Lilac-tailed Parrotlet Touit batavicus Scientific name definitions

The Lilac-tailed Parrotlet is a small, bright parrot of forest and clearings in Venezuela, the Guianas, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is strikingly-patterned with black upperparts, bright yellow-green upperwing coverts, a yellow-green head, a violet tail, and a blue breast. This species appears to move seasonally, as wanderers occur in coastal areas and significant movements have been observed at Portachuelo Pass in Venezuela between August and November. Like many other small parrots, it feeds on fruits, seeds, nectar, buds, and flowers and nests in a tree cavity or hole in a termitarium.

14 cm; 52–72 g. Head yellow, ear-coverts and sides of neck green, nape scaled dusky; back and wings black with greater wing-coverts yellowish green edged green-blue, carpal red; tail purplish rose with black subterminal bar; throat and belly green, breast pale blue; underwing-coverts blue. Immature undescribed.

Flowers, nectar, buds, berries, seeds and fruits, apparently mostly taken in the early morning.

Most common calls are a slightly nasal “ryee” or “nee-ryee”. In flight, individuals of (typically large) groups call simultaneously, resulting in a continuous, monotonous, noisy chattering. When perched, also utters a very nasal “naaee” or “rrhaaee”, not immediately bringing to mind a psittacine.