Hispaniolan parakeet

The Hispaniolan parakeet, also known as perico or periquito (Psittacara chloropterus) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.

Hispaniolan parakeet
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Psittacara
Species:
P. chloropterus
Binomial name
Psittacara chloropterus

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.

Description

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.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and arable land; nonetheless, there are populations that live in urban areas, like the ever-increasing one in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

The Puerto Rican parakeet (Psittacara maugei) was previously found on Mona Island, but became extinct circa 1882. It was considered a subspecies before being considered as a distinct species.[2]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Psittacara chloropterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Day, David (1989). The Encyclopedia of Vanished Species. Hong Kong: Mclaren Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-947889-30-2.


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