From Opus

Photo by Mariano Mavila
Photographed in Peru.

Aratinga mitrata

Includes: Chapman's Parakeet and Hocking's Parakeet

[edit] Identification

Green, red forehead grading into scattered bright red feathers on crown, face, cheek, and sometimes on the bend in the wing and on the thighs. Dull green underparts are faintly washed olive. Sexes similar. Juvenile shows less red and has a brown rather than orange iris.

[edit] Variation

Subspecies mitrata has a good deal of red, while alticola (higher elevation in same area) lacks red on thighs and have reduced red in face.

[edit] Distribution

Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Introduced to for example Hawai'i, Miami (where several hundreds are found), and Los Angeles (numbers in hundreds to thousands)

[edit] Taxonomy

Four subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• A. m. mitrata
• A. m. chlorogenys
• A. m. tucumana
• A. m. alticola

A fifth subspecies hockingi has been proposed, and both this one and alticola have been proposed as full species (usually occurring at higher elevation than other Mitred Parakeets), currently without much support^[2].

[edit] Habitat

Dry subtropical forest, and rocky cliffs.

[edit] Behaviour

Calls are loud, raucous, and are given both when sitting and when flying.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Birdforum thread discussing Mitred Parakeet and potential splits
3. National Geographic Society. 2011. Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th edition. Washington DC: National Geographic Society. ISBN 978-1-4262-0828-7

[edit] External Links