Saffron-headed Parrot
Encyclopedia
The Saffron-headed Parrot (Pyrilia pyrilia) is a species of parrot
in the family
Psittacidae. It was previously placed in the genus
Pionopsitta, but moved out, as it is not as close to the type species
Pionopsitta pileata as it was believed. It was briefly placed in Gypopsitta, but this is a junior synonym of Pyrilia and thus the Saffron-headed Parrot is now placed in the latter genus.
It is found in Colombia
, Panama
, Venezuela
, and possibly Ecuador
. Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It has some tolerance to habitat alteration, depending on woodland but not being restricted to primary forest .
The Saffron-headed Parrot is becoming rare due by habitat loss. It was considered to be noticeably declining and thus uplisted to Vulnerable in the 2000 IUCN Red List
. Since then, it has been found to be more common than previously believed – though still becoming rarer and rarer –, with robust populations in some places (e.g. the Serranía de las Quinchas
of Colombia) and thus it was downlisted from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List
.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Psittacidae. It was previously placed in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Pionopsitta, but moved out, as it is not as close to the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
Pionopsitta pileata as it was believed. It was briefly placed in Gypopsitta, but this is a junior synonym of Pyrilia and thus the Saffron-headed Parrot is now placed in the latter genus.
It is found in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and possibly Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It has some tolerance to habitat alteration, depending on woodland but not being restricted to primary forest .
The Saffron-headed Parrot is becoming rare due by habitat loss. It was considered to be noticeably declining and thus uplisted to Vulnerable in the 2000 IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. Since then, it has been found to be more common than previously believed – though still becoming rarer and rarer –, with robust populations in some places (e.g. the Serranía de las Quinchas
Serranía de las Quinchas
The Serranía de las Quinchas is an 860 km2 area of tropical rainforest and cloud forest in Colombia. It lies in the mid Magdalena River Valley in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes. It ranges in altitude from 200 m to 1700 m asl...
of Colombia) and thus it was downlisted from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in the 2007 IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.