Hispaniolan Parakeet

Hispaniolan Parakeet
Hispaniolan Parakeet
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Aratinga
Species: A. chloroptera
Binomial name
Aratinga chloroptera
(Souancé, 1856)

The Hispaniolan Parakeet, Conure Maîtresse, Aratinga De La Española, or Perico (Aratinga chloroptera) is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). Localized feral populations exist in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and the Miami, Florida area, where they sometimes associate with Canary-winged Parakeets.

The bird is a medium-sized parakeet, evenly colored green, with a long and pointed tail, pale beak and legs, white eye-ring and red patch on the wing's wrist area. Sexes are identical; the bird is highly gregarious, forming flocks which can surpass several dozen individuals. The only similar bird in its native range is the possibly introduced Olive-throated Parakeet, from which it can be readily differentiated mainly by wing patches that are blue, instead of red.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, and arable land; nonetheless, there are popupations that live in urban areas, like the ever-increasing one in Santo Domingo. It, like many psittacids, is threatened by habitat loss and illegal captures for the pet trade.

A subspecies, the Puerto Rican Conure (Aratinga chloroptera maugei) was previously found on Mona Island, but went extinct circa 1882.[1]

References

  1. ^ Day, David (1989). The Encyclopedia of Vanished Species. Hong Kong: Mclaren Publishing Limited. ISBN 0947889302. 
  • BirdLife International (2008). Aratinga chloroptera. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 17 November 2008. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened.

External links