Family Parrots (Psittacidae)
Least Concern
Venezuelan Parakeet (Pyrrhura emma)
Taxonomy
French: Conure d’Emma German: Emmasittich Spanish: Cotorra de Emma
Other common names:
Emma's Conure
Taxonomy:
Pyrrhura emma
Salvadori
, 1891,Caracas and Garipé, Venezuela
.
Subspecies and Distribution
P. e. emma
Salvadori, 1891 – N Venezuela (Yaracuy to W Anzoátegui).
P. e. auricularis
J. T. Zimmer & Phelps, Sr, 1949 – NE Venezuela (E Anzoátegui, Sucre and N Monagas).
Descriptive notes
22–23 cm. Overall medium-sized green parakeet with blue in primaries (conspicuous in flight), red-brown rump, tail, belly and shoulders; breast has pale scale-like bars on... read more
Voice
No known differences from P. leucotis, e.g. a loud, harsh “kik-kik-kik-kik” with a hard... read more
Habitat
Humid and wet forest and edge, as well as adjacent clearings with scattered trees and groves.... read more
Food and feeding
Few data, but has been observed eating Ochroma flowers and nectar and Cecropia angustifolia fruits; typically travels in... read more
Breeding
Season said to be May–Jul, but few other data.
Movements
None known.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Endemic to the Coastal Cordillera of N Venezuela. Population trend unquantified, but species thought to be in slow decline, given... read more
Part of the P. picta–leucotis complex (see under P. picta). Differs from P. picta in its broad maroon face including lower ear-coverts (ns[2]), white vs grey periorbital skin (3), bluish-green vs pale grey-brown mid-crown to hindcrown (3), barred vs heavily scalloped breast pattern (3); differs from P. caeruleiceps and P. griseipectus in characters given under those species; differs from P. leucotis in its more extensive maroon on lower ear-coverts and reduced prominence of upper ear-coverts (2), bluish-green vs ochreish-brown crown (2), maroon rump (3), less prominent but two-tone breast pattern (ns[2]). Races very weakly distinguished and perhaps better synonymized#R. Two subspecies tentatively recognized.