Yellow-faced Parrot
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-faced Parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops), formerly also known as the Yellow-faced Amazon, is the only species of the genus
Alipiopsitta. It is a Neotropical parrot
(tribe Arini), and was classified in the genus Amazona for many years. It is a predominantly green and yellow-plumaged bird with a yellow head. It is a semi-nomadic species found in the cerrado
region of Brazil
and adjacent Bolivia
. As the Yellow-faced Parrot has disappeared from parts of its former range due to habitat destruction
and generally occurs in low densities, it was considered Vulnerable
by the IUCN, but it remains locally fairly common, occurs in several protected areas and can survive in fragmented habitats
, leading to its downlisting to Near Threatened
.
first described the species in 1824 as Psittacus xanthops. Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek
xanthos "yellow", and ops "face". For many years, it was placed within the genus Amazona, although Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro proposed the new genus Salvatoria in 1920 due to differences in the bill and plumage. A 1995 study showed its distinctness genetically, followed up by more data which showed it to be much more closely related to the Short-tailed Parrot
(Graydidascalus brachyurus) and to the members of the genus Pionus
. Following this discovery, it was briefly placed in the genus Salvatoria again, until this name was found to be pre-occupied by a group of polychaete worms from the superfamily Nereidoidea, thus leading to the transferral of the Yellow-faced Parrot to the new genus Alipiopsitta.
. The central feathers of the short tail are green, while the lateral ones are more yellow-green and have orange-red bases. The bill is yellowish-horn with a dark culmen, the cere is pinkish, and the iris is yellow. The legs are light grey. There is no sexual dimorphism
; the male and female are alike in plumage and size. Immatures have less yellow to the head.
and Piauí
to São Paulo
and Mato Grosso do Sul
. It inhabits the cerrado
on the plateau of Brazil, as well as the dryer Caatinga
scrubland. There are two records from Beni
in northeastern Bolivia. Despite occasionally being listed for Paraguay
, evidence supporting its presence in this country is lacking. Within its range it appears to be semi-nomadic. Much of its habitat is being converted to agricultural land and the populations are declining.
species, Salacia crassifolia and Astronium fraxinifolium
. Flocks have also been recorded raiding crops of mango
and unripe guava
trees. Termites are another diet item.
Until recently, comparatively little was known of its habits. It has been studied in Emas National Park
in Brazil. Its breeding season there is May to October. Nests are hollows in termite mounds. The eggs are incubated for 19–22 days, while the young take up to 45 days to leave the nest.
Like most species of parrot
s, the Yellow-faced Parrot is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its placement on the Appendix II list.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Alipiopsitta. It is a Neotropical parrot
Neotropical parrot
The Neotropical parrots belong to the family of the true parrots Psittacidae. Several species and one of the 32 modern genera have become extinct in recent centuries. Though fairly few fossils of modern parrots are known, most of these are from Arini...
(tribe Arini), and was classified in the genus Amazona for many years. It is a predominantly green and yellow-plumaged bird with a yellow head. It is a semi-nomadic species found in the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
region of 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 adjacent Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. As the Yellow-faced Parrot has disappeared from parts of its former range due to habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
and generally occurs in low densities, it was considered Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN, but it remains locally fairly common, occurs in several protected areas and can survive in fragmented habitats
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
, leading to its downlisting to Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
.
Taxonomy
The German naturalist Johann Baptist von SpixJohann Baptist von Spix
Dr. Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix was a German naturalist.Spix was born in Höchstadt, Middle Franconia, as the seventh of eleven children. His boyhood home is the site of the Spix Museum , opened to the public in 2004...
first described the species in 1824 as Psittacus xanthops. Its species name is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
xanthos "yellow", and ops "face". For many years, it was placed within the genus Amazona, although Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro proposed the new genus Salvatoria in 1920 due to differences in the bill and plumage. A 1995 study showed its distinctness genetically, followed up by more data which showed it to be much more closely related to the Short-tailed Parrot
Short-tailed Parrot
The Short-tailed Parrot is the only species of the genus Graydidascalus. It is found along both banks of the Amazon river and other major Amazonian rivers in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru...
(Graydidascalus brachyurus) and to the members of the genus Pionus
Pionus
Pionus is a genus of medium-sized parrots native to Mexico, and Central and South America. Characteristic of the genus are the chunky body, bare eye ring , and short square tail. They are superficially similar to Amazon parrots, but smaller and in flight their wing-strokes are far deeper...
. Following this discovery, it was briefly placed in the genus Salvatoria again, until this name was found to be pre-occupied by a group of polychaete worms from the superfamily Nereidoidea, thus leading to the transferral of the Yellow-faced Parrot to the new genus Alipiopsitta.
Description
Measuring about 27 cm (11 in) in length, the Yellow-faced Parrot has a stocky body and short tail. It is a predominantly green and yellow-plumaged bird that in adults has a yellow crown, lores, cheeks and auriculars. The rest of the head, upperparts and chest are green with some yellowish-green scalloping. The sides of the belly are often mottled orange and yellow, and the belly is often yellow. However, there are significant variations in the amount of yellow to the underparts, and some show virtually none. The wings are predominantly green, occasionally with some yellow spots. There is blue edging on the primary covertsCovert (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 :...
. The central feathers of the short tail are green, while the lateral ones are more yellow-green and have orange-red bases. The bill is yellowish-horn with a dark culmen, the cere is pinkish, and the iris is yellow. The legs are light grey. There is no sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
; the male and female are alike in plumage and size. Immatures have less yellow to the head.
Distribution and habitat
The majority of its range is in central and eastern Brazil, where found from MaranhãoMaranhão
Maranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...
and Piauí
Piauí
Piauí is one of the states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country.Piauí has the shortest coastline of any of the non-landlocked Brazilian states at 66 km , and the capital, Teresina, is the only state capital in the north east to be located inland...
to São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
and Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul
Mato Grosso do Sul is one of the states of Brazil.Neighboring Brazilian states are Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay and Bolivia to the west. The economy of the state is largely based on agriculture and cattle-raising...
. It inhabits the cerrado
Cerrado
The Cerrado, is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion of Brazil, particularly in the states of Gioas and Minas Gerais...
on the plateau of Brazil, as well as the dryer Caatinga
Caatinga
Caatinga is a type of vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in the northeastern part of Brazil. The name "Caatinga" is a Tupi word meaning "white forest" or "white vegetation"...
scrubland. There are two records from Beni
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
in northeastern Bolivia. Despite occasionally being listed for Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, evidence supporting its presence in this country is lacking. Within its range it appears to be semi-nomadic. Much of its habitat is being converted to agricultural land and the populations are declining.
Behaviour
The Yellow-faced Parrot forages for and eats the fruit and seeds of trees including AnacardiumAnacardium
Anacardium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.-Selected species:*Anacardium corymbosum Barb.Rodr.*Anacardium excelsum L. - Wild Cashew*Anacardium giganteum Anacardium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae,...
species, Salacia crassifolia and Astronium fraxinifolium
Astronium fraxinifolium
Astronium fraxinifolium is a timber tree, which is native to Amazon Rainforest, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius...
. Flocks have also been recorded raiding crops of mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
and unripe guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
trees. Termites are another diet item.
Until recently, comparatively little was known of its habits. It has been studied in Emas National Park
Emas National Park
The Emas National Park |Rhea]] National Park") is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Sitein the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil.-Description:...
in Brazil. Its breeding season there is May to October. Nests are hollows in termite mounds. The eggs are incubated for 19–22 days, while the young take up to 45 days to leave the nest.
Like most 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...
s, the Yellow-faced Parrot is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with its placement on the Appendix II list.