Pyrrhura melanura
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet (*Pyrrhura melanura*) is a vibrant, medium-sized Neotropical parrot distinguished by its predominantly green plumage and a diagnostic maroon tail. Measuring approximately 23-25 cm in length and weighing around 80-100 grams, it features a dark brownish-black crown and nape, green cheeks often with a faint blue wash, and a scaled pattern on its breast and neck created by pale-edged green feathers. Key field marks include the prominent maroon or dark reddish-brown tail...
Primarily inhabits humid tropical and subtropical evergreen forests, including lowland rainforests, montane cloud forests, and forest edges. Found from near sea level up to 3,000 meters in elevation, depending on the subspecies and geographical location.
Feeds primarily on a diverse array of fruits, berries, seeds, flowers, and buds. They forage actively in the forest canopy, occasionally supplementing their diet with nectar and small insect larvae.
Maroon-tailed Parakeets are highly diurnal and gregarious, typically observed foraging and flying in pairs or small, noisy flocks often numbering up to 20-30 individuals. They are highly arboreal, demonstrating impressive agility as they clamber through the canopy, often hanging upside down to re...
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is a resident species distributed across various disjunct populations in northern South America, inhabiting humid forests from lowlands to mid-montane elevations. Its extensive range includes the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela, as well as the Pa...
Least Concern
- The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is known for its impressive social cohesion, often flying in tight, noisy flocks through the forest canopy. - Despite its name, the maroon coloration on its tail is often most visible from below when the bird is in flight, making it a key identification mark. - It is ...