Blue-winged Parrotlet |
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Also known as: Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet
Wild Blue-winged Parrotlets
© Brian Ralphs [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr
Photos
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The Blue-winged Parrotlet nests in tree cavities but will also try arboreal termitaria (termite mounds in trees).Academic Research
Related publications: Forpus xanthopterygiusSpecies Profile
Genus: Forpus | Species: xanthopterygius
Size:
12cm (4.7 in)
Weight:
28g (1.0 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
three: F.x. xanthopterygius, F.x. flavissimus, F.x. flavescens
Colour Adult:
F.x. xanthopterygius: Male-in general olive/green to green in colour; eyes surrounded by bright green; purple/blue primary and secondary coverts; purple/blue bases to outer webs of secondary feathers; purple/blue underwing coverts, lower back and rump. Bill horn in colour with grey at base of upper mandible. Eye dark brown. Female-green instead of blue markings; green/yellow forehead and face.
F.x. flavissimus: Male-paler, more yellow/green; yellow/green forehead, cheeks and throat. Female-paler and more yellow/green.
F.x. flavescens: Male-as in xanthopterygius, but yellow/green paler; green/yellow forehead, cheeks, and underparts; paler blue on lower back and rump. Female-as in xanthopterygius, but yellow/green paler.
Colour Juvenile:
F.x. xanthopterygius: As in adults but immature male has blue markings intermixed with green.
Call:
Calls in flight or when perched are sad sounding albeit penetrating. While feeding twittering and chattering.
Listen NowMore Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
ML Media Collection Catalogue 34257, Blue-winged Parrotlet Forpus xanthopterygius, Parker, Theodore A., III, Loreto, Peru, Jan. 20 1985, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Site
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Psittacine Aviculture, Schubot, Clubb and Clubb, 1992.
Wild Blue-winged Parrotlets
© Brian Ralphs [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The Blue-winged Parrotlet nests in tree cavities but will also try arboreal termitaria (termite mounds in trees).Academic Research
Related publications: Forpus xanthopterygiusSpecies Care
Captive Status:
Uncommon in captivity.
Longevity:
10-20 yrs
Housing:
2 x 1 x 2m (6.5 x 3.3 x 6.5 ft) enclosure, or suspended indoor cage 120cm x 40cm x 50cm (46.8" x 15.6" x 19.5"), with roosting box.
Diet:
Seed mix such as: millet, canary grass seed, weed seed, wheat and oats; millet spray, sprouted or unsprouted; fruit such as: apple, pear, orange, banana, pomegranate; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, green beans, peas in the pod; berries such as: rose hips, mountain ash (rowan); green leaves such as: Swiss chard, dandelion, chickweed, lettuce; insectivorous food; complete kibble if taken.
Enrichment:
Provide tree stumps, branches (are avid chewers); areas for bathing.
Nest Box Size:
Nest log 15cm (6") in diameter, 30cm (11.7") high or 6" x 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm x 15cm) vertical box.
Clutch Size:
3-7
Incubation Time:
21 days
Fledging Age:
35 days
Hatch Weight:
Not recorded.
Peak Weight:
Not recorded.
Weaning Weight:
Not recorded.
Wild Blue-winged Parrotlets
© Brian Ralphs [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The Blue-winged Parrotlet nests in tree cavities but will also try arboreal termitaria (termite mounds in trees).Academic Research
Related publications: Forpus xanthopterygiusSpecies Wild Status
World Population:
Unknown, stable.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
This species is not felt to have been affected by the wild bird trade.
Range:
F.x. xanthopterygius: NE Argentina in Misiones, NE Corrientes, E Chaco and E Formosa; and from Paraguay north through central and mideastern Brazil to N Bahia.
F.x. flavissimus: NE Brazil, from Maranhao, Ceara, and Paraiba south to N Bahia.
F.x. flavescens: CE Peru south to E Bolivia, in Beni and Santa Cruz.
Habitat:
Prefers drier wooded habitats such as open and riparian woodland, cerrado and caatinga; also found in savanna, palm groves, semi-arid scrubland and pastures. Found also along Amazon River in lighter riparian growth.
Wild Diet:
Eats fruits of Cecropia, seeds of Mikania and Trema mirantha and flowers of Ambrosia and Marcgravia.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Will forage in the open and sometimes on the ground. Highly social; found in groups of up to 50 individuals.
Clutch and Egg Size:
3-7 spherical to elliptical eggs, 19.0 x 15.0mm (0.7 x 0.6 in)
Breeding Season:
October-March; nest is in tree cavity (ie Cecropia), termite mound, fence-post or in abandoned nest of Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus).
Related Links:
Wikipedia
Research: Morphological variability and taxonomy of the Blue-winged Parrotlet
Wild Blue-winged Parrotlets
© Brian Ralphs [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr
Photos
View in GalleryDid You Know?
The Blue-winged Parrotlet nests in tree cavities but will also try arboreal termitaria (termite mounds in trees).Academic Research
Related publications: Forpus xanthopterygiusMembers Only Resources
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