Venezuelan Parakeet
[order] PSITTACIFORMES | [family] Psittacidae | [latin] Pyrrhura emma | [authority] Kuhl, 1820 | [UK] Venezuelan Parakeet | [FR] Conure emma | [DE] Weissohrsittich Spanish | [ES] Cotorra Cariparda | [NL] Emma?s witoorparkiet | [copyright picture] John Gerrard Keulemans
| Genus |
Species |
subspecies |
Region |
Range |
| Pyrrhura |
emma |
|
SA |
n Venezuela |
Genus
The genus Pyrrhura includes a rich set of small to medium-sized species of parakeets, mostly confined to dense habitats in South America. Also, they inhabit dry as well as tall rainforests which occur from sea level up to 2000m. These birds exploit several tree species and use a variety of food items, from nectar to pure seeds. All have long, pointed tails, a mainly green plumage, and a relatively narrow, dark greyish to white eye-ring. Many have scaly or barred chest-patterns and a whitish, pale grey, buff or reddish ear-patch. They typically move around in small, noisy flocks, flying swiftly at or below canopy level. Once settled in a tree they tend to be silent (especially if aware of danger) and difficult to spot. They nest in a tree-crevice.
P.e. emma: both adults brown/maroon face; off-white ear coverts; green/blue crown to nape and sides of hindneck; green/blue throat and sides of foreneck, margined off-white; green/brown breast with yellow/white and brown barring; brown/red centre of abdomen and patch from lower back to upper tail coverts; red bend of wing; green tail tipped with brown/red; bare cere white. Eye ring bare and white. Eye dark brown. P.e. auricularis: both adults as in emma, but with larger more white ear coverts; upperparts and flanks slightly darker green and less yellow; bare cere. Eye ring bare and grey.
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| size min.: |
23 |
cm |
size max.: |
25 |
cm |
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incubation max.: |
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| fledging min.: |
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fledging max.: |
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| broods: |
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eggs min.: |
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eggs max.: |
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South America : North Venezuela
These parakeets inhabit humid terra firme forest, seasonally flooded forest, cloud forest, coastal sand ridge and savanna and even partly cleared areas.
Clutch size 4-5 reggs, no further data. Breeding ecologyu probably similar to Maroon-faced Parakeet
Diet probably includes fruits, flowers, seeds and some larvae. Seen in pairs, but mostly in flocks of up to 15 individuals. Feeds at all levels of canopy.
This species has a small and declining subpopulation in Brazil and a larger subpopulation in Venezuela. Habitat loss and degradation are driving moderately raid declines, particularly in Brazil. For these reasons it is considered Near Threatened
Resident, moving seasonally in response to food and breeding.
