| Orange-chinned parakeet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male specimen in Honduras | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Brotogeris |
| Species: | B. jugularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Brotogeris jugularis (Müller, 1776) | |
 | |
Theorange-chinned parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), also known as theTovi parakeet, is a species of bird in subfamilyArinae of the familyPsittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found from southern Mexico through Central America into Colombia and Venezuela.[2]
The orange-chinned parakeet has two subspecies, thenominateB. j. jugularis (Müller, 1776) andB. j. exsul (Todd, 1917).[2] Another subspecies,B. j. apurensis, has been proposed as separate fromexsul but that treatment has not been accepted.[3] The orange-chinned and thegrey-cheeked parakeet (B. pyrrhotera) aresister species.[3][4]
The orange-chinned parakeet is 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long and weighs between 53 and 65 g (1.9 and 2.3 oz). Adults of the nominate subspecies have a bright green head with a bluish wash on the crown, a white eye ring, an orange chin, and a pale bill. The chin patch is often hard to see. Their upperparts and tail are bluish green with brown wingcoverts that show as "shoulders" when perched. Their underparts are mostly bright green with bluish vent and thighs. Their underwing coverts are yellow. Immature birds are similar to adults. SubspeciesB. j. exsul has entirely green underparts and a smaller and paler orange chin patch, darker "shoulders", and more olive in the mantle than the nominate.[3]
The nominate subspecies of the orange-chinned parakeet has by far the larger range. It is found from the southwestern Mexican state ofOaxaca south mostly along the Pacific side of Central America through western, central, and northern Colombia into northwestern Venezuela. SubspeciesB. j. exsul is found in northeastern Colombia'sArauca Department and northern and western Venezuela as far asGuárico. The species inhabits semi-open to open landscapes includingLlanos, deciduous woodland,secondary andgallery forest, plantations, and treed parts of towns. It shuns evergreen forest. In elevation it ranges from sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft).[3]
The orange-chinned parakeet is generally sedentary, but at least in El Salvador wanders locally after the breeding season.[3] It is usually seen in pairs or small flocks.[5]
The orange-chinned parakeet often forages with the largerorange-fronted parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis). It feeds on a wide variety of foods, primarily fruits and seeds but also flowers, herbs, nectar, insects, and algae. It can damage cultivated fruit. Like many other parrots, it feeds on mineral-rich soil.[3][6]
10c1.jpg)
The orange-chinned parakeet's breeding season spans from January to April. It nests in an old woodpecker hole, a natural cavity, or in a hole it excavates in an arboreal termite nest. Communal nesting in a large rotten snag has been observed. The typical clutch size is four to seven eggs. In captivity the incubation period is about 21 to 26 days and fledging occurs about two to three weeks after hatch.[3][7]
| Songs and calls |
The orange-chinned parakeet's common calls are "a high-pitched "klee", shrill "chree" or bisyllabic "chree-chree"" that are given when perched or in flight. It also makes "a fast chattering series "cra-cra-cra-cra-cra"."[3] It makes "a near constant, shrill, harsh chatter."[8]
TheIUCN has assessed the orange-chinned parakeet as being of Least Concern. It has a very large range and an estimated population of at least a half million mature individuals. The latter, however, is believed to be decreasing. No immediate threats have been identified.[1] It is considered "[c]ommon to abundant throughout most of range, but uncommon in Oaxaca, Mexico."[3]
