Sulphur-breasted Parakeet
Encyclopedia
The Sulphur-breasted Parakeet (Aratinga maculata, syn.
A. pintoi) is a species of parrot
from Brazil
and Suriname
. It resembles the closely related Sun Parakeet.
. It was rediscovered as part of a study of specimen
s of the Sun Parakeet and related species. Specimens of the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet had previously been dismissed as immature Sun Parakeets or hybrids. Believing it represented an entirely undescribed species, it was described as A. pintoi (in honour of the Brazilian ornithologist Oliverio Pinto) in 2005. Only in 2009 was it shown that A. maculata and the "new" A. pintoi were the same.
Some believe the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet is better regarded as a subspecies
of the Sun Parakeet.
on the northern bank of the lower Amazon River
in Pará
, Brazil
. Since then it has been reported more widely at low densities in the Pará state north of the Amazon River, but there are still no records from neighbouring parts of Amapá
where it probably also occurs. Additionally, three specimens kept at the National Museum of Natural History
in the Netherlands
have been identified as this species. They were taken from the Sipaliwini savanna in southern Suriname
. Recent sightings from the same region have also been identified as Sulphur-breasted Parakeets. This suggests that it possibly comes into contact with the closely related and very similar Sun Parakeet. Unlike adult Sun Parakeets, Sulphur-breasted Parakeets have clear green suffusion to the mantle, wing-coverts
and underparts, but this is shared with juvenile Sun Parakeets. Adults of both species have a dark greyish eye-ring in the wild, but this commonly fades to whitish in captives, at least in the Sun Parakeet (this is the source of the mistaken idea that the colour of the eye-ring separates the two).
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
A. pintoi) is a species of parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
. It resembles the closely related Sun Parakeet.
Taxonomy
First described in 1776, A. maculata had long been dismissed as invalidSynonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
. It was rediscovered as part of a study of specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s of the Sun Parakeet and related species. Specimens of the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet had previously been dismissed as immature Sun Parakeets or hybrids. Believing it represented an entirely undescribed species, it was described as A. pintoi (in honour of the Brazilian ornithologist Oliverio Pinto) in 2005. Only in 2009 was it shown that A. maculata and the "new" A. pintoi were the same.
Some believe the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet is better regarded as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Sun Parakeet.
Distribution and appearance
Following the realisation that the Sulphur-breasted Parakeet was a valid species, the first records of living birds were from east of ÓbidosÓbidos, Pará
Óbidos is a town in Pará, Brazil located at the narrowest and swiftest part of the Amazon River. Its an old town founded in 1697, and located between Santarém and Oriximiná. The town is the seat of the Diocese of Óbidos. The town was named after Óbidos, Portugal.-Further...
on the northern bank of the lower Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
in Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Since then it has been reported more widely at low densities in the Pará state north of the Amazon River, but there are still no records from neighbouring parts of Amapá
Amapá
Amapá is one of the states of Brazil, located in the extreme north, bordering French Guiana and Suriname to the north. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the south and west is the Brazilian state of Pará. Perhaps one of the main features of the state is the River Oiapoque, as it was once...
where it probably also occurs. Additionally, three specimens kept at the National Museum of Natural History
Naturalis
Naturalis is the national natural history museum of the Netherlands, based in Leiden. It originated from the merger of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie and the Rijksmuseum van Geologie en Mineralogie in 1984. In 1986 it was decided that the museum had to become a public museum and a new...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
have been identified as this species. They were taken from the Sipaliwini savanna in southern Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
. Recent sightings from the same region have also been identified as Sulphur-breasted Parakeets. This suggests that it possibly comes into contact with the closely related and very similar Sun Parakeet. Unlike adult Sun Parakeets, Sulphur-breasted Parakeets have clear green suffusion to the mantle, wing-coverts
Covert (feather)
A covert feather on a bird is one of a set of feathers, called coverts, which as the name implies, cover other feathers. The coverts help to smooth airflow over the wings and tail.- Wing-coverts :...
and underparts, but this is shared with juvenile Sun Parakeets. Adults of both species have a dark greyish eye-ring in the wild, but this commonly fades to whitish in captives, at least in the Sun Parakeet (this is the source of the mistaken idea that the colour of the eye-ring separates the two).
External links
- BirdLife International (2005). Parrot that eluded ornithologists for a century.