Justification This species is classified as Near Threatened because its population is suspected to be declining moderately rapidly owing to habitat loss.

Family/Sub-family Psittacidae

Species name author (Spix, 1824)

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

Synonyms Amazona xanthops BirdLife International (2004), Amazona xanthops BirdLife International (2000), Amazona xanthops Collar et al. (1994), Amazona xanthops Collar and Andrew (1988), Amazona xanthops Stotz et al. (1996), Amazona xanthops Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Taxonomic note Amazona xanthops (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) is transfered to the genus Alipiopsitta following SACC (2006, 2007).

Identification 26.5 cm. Green-and-yellow parrot. Pale green above. Yellow crown, lores and cheeks. Rest of head yellow, broadly scaled green. Greenish-yellow underparts scaled green. Yellow patches with orange mottling on sides of belly. White periocular. Distinctive bill with mostly dark maxilla and yellowish mandible. Immature is greener and has more restricted yellow on head. Similar spp. Blue-fronted Amazon A. aestiva is larger, with turquoise forecrown and different breast pattern. Voice High-pitched kréwe-kréwe and grayo-grayo calls.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

unknown

decreasing

1,900,000 km²

No

Range & population Alipiopsitta xanthops is restricted to interior Brazil (Maranhão, Piauí, Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and formerly São Paulo)¹³ and north-central Bolivia (two records from Beni: San Joaquín, east of río Mamoré, in 1964 and a captive bird caught north of Santa Ana in the 1990s)^1,11,16. It has been listed for Paraguay⁵, but there is no confirmed evidence of its presence⁶. It is occasionally locally common¹², but mainly occurs at low densities and is now absent in many parts of its former range.

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

Ecology: This semi-nomadic cerrado specialist occurs in wooded grassland (cerradão), spiny arid scrub (caatinga), gallery forest and Mauritia palm-stands^12,15. Its diet consists of fruit and seeds of trees such as Anacardium, Salacia crassifolia and Astronium fraxinifolium⁷. Birds have been reported taking unripe guava Psidium fruit in plantations and will spend weeks visiting mango trees⁷. However, the semi-nomadism of the species suggests that it depends on unpredictable food resources.

Threats By 1993, two-thirds of the Cerrado region had been either heavily or moderately altered³, with most of the destruction having occurred since 1950². High-quality cerrado grasslands are being rapidly destroyed by mechanised agriculture, intensive cattle-ranching, afforestation, invasive grasses, excessive use of pesticides and annual burning^10,14. Caatinga habitats are less threatened, but still suffer conversion to agriculture, grazing and burning. Nine wild-caught birds were recorded in international trade in 1991-1995¹³.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II. It occurs notably in Emas, Brasília, Araguaia, Grande Sertões Veredas, Chapada dos Veadeiros and Chapada dos Guimarães National Parks and Mangabeiras Environmental Protection Area^4,8,9,13, but no protected area holds permanent populations.

Conservation measures proposed Survey to determine its current distribution¹³, especially in poorly-known reserves such as Uruçuí-Una Ecological Station, Piauí, and Mirador State Park, Maranhão⁹. Collate data on specimen and recent records to provide an improved assessment of distribution and status. Assess the impact of habitat loss¹³. Create a network of large reserves in Bahia, Maranhão and Piauí⁹. Effectively protect Mangabeiras.

References 1. Armonía (1995). 2. Cavalcanti (1999). 3. Conservation International (1999). 4. Forrester (1993). 5. Forshaw and Cooper (1989). 6. Hayes (1995). 7. Juniper and Parr (1998). 8. Machado et al. (1998). 9. F. Olmos in litt. (1999). 10. Parker and Willis (1997). 11. Remsen et al. (1986). 12. Sick (1993). 13. Snyder et al. (2000). 14. Stotz et al. (1996). 15. Willis and Oniki (1988). 16. C. Yamashita in litt. (2000). 17. Santos (2001). 18. P. and S. Silva in litt. (2003). 19. Braz et al. (2002). 20. MMA (2002).

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

Contributors Fabio Olmos, P Silva, S Silva, Carlos Yamashita

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

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Alipiopsitta 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.

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