[order] PSITTACIFORMES | [family] Psittacidae | [latin] Hapalopsittaca amazonina | [authority] Des Murs, 1845 | [UK] Rusty-faced Parrot | [FR] Caique a face rouge | [DE] Zwergamazone | [ES] Lorito Amazonino | [NL] Andespapegaai | [copyright picture] Birdlife
Subspecies
Monotypic species
Genus
The genus Hapalopsittaca consists of four species of small (23cm) short-tailed parrots, confined to the Andes. It is one of the least known genera of parrots in the world; one is Critically Endangered (Fuertes?) and two, including the Rusty-faced, are Endangered, due to deforestation. The genus Hapalopsittaca may exploit mistletoes extensively.
Physical charateristics
H.a. amazonina: both adults forehead orange/red turning to brown/red on forecrown; pale yellow lores; chin and area before cheeks orange/red; longer feathers of ear coverts and area behind cheeks olive in colour, shafts streaked pale yellow; olive throat and breast; red bend of wing to lesser wing coverts; carpal edge and lesser wing coverts soft red; tail brown/red tipped with purple/blue. Bill horn in colour with blue/grey at base of upper mandible. Eye green/yellow. H.a. theresae: both adults forehead, chin and area before cheeks darker than in amazonina; ear coverts and area behind cheeks darker than in amazonina; throat and upper breast rusty olive/brown. H.a. velezi: both adults nape to area behind neck yellow/olive; green mantle; pale blue and pink carpal edge.
Listen to the sound of Rusty-faced Parrot
[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/Rusty-faced Parrot.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
recorded by Andrew Spencer
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| size min.: | 23 | cm | size max.: | 25 | cm |
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| broods: | 0 | eggs min.: | 0 | ||
| eggs max.: | 0 |
Range
South America : Colombia, Northwest Venezuela. The species has three subspecies in the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Subspecies theresae is restricted to the Sierra de Merida (Trujillo, Merida and Tachira), Venezuela. Nominate amazonina occurs on both slopes of the East Andes in south-west Tachira, Venezuela, Cundinamarca, and historically Norte de Santander and Santander, Colombia. Subspecies velezi is known from both slopes of the Central Andes in Caldas, Risaralda and Tolima, Colombia. There are recent sightings of Hapalopsittaca species from the head of the Madgalena valley, Huila, Colombia, and northern Ecuador, probably all amazonina. Hapalopsittaca amazonina has three subspecies in the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia. Subspecies theresae is restricted to the Sierra de Merida (Trujillo, Merida and Tachira), Venezuela. Nominate amazonina occurs on both slopes of the East Andes in south-west Tachira, Venezuela; and Cundinamarca, Boyaca and historically Norte de Santander and Santander, Colombia. Subspecies velezi is known from both slopes of the Central Andes in Caldas, Risaralda and Tolima, Colombia.
Habitat
It occupies wet, epiphyte-rich cloud-forest, adjacent subtropical forest and treeline scrub at 2,000-3,000 m, mainly above 2,500 m.
Reproduction
No data
Feeding habits
Forages for Phytolacca berries and fruits of Clusia and mistletoe. It feeds mainly in the canopy on fruit, blossoms and seeds.
Video Rusty-faced Parrot
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YNaRgHxBCE
copyright: Oswaldotanager
Conservation
This species is listed as Vulnerable because its small population consists of very small, scattered subpopulations that are likely to be undergoing continuing declines, owing to widespread habitat loss.
Historical localities in the northern East Andes are now wholly deforested. Vast areas have been logged, cleared and used for agriculture, illegal drug plantations, infrastructure development and mining. Frequent burning, intense grazing and, locally, potato cultivation continue to lower the timberline in many areas. If dependent on fluctuating food-resources, it may be particularly sensitive to habitat alteration.
Historical localities in the northern East Andes are now wholly deforested. Vast areas have been logged, cleared and used for agriculture, illegal drug plantations, infrastructure development and mining. Frequent burning, intense grazing and, locally, potato cultivation continue to lower the timberline in many areas. If dependent on fluctuating food-resources, it may be particularly sensitive to habitat alteration.
Migration
Migration between seasonal feeding grounds possibly occurs
Distribution map
