Justification This species has a moderately small population which has suffered some severe local declines (primarily owing to trapping) but remains common in some other areas. It is consequently classified as Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Psittacidae

Species name author (Lesson, 1844)

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005 + updates), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

10,000

unset

106,000 km²

No

Range & population Aratinga erythrogenys occurs from Manabí, north-west Ecuador, south to Lambayeque and Cajamarca, north-west Peru, with the high Andes marking its easternmost limit, at least in Ecuador^3,4,6. There are very few records from the centre of its range, in Guayas, El Oro and Azuay, Ecuador, which may effectively divide the population into two distinct sub-populations³. The total population is unlikely to be smaller than 10,000, with the majority occurring in Ecuador³. Though considered 'common' in parts of its range^1,2,4,9, there have been severe local declines^3,8.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: It occurs in a range of habitats - from humid forest through deciduous forest, dry Acacia scrub to open, sparsely vegetated desert and intensely farmed areas to towns - but principally inhabits arid areas⁶, from sea-level to 2,500 m, but most frequently below 1,500 m ³. It nests in tree cavities, but the extent to which it tolerates logged forest and can breed successfully in small woodlots or even isolated trees is unclear³.

Threats It suffers heavily from local trade in Peru and Ecuador, where it is a common and highly sought-after pet^2,3,9. It is also internationally traded from Peru, but its status is clouded by the misdeclaring of traded birds⁵ and pre-trade mortality⁷, which both demonstrate the complexities of estimating true numbers taken from the wild³.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.

Conservation measures proposed Research current threat from trade. Enforce trade restrictions. Census and monitor population. Study its ability to persist in altered and fragmented habitats.

References 1. Best (1992). 2. Best and Clarke (1991). 3. Best et al. (1995). 4. Clements and Shany (2001). 5. Inskipp and Corrigan (1992). 6. Juniper and Parr (1998). 7. Ramos and Iñigo (1985). 8. Ridgely (1981a). 9. Williams and Tobias (1994).

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), David Capper (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

IUCN Red List evaluators Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Aratinga erythrogenys. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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