Justification A ban on trapping and trade has improved the status of this species. The rate of decline was very rapid in the 1980s, but may now have reduced, or even stabilised. However, the population remains very small, with records from very few locations, and it consequently qualifies as Vulnerable.

Family/Sub-family Psittacidae

Species name author (Salvin, 1895)

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

Identification 15 cm. Green-and-yellow parrotlet. Overall green with bright yellow crown, lores, ear-coverts and chin, fringed with pale blue postocular stripe continuing around rear of ear-coverts. Cobalt-blue lower back, rump and uppertail-coverts, wing-patch and underwing-coverts. Female has paler back and rump, and less blue in wing. Similar spp. Pacific Parrotlet F. coelestis lacks yellow. Voice When Perched, a rapid squeaky cheet-cheet-cheet.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

250-999

stable

2,400 km²

Yes

Range & population Forpus xanthops occurs in the upper Marañón valley, in south Amazonas, south-east Cajamarca and east La Libertad, north-central Peru. Most recent records originate from the Balsas area (Amazonas/Cajamarca) and the Chagual/Hacienda Soquián area (La Libertad)^1,3,8,9, but intervening areas are considerably less accessible. Records formerly assigned to this taxon in the Bagua area of the Marañón and Utcubamba valleys, north Peru², refer to F. coelestis^5,6,8. It was formerly abundant¹, but suffered a serious decline, probably during the 1980s, when it became rare in the more accessible areas^1,3. In 1988, numbers were extremely low, with only 168 individuals counted during extensive surveys¹. It appears to be recovering somewhat following a ban on trade, and the number of birds traded has fallen markedly¹. However, there is little evidence of a substantial recovery³.

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

Ecology: It inhabits arid woodland, riparian thickets and desert scrub at 800-2,750 m, but mostly at 1,000-1,600 m ⁴. It feeds on the seeds of balsas trees and cacti. In captivity, 3-6 eggs are laid, and up to three broods are raised per year. In the wild, the breeding season begins in March-April, and nesting takes place in natural dirt and rock walls, in colonies of up to 70 birds¹.

Threats Trapping for the local cage-bird trade is probably the sole reason for its recent and drastic decline¹. Trappers estimate that over 17,000 birds were caught in 1981-1994 (a claim verified by dealers), and 1,481 were legally exported in 1981-1984¹, but no wild-caught specimens were recorded in international trade in 1991-1995⁷. The mortality rate between capture and sale is estimated at 40-100%², inevitably raising demand. By 1988, trade was reduced, with just 56 birds recorded in Lima's bird market that year¹.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II. It is legally protected in Peru but this is poorly enforced. Capture rates have decreased markedly since the ban, and trappers apparently only capture the species to order¹. There are no protected areas within its range.

Conservation measures proposed Survey the population, especially in the less accessible centre of its range, and between the known ranges of the two Forpus species. Monitor the population, working with local people to generate the will to conserve the species in situ¹. Study its biology and ecology throughout an annual cycle. Control trade and enforce laws on trapping.

References Collar et al. (1992). 1. Begazo (1996). 2. Dorst (1957). 3. J. Hornbuckle in litt. (1999). 4. Juniper and Parr (1998). 5. N. Krabbe in litt. (2000). 6. T. S. Schulenberg in litt. (1999). 7. Snyder et al. (2000). 8. R. Webster and R. A. Rowlett in litt. (1998). 9. Begazo et al. (2001).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species account from the Threatened birds of the Americas: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 1992). Please note, taxonomic treatment and IUCN Red List category may have changed since publication.

Recuento detallado de la especie tomado del libro Aves Amenazadas de las Americas, Libro Rojo de BirdLife International (BirdLife International 1992). Nota: la taxonomoía y la categoría de la Lista Roja de la UICN pudo haber cambiado desde esta publicación.

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Isabel Isherwood (BirdLife International), Tom Stuart (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors J. Hornbuckle, Niels Krabbe (Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen), R. A. Rowlett, Thomas Schulenberg (Field Museum of Natural History Chicago), R. Webster

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Forpus xanthops. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

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.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

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