Psittacula
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''Psittacula'', also known as Afro-Asian ring-necked parrots, is a
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
parrots 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 ...
from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. It is a widespread group with a clear concentration of species in south
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
, but also with representatives in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and the islands of the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. This is the only genus of parrot which has the majority of its species in continental Asia. Of all the extant species only '' Psittacula calthropae'', '' Psittacula caniceps'' and ''
Psittacula echo The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activit ...
'' do not have a representative subspecies in any part of mainland continental Asia. The
rose-ringed parakeet The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, ringneck parrot (in aviculture) or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', of the Family (biology), family Psittacidae. It ...
, ''Psittacula krameri'', is one of the most widely distributed of all parrots. The other two Asian genera, '' Loriculus'' and '' Psittinus'' are represented by only two species each, which occur in the mainland part of Asia. The majority of the ''Loriculus'' species occur on islands. Moreover, since ''Loriculus'' is spread across both sides of the
Wallace Line The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley. It separates the biogeographic realms of Asia and 'Wallacea', a ...
it can be considered more Australasian than Asian. These parrots mostly have green plumage, with adults having coloured heads. The bill is stout, and the tail is long and graduated.


Etymology

The genus name ''Psittacula'' is a diminutive of the Latin word psittacus meaning "parrot".


Taxonomy

The genus ''Psittacula'' was introduced in 1800 by the French naturalist
Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, baron Cuvier (23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier (; ), was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuv ...
. The
type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
was designated in 1923 by
Gregory Mathews Gregory Macalister Mathews CBE FRSE FZS FLS (10 September 1876 – 27 March 1949) was an Australian-born amateur ornithologist who spent most of his later life in England. Life He was born in Biamble in New South Wales the son of Robert H. M ...
as the
red-breasted parakeet The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is a parrot native to Southeast Asia. It is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large re ...
. The name of the genus is a diminutive of the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word ''psittacus'' for a "parrot". The genus includes 16 species, of which three are extinct. *† Newton's parakeet, ''Psittacula exsul'' -
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
(c.1875) * Echo parakeet, ''Psittacula eques'' **† Réunion parrot, ''Psittacula eques eques'' -
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
mid-18th century *† Mascarene grey parakeet, ''Psittacula bensoni'' -
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
(c.1764) (formerly classified in genus †'' Lophopsittacus'', and still considered such by some authorities) *
Rose-ringed parakeet The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, ringneck parrot (in aviculture) or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', of the Family (biology), family Psittacidae. It ...
, ''Psittacula krameri'' *
Alexandrine parakeet The Alexandrine parakeet (''Psittacula eupatria''), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'' of the family Psittaculidae, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is named after Alexander the G ...
, ''Psittacula eupatria'' *† Seychelles parakeet, ''Psittacula wardi'' -
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
(1883) *
Plum-headed parakeet The plum-headed parakeet (''Psittacula cyanocephala'') is a species of parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (''P. roseata'') before b ...
, ''Psittacula cyanocephala'' * Blossom-headed parakeet, ''Psittacula roseata'' * Slaty-headed parakeet, ''Psittacula himalayana'' * Grey-headed parakeet, ''Psittacula finschii'' * Blue-winged parakeet, ''Psittacula columboides'' *
Layard's parakeet Layard's parakeet or the emerald-collared parakeet, (''Psittacula calthrapae'') is a parrot which is a resident endemic (ecology), endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard ...
, ''Psittacula calthrapae'' *
Lord Derby's parakeet Lord Derby's parakeet (''Psittacula derbiana''), also known as Derbyan parakeet, is a parrot species, which is confined to a small pocket of moist evergreen forest in the hills and mountains of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a ...
, ''Psittacula derbiana'' *
Red-breasted parakeet The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is a parrot native to Southeast Asia. It is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large re ...
, ''Psittacula alexandri'' (also called moustached parrot) * Long-tailed parakeet, ''Psittacula longicauda'' * Nicobar parakeet, ''Psittacula caniceps''


