Golden-capped Parakeet Aratinga auricapillus Scientific name definitions

Currently considered Near Threatened, the Golden-capped Parakeet is predominantly green with a red forehead, lores and orbital region, grading to bright yellow over the crown, a large, dull orange-red belly, reddish underwing coverts, bluish primaries, and a mainly dull blue tail. It is endemic to Brazil, where the Golden-capped Parakeet occurs in both humid Atlantic Forest and transitional forests further inland, but is principally dependent on semi-deciduous woodland. Its geographical range extends from Bahia and Goiás south to São Paulo and Paraná, and locally the species remains reasonably numerous, usually being encountered in flocks, which in the interior are often joined by the much commoner Peach-fronted Parakeet (Aratinga aurea). The Golden-capped Parakeet forms a superspecies with the Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis) and the Jandaya Parakeet (Aratinga jandaya), with some authorities preferring to view all three as members of a single, widespread, species.

30 cm; 130 g. Area around eye onto forehead red, shading through orange on forecrown to yellow on mid-crown; bare orbital skin dark; head, body and wings fairly deep green, more yellowish below, with lower breast to belly red, lower back and rump edged with red, flight-feathers with blue, underwing-coverts  orange-red, undersides of tail dull reddish grey. Immature has less red and yellow on head. Race <em>aurifrons</em> deeper green below and without red edging on back and rump.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

One record from Paraguay in 1918 may have involved escaped cagebirds.

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SUBSPECIES

Aratinga auricapillus auricapillus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N and C Bahia, in E Brazil.

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SUBSPECIES

Aratinga auricapillus aurifrons Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C Bahia S to Paraná, in E Brazil.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Fringes of semi-deciduous forests, being less common in second growth and pastureland with interspersed trees and palms, but spreading out from shelter of good forest patches to forage in much more open areas including agricultural land, ranging as high as 2180 m.

No information available, but some movements in response to food availability seem likely.

Fruits  and seeds. In an anthropogenic area in NW of São Paulo state, birds were recorded foraging on 28 plant species, 16 of them exotics; major food items included seeds of Guazuma ulmifolia, Zea mays, Psidium guajava and Pterogyne nitens, as well as nectar of Ceiba speciosa and fruits of several species; there were marked seasonal shifts (2 Silva, P.A. and Melo, C. (2013). Foraging of the Golden-capped Parakeet (Aratinga auricapillus) in an anthropogenic landscape in Brazil. Ornitología Neotropical. 24: 55–66. Close ). When common in last century it was a crop pest.

A high-pitched, shrill, screeching note repeated several times “crree crree crree”, both in flight and perched, much like analagous vocalizations of A. solstitialis and A. jandaya.

Almost no information. Nest in hole of tree. General evidence suggests breeding around Oct. A well-grown chick  recorded in early Nov in São Paulo, Brazil. Egg size (in captivity) 30–30·7 mm × 21·4–24·5 mm (3 Harrison, C. J. O., and D. T. Holyoak (1970). Apparently undescribed parrot eggs in the collection of the British Museum (Natural History). Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 90(2):42–46. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. CITES II. In 19th century a common species; possibly in decline for two hundred years with steady and now extensive clearance and fragmentation of its habitat, and perhaps owing to trade for internal markets. Now seemingly very scarce throughout S part of range, with centre of abundance in Minas Gerais , but both forest clearance and trapping for local consumption continue unchecked. Recorded from Chapada Diamantina and Monte Pascoal National Parks (Bahia), as well as Caratinga Reserve, Rio Doce State Park and Serra da Canastra National Park (Minas Gerais).