[order] PSITTACIFORMES | [family] Psittacidae | [latin] Pionus chalcopterus | [authority] Fraser, 1841 | [UK] Bronze-winged Parrot | [FR] Pionus noir | [DE] Glanzflugel-Papagei | [ES] Loro Alibronceado | [NL] Bronsvleugelmargrietje | [copyright picture] Randy Read
| Genus |
Species |
subspecies |
Region |
Range |
| Pionus |
chalcopterus |
|
SA |
Venezuela to nw Peru |
Genus
The genus Pionus encompasses 8 different species. All the Pionus are the same shape and close to the same size but the colors are very different. In fact, those species without green as the main body color (the Duskies, Bronze-wings, and White-caps) have highly variable coloring between individuals. The one similarity in coloring for all of the Pionus species is the red underneath their tails (under tail-coverts). Because of this, the Pionus parrots are often referred to as the Red-vented parrots in older books. As to shape, all Pionus are a bit stocky with a short square tail. They have the same general body shape as some Amazons. All Pionus have small naked eye rings and a prominent naked cere (nose). Their upper mandible (the top part of the beak) has a definite notch and the upper mandible extends in a point almost to the bottom of the lower mandible (the lower beak).
Both adults dark purple/blue in colour; bronze/brown neck and head, feathers widely tipped with dark purple/blue; white chin; dull pink edging on feathers of foreneck, producing a wide band; bronze/green upper back, mantle, and scapulars; deep blue rump and lower back; red undertail coverts; bronze/brown upper wing coverts and tertials; dark blue tail with red at base. Bill yellow. Eye ring bare and brown/pink. Eye brown
Listen to the sound of Bronze-winged Parrot
[audio:https://planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/Bronze-winged Parrot.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
recorded by Nick Athanas
| wingspan min.: |
0 |
cm |
wingspan max.: |
0 |
cm |
| size min.: |
28 |
cm |
size max.: |
29 |
cm |
| incubation min.: |
26 |
days |
incubation max.: |
30 |
days |
| fledging min.: |
65 |
days |
fledging max.: |
75 |
days |
| broods: |
1 |
|
eggs min.: |
3 |
|
| |
|
|
eggs max.: |
4 |
|
South America : Venezuela to Northwest Peru. NW Venezuela, in Sierra de Perija, Zulia and mountains of E Tachira and W Merida and W Colombia, in Sierra de Perija, Guajira and in isolated pockets through Andean cordilleras, on western slope of Cordillera Occidental south from Rio Atrato, to both slopes of Andes in W Ecuador, and to NW Peru, Tumbes and Piura.
Humid foothill and highland cloud forest, borders, partially cleared areas with scattered trees, penetrating drier deciduous woodland in S of range; mostly 1,400-2,400 m, though as low as 120 m in N of range, and up to 2,800 m
The Bronze-winged Parrot nests in tree cavities. Clutch size is 3-4 eggs which are incubated by the female for about 26 days; the checks fledge after another 10 weeks.
Social, particularly outside breeding season. Forages in upper canopy. Feeds on fruits, particularly Ficus sp.
Video Bronze-winged Parrot
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10poxML1-rE
copyright: Robert Schaefer
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Declining in Colombia and W Ecuador, where clearance of subtropical forest of Andean slopes has been severe and rapid. Restricted range in NW Peru, were less than 500 birds occur at any one time. Extirped from some parts of range owing to habitat loss (e.g. Venezuela). Little traded internationally, but under some pressure in Venezuela.
It seems to be partially nomadic in parts of its range, for example in parts of Colombia.