Alternative taxonomy

Genetic evidence has found that the genus ''Psittacula'' is likely
paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
; for example, genetic analysis has supported merging short-tailed parrots of the genus ''
Tanygnathus ''Tanygnathus'' is a genus of parrots in the Psittaculini tribe, of the superfamily of true parrots, Psittacoidea (true parrots). Its species are native to Southeast Asia and Melanesia. Taxonomy The genus ''Tanygnathus'' was introduced by the G ...
,'' '' Psittinus,'' and the extinct '' Mascarinus'' with ''Psittacula.'' A revised classification was proposed by Michael Braun and coworkers in 2019 that splits the genus ''Psittacula'' into multiple
monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...
genera in order to preserve ''Tanygnathus, Psittinus,'' and ''Mascarinus'' as distinct genera. After the proposed split, the only remaining species in ''Psittacula sensu stricto'' are ''P. derbiana'', ''P. caniceps'', and ''P. alexandri''. This is also the taxonomic system followed by the
IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...
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 ...
. The list of split or monophyletic genera and species (and any of their allied species) is displayed below: *Genus ''Himalayapsitta'' **
Plum-headed parakeet The plum-headed parakeet (''Psittacula cyanocephala'') is a species of parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (''P. roseata'') before b ...
, ''Himalayapsitta cyanocephala'' ** Grey-headed parakeet, ''Himalayapsitta finschii'' ** Slaty-headed parakeet, ''Himalayapsitta himalayana'' ** Blossom-headed parakeet, ''Himalayapsitta roseata'' *Genus ''Nicopsitta'' ** Blue-winged parakeet, ''Nicopsitta columboides'' **
Layard's parakeet Layard's parakeet or the emerald-collared parakeet, (''Psittacula calthrapae'') is a parrot which is a resident endemic (ecology), endemic breeder in Sri Lanka. The common name of this bird commemorates the British naturalist Edgar Leopold Layard ...
, ''Nicopsitta calthrapae'' *Genus ''Belocercus'' ** Long-tailed parakeet, ''Belocercus longicauda'' *Genus ''Psittacula'' **
Red-breasted parakeet The red-breasted parakeet (''Psittacula alexandri'') is a parrot native to Southeast Asia. It is among the more widespread species of the genus and is the species which has the most geographical variations. It is easily identified by the large re ...
, ''Psittacula alexandri'' **
Lord Derby's parakeet Lord Derby's parakeet (''Psittacula derbiana''), also known as Derbyan parakeet, is a parrot species, which is confined to a small pocket of moist evergreen forest in the hills and mountains of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a ...
, ''Psittacula derbiana'' ** Nicobar parakeet, ''Psittacula caniceps'' *Genus ''Palaeornis'' **
Alexandrine parakeet The Alexandrine parakeet (''Psittacula eupatria''), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'' of the family Psittaculidae, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is named after Alexander the G ...
, ''Palaeornis eupatria'' **† Seychelles parakeet, ''Palaeornis wardi'' *Genus ''Alexandrinus'' **
Rose-ringed parakeet The rose-ringed parakeet (''Psittacula krameri''), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, ringneck parrot (in aviculture) or the Kramer parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus ''Psittacula'', of the Family (biology), family Psittacidae. It ...
, ''Alexandrinus krameri'' **† Newton's parakeet, ''Alexandrinus exsul'' ** Echo parakeet, ''Alexandrinus (eques) echo'' *Genus ''Tanygnathus'' ** Great-billed parrot, ''Tanygnathus megalorynchos'' ** Blue-naped parrot, ''Tanygnathus lucionensis'' ** Blue-backed parrot, ''Tanygnathus sumatranus'' ** Black-lored parrot, ''Tanygnathus gramineus'' *Genus ''Psittinus'' ** Blue-rumped parrot, ''Psittinus cyanurus'' ** Simeulue parrot, ''Psittinus abbotti'' *Genus †''Mascarinus'' **† Mascarene parrot, ''Mascarinus mascarin'' *Genus †''Lophopsittacus'' **† Mauritius grey parrot, ''Lophopsittacus bensoni'' The extinct Mascarene grey parrot (''P. bensoni'') was not sampled in the study and has not been reclassified to ''Psittacula
sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...
'' by the IUCN or BirdLife, so it is still classified in '' Lophopsittacus'' under this taxonomy and with the common name Mauritius grey parrot. The Nicobar parrot(''P. caniceps'') was also not sampled but kept in ''Psittacula'' by the authorities that incorporated this taxonomy. The study has also found that the rose-ringed and red-breasted parrots are likely paraphyletic species themselves, and thus need to be split into multiple species.


Hypothetical extinct species

The Rothschild's or intermediate parakeet ''P. intermedia'', found in northern India, was formerly considered a mystery, as only very few specimens were known. It has since been demonstrated to be a
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...
between the slaty-headed parrot ''P. himalayana'' and the plum-headed parrot ''P. cyanocephala''. The taxonomy of the
Réunion parakeet The echo parakeet (''Psittacula eques'') is a species of parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and formerly Réunion. It is the only living native parrot of the Mascarene Islands; all others have become extinct due to human activit ...
''P. eques'' is also confusing. Extinct since 1770, little evidence even exists of the bird's existence. A study skin had been discovered at the Royal Museum of Scotland, explicitly referencing a book description of the Réunion birds. It is known from other descriptions, as well as illustrations of which it is unknown whether they were drawn from live or stuffed specimens. This may be the only material proof of these birds' existence. Taxonomists are unsure if the birds were a distinct species, or conspecific with the echo parakeet, although genetic analysis supports it being a
subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
of the echo parakeet.


References


External links


Psittacula WorldStamps featuring Parrots including ''Psittacula''Images and German Descriptions
{{Taxonbar, from=Q518087 Bird genera Psittaculini Taxa named by Georges Cuvier