The red-faced parrot (''Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops'') is a species of

parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittaco ...

in the family

Psittacidae The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Old World or Afrotropical parrots) and 157 of subfamily Arinae (the New World or Neotro ...

Taxonomy

The parrot is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

. Historically, it was treated as a subspecies of the

rusty-faced parrot The rusty-faced parrot (''Hapalopsittaca amazonina'') is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela and possibly Ecuador.Remsen, J. ...

(''Hapalopsittaca amazonia''). However, a 1989 study by Graves & Uribe Restrepo found substantial evidence to regard it as a full species.

Habitat

Currently, the red-faced parrot has only been found in

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, mostly between the eastern

Andes mountain range The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

of southern Ecuador and the northwest region of Peru. More specifically, they inhabit mild forests of the provinces of

Azuay Azuay (), Province of Azuay is a province of Ecuador, created on 25 June 1824. It encompasses an area of . Its capital is Cuenca. It is located in the south center of Ecuador in the highlands. Its mountains reach above sea level in the national ...

, Loja and

Morona-Santiago Morona Santiago () is a province in Ecuador. The province was established on February 24, 1954. The capital is Macas. Economy The provincial economy is industrially unexploited to its potential due to poor means of transportation. Its economy ...

and the

Piura department Piura () is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru. The area is known for its tropical and dry beaches. It is ...

in Peru. They are also found in Selva Alegre which has the largest population of red-faced parrots. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucia ...

s. They have been noted to reside in shrubby growth next to páramo. This parrot is known to have vocalizations to find other flocks of birds in their area.

Endangered species

The red-faced parrot is threatened by habitat loss. Due to a rapidly decreasing habitat, the red-faced parrot is now considered to be

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

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 ...

and the IUCN, and is starting to go extinct. Studies conducted in southern Ecuador by Mark Jacobs and Jon Walker revealed that the red-faced parrot predominantly resides in the cloud forests of Selva Alegre. These cloud forests are facing ongoing destruction for grazing and agriculture, relieving the red-faced parrot species of a habitat. At this time, habitat loss is the primary source of endangerment for the red-faced parrot. The population of the red-faced parrot in Selva Alegre estimates from a minimum of 169 to a maximum of 734. Most of the time these birds stay in flocks of 20. They tend to stay in one area, which means that habitat loss can be very dangerous. This small population size puts the red-faced parrot species at risk, as there are less individuals to mate with. This decrease in birth rate makes the species even more vulnerable to the devastating effects of the Selva Alegre habitat loss.

Breeding

The months between August and January are the red-faced parrots' ideal breeding months. These birds nest in trees and usually lay between two and three eggs. At this time, not much is known about the red-faced parrots' breeding behaviors.

Diet and foraging

In the main habitat of the red-faced parrot, they feed on a variety of foods. These include flowers and seeds,

miconia ''Miconia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the glory bush family, Melastomataceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species are mostly shrubs and small to medium-sized trees up to 15 m tall. The generic name ...

fruits, viburnum

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

weinmannia ''Weinmannia'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Cunoniaceae. It is the largest genus of the family with about 150 species. It is also the most widespread genus, occurring in Central and South America including the Caribbean, Madagasc ...

shoots, and parts of ericaceous trees.

Vocalizations

The Red-faced parrot species is known for their distinct flight call. It consists of several repeated calls of “chek-chek...chek-chek” or “chek-chek-chek…”. When in a perched position, they are noted to make a variety of calls. These include nasal calls, such as the sounds “kyek” and “crreet”.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1269559 Hapalopsittaca Birds of Ecuador Birds of Peru Birds described in 1876 Taxa named by Osbert Salvin Taxonomy articles created by Polbot