White-eared Parakeet (Pyrrhura leucotis)

Subspecies

Genus	Species	subspecies	Region	Range
Pyrrhura	leucotis		SA	e,se Brazil

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.

Physical charateristics

Both adults brown/red face and ear coverts; dull blue crown to hindneck; dull green/blue throat, the feathers having white margins; blue/green breast barred with white and dark brown; brown/red centre of abdomen and patch on lower back to upper tail coverts; red bend of wing; maroon tail with green at bases of outer webs of lateral feathers. Bill grey/black. Eye ring grey/white. Eye brown/orange.

Listen to the sound of White-eared Parakeet

[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/White-eared Parakeet.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

recorded by Richard Raby

wingspan min.:	0	cm	wingspan max.:	0	cm
size min.:	23	cm	size max.:	25	cm
incubation min.:	25	days	incubation max.:	30	days
fledging min.:	33	days	fledging max.:	38	days
broods:	1		eggs min.:	5
			eggs max.:	9

Range

South America : East,se Brazil. Present with two subspecies in NW and NE Venezuela and three subspecies in central, NE and E Brazil. The Maroon-faced Parakeet is found in scattered pockets across South America. Populations are found in northern Venezuela and in Brazil in Goias and from Bahia south to Sao Paulo.

Habitat

Tropical evergreen and deciduous forest and edge, and adjacent clearings with scattered trees and groves, ranging to c. 600m in Brazil but to 1700 m in Venezuela.

Reproduction

No data, in captivity clutch size is 5-9 eggs which are incubated for about 4 weeks by the female only. Young fledge after another 5 weeks

Feeding habits

Fruits, berries, seeds, flowers, and insects and their larvae.

Video White-eared Parakeet

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMUQyAClcLk

Conservation

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.
Locally fairly common in Venezuela although race auricularis is suffering from habitat loss. Brazilian races are under major pressures since often confined in small unprotected areas. Recent data from south-east Brazil indicate that the species is fragment sensitive since it was the more abundant parrot in a large reserve, but it was absent in a small reserve and in forest fragments. No movements were carried out by the species out of the large reserve.

White-eared Parakeet status Near Threatened

Migration

Some dispersive movements may occurr to and from deciduous habitats, resulting in occasional vagrant records in N Venezuela

Distribution map

White-eared Parakeet distribution range map

Planet of Birds