruit to a more secure location on a firmer branch where they open the fruitwith their bill wedging it against the branch prising the seeds out with their tongue; they do not use their feet at any time in the feeding process as some other ''psittacids'' do. Some individuals that were presumed to be young birds were seen to eat the fruits in ''situ'' and did not pluck them. Breeding is suspected to occur from September to October. Well grown young birds were observed being fed by adults in Ubatuba, São Paulo state, January 2010. Young birds can be differentiated by their paler orbital ring and their cere being flesh coloured as opposed to dark grey in adults.

Range and population

The brown-backed parrotlet is confined to south-eastern Brazil (Bahia,

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attracti ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and São Paulo), but is a vagrant to Rio de Janeiro, and from São Paulo to south to Ilha do Cardoso. They were resighted in Bahia after a century long absence.J. Minns in litt. (1999) They were never deemed common, but seen as rather rare, even in the 19th century. Their inconspicuous nature and naturally low densities may contribute to the paucity of records. A resurgence in sightings since the mid-1980s, and their discovery at Espírito Santo, was due to knowledge of their calls.

References

* Juniper & Parr (1998) ''Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World''; .
BirdLife Species Factsheet

External links

World Parrot Trust
Parrot Encyclopedia – Species Profile {{Taxonbar, from=Q901745 Touit Birds of the Atlantic Forest Endemic birds of Brazil Birds described in 1820