Tepui Parrotlet
Also known as:
Roraima Parrotlet
Also known as:
Roraima Parrotlet
DID YOU KNOW?
The tepuis or table mountains in the south of Venezuela belong to one of the earth’s oldest geologic formations, the “Guyana Shield.” The climate on their plateaus differs greatly from that of the surrounding areas, thus isolating the flora and fauna on them.
Size:
14 cm (5.5 in)
Weight:
42 g.
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults mainly green in colour; area around eye green/yellow, more so under eye; yellow wash on forehead, lores and chin, less evident in female; black bend of wing; pale yellow carpal edge. Beak dusky brown. Eye dark brown.
Colour Juvenile:
Undescribed, but thought to be like adults.
Call:
Calls made in flight are continuous, high-pitched tinkling notes, not unlike the jangling of a chain.
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
Dictionary.com
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006. 2010 edition
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Captive Status:
Extremely rare; probably not kept outside of South America.
Longevity:
—
Housing:
Walk-in aviary 3 x 1 x 2 m (9.8 x 3.3 x 6.5 ft), planted, with many perches as parrotlets are agile and good fliers.
Diet:
Seed mix such as: wheat, oats, canary, millet and some sunflower; millet spray, dry or sprouted; fruits such as: apple, pear, orange, banana, pomegranate, cactus fruits; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, green beans and peas in the pod; half ripened maize; berries such as: rose hips, mountain ash, Pyracantha; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, kale, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; complete kibble for small hookbills if taken.
Enrichment:
Provide bird-safe, unsprayed branches such as fir, pine, willow, elder or saskatoon. Provide ladders, swings and ropes for climbing.
Nest Box Size:
—
Clutch Size:
Not recorded.
Fledging Age:
—
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
Unknown, decreasing. Fairly common but patchily distributed.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Not globally threatened. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Fairly common, with very little trapping. May have declined on the Paria Peninsula due to deforestation. This species is considered to have a high dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 1.1% within its mapped range over the past 10 years. It is therefore tentatively suspected that this may have led to a 1-19% decline in the species’ population over the same period, with a best estimate of less than 5%.
Range:
SE Venezuela, scattered in tepuis of E Bolivar, including forests of La Gran Sabana and nearby Kamarang River region, W Guyana; also Venezuelan populations in C and S Amazonas and north on Cerro Humo and Cerro Papelon, Sucre. May occur in N Roraima, Brazil.
Habitat:
Found from 750-1850 m (2460-6068 ft) in moist montane forest in upper tropical and subtropical zones; also found in lowland areas around the tepuis (table-top mountains found only in the Guyana highlands).
Wild Diet:
Feeds on Ficus figs and the fruits of other trees; birds make altitudinal flights daily from tepuis down to foraging areas.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Gregarious, usually seen in flocks of 100 or more. Makes local or seasonal movements. Probably roosts and nests high on mountain slopes. Difficult to detect while resting or feeding.
Clutch and Egg Size:
Not recorded.
Breeding Season:
Not recorded.
Related Links:
—
