Green parakeet
The green parakeet, green conure, or Mexican green conure is a New World parrot. As defined by the International Ornithological Committee, it is native to Mexico and southern Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
Taxonomy and systematics
The green parakeet was formally described in 1859 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater under the binomial name Conurus holochlorus based on a specimen that had been collected near the town of Xalapa in the state Veracruz of southern Mexico. The specific epithet holochlorus is from Classical Greek ὁλοχλωρος/holokhlōros meaning "all-green" or "all-yellow". The green parakeet was formerly placed in the genus Aratinga, but is now one of 12 species placed in the resurrected genus Psittacara that was introduced in 1825 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors.Three subspecies are recognised:
- P. h. brewsteri – northwest Mexico
- P. h. holochlorus – east, south Mexico
- P. h. rubritorquis – south Guatemala, Honduras and north Nicaragua
The Socorro parakeet was formerly considered as a subspecies. The green parakeet was for a time placed in the genus Aratinga as A. holochlora but from about 2013 has been in its present genus Psittacara.
Description
The green parakeet is long and weighs about. The sexes are alike. Adults of both subspecies are generally green that is paler and yellower on their underparts. Their cheeks and throat have variable amounts of red speckles. Their underwing coverts are yellowish green and the undersides of their flight feathers and tail are olive-yellow. Their iris is orange-red surrounded by bare pale beige skin, their bill horn colored, and their legs and feet brownish. The subspecies P. h. brewsteri is overall somewhat darker than the nominate and has a slight glaucous cast on its head.Distribution and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the green parakeet is native in eastern Mexico from Nuevo León and Tamaulipas south to Veracruz. The subspecies P. h. brewsteri is in the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua. In the United States, the species is established in the lower Lower [Rio Grande Valley|Rio Grande Valley] of Texas; that sub-population's origin is unknown but could be derived from introduced individuals or by natural dispersion. Sightings in California, Florida, and New Mexico are believed to be of escaped or released cage birds and the species is not on those states' lists.In its native range, the green parakeet inhabits semi-open landscapes including deciduous woodland, gallery forest, and scrublands. It shuns humid lowland forest and is typically found at elevations between. In Texas it is also found in cities and towns.
Behavior
The green parakeet is non-migratory but makes local movements in response to food availability.Its diet has not been fully documented but is known to include seed and fruits. It can be a crop pest.
The breeding season has not been defined but appears to include at least January to April. It nests in tree cavities, caves, and cliff faces. The clutch size is four eggs. The incubation period is thought to be 23 days; the time to fledging and details of parental care are not known.
Its variety of vocalizations include "sharp squeaky notes", "loud harsh calls", and "shrill noisy chattering". Its flight call is "a rolling, harsh and high pitched screek...screek."