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Mexican Parrotlet - Forpus cyanopygius (Souancé 1856)

1. Forpus c. cyanopygius (Souancé 1856)
German: Mexikanischer Blaubuerzel-Sperlingspapagei

Description
Green; forehead, sides of head, breast and abdomen yellowish and paler, occasionally with slight
bluish tinge to abdomen; lower back, upper tail feathers, under wing-coverts and shoulder feathers; turquoise-blue; primary-coverts, secondaries and greater wing-coverts pale blue; underside of tail and flight feathers bluish-green; bill whitish with grey tinge; skin to narrow periophthalmic ring light grey; iris dark brown; feet grey.
Female without blue, also no blue on underside of tail and flight feathers; green not so pale as male and more yellowish on breast and abdomen.
Immatures as adults; blue in male mixed with green.

Length
13 cm (5 ins)

Distribution
Northwest Mexico from Sinaloa and West Durango to southern Colima.

2. Forpus c. pallidus (Brewster 1889)
Sonora Parrotlet
German: Sonora-Sperlingpapagei

Description
As F. c. cyanopygius, but with generally paler green plumage, which is less yellowish; green on back of head and wings with slight pale grey tinge; blue plumage generally slightly paler, in some birds bend of wing pale blue.
Female as male paler, but without trace of blue marking and slightly more yellowish tinge to breast and abdomen.
Immatures as adults; blue plumage in young males mixed
with green.

Length
13 cm (5 ins).

Distribution
Known to occur in southeast Sonora and most northern part of Sinaloa, northwest Mexico.

3. Forpus c. insularis (Ridgway 1888)
Tres Marias Parrotlet, Grayson's Parrotlet
German: Mexikanischer Insel-Sperlingspapagei, Tres-Marias-Sperlingpapagei

Description
As F. c. cyanopygius, but forehead, lores, cheeks and throat yellowish-green; back of head, back, wing-coverts, under tail-coverts and tail upperside dark green with slight greyish tinge; breast and abdomen pale bluish-green (similar to underside of tail and flight feathers in nominate form); blue marking generally darker; upper and lower mandible lead-coloured with horn-coloured tip.
Female as in nominate form, but generally slightly darker, particularly on cheeks and upper wing-coverts; slight bluish-green tinge to abdomen in some birds; primary-coverts bluish-green.
Immatures as adults, blue plumage in young males mixed
with green.

Length
13 cm (5 ins)

Distribution
Exclusively on Tres Marias Islands ( just off coast of state of Nayarit, western Mexico); in some recent German language literature Nayarit has been erroneously included in distribution area of insularis.

Habitat
All types of open country and light deciduous forest in arid tropical zone to 1,320 m (4,400 ft), especially along water courses.

Status
Fairly common in greater part of distribution area; in recent years less common in localities; marked population decline in insularis in last few decades ; possibly very endangered.

Habits
In flocks of 10 to 40 birds outside breeding season, occasionally solitary pairs or small groups; perfectly camouflaged with green plumage; generally only noticed when calling; mainly seen when flying to and from feeding and drinking sites in early morning and evening or feeding on ground; then approachable; occasionally associates with Orange-fronted Conure (Aratinga canicularis); very swift flight low and with rapid wing-beats; contact cry high-pitched, rolling, not overly loud screech, which still penetrates considerable distance; shrill monosyllabic call when feeding.

Natural diet
Various ripe and half-ripe fruits, seeds, grass-seeds and berries.

Breeding behaviour
Breeding season in June and July; otherwise no further information available.

Aviculture
Fairly quiet, active bird; shy, particularly during acclimation; birds often crowd into corner of cage or aviary; avoid disturbance; provide shrubbery in outside flights as hiding place; prowling cats or disturbance at night can cause extreme panic with risk of hitting mesh with head; enjoys bathing very much; provide fresh willow twigs in winter in high position for chewing; acclimation of newly imported birds difficult; initially very susceptible to cold and infections; take care in changing diet; introduce new food cautiously.

Accommodation
In pairs in large cages at least 100 x 40 x 50 cm (40 x 16 x 20 ins) or inside flight; offspring can be allowed into outside flight in summer months; can often be kept in communal aviary with other birds, but not other Forpus species.

Diet
Seed mix of wheat, oats, canary seed, various millets, weed seeds and a little sunflower; various fruit and vegetables, particularly apple and carrot; rose-hips, greenfood (chickweed, dandelion etc.); insect softfood for rearing.

Breeding in aviculture
Fairly easy; best in large aviary 3 x 1 x 2 m (9 x 3 x 6 ft), but also possible in spacious bird room cage; provide upright nest box 15 x 15 x 25 cm (4 x 4 x 10 ins) with entrance hole 5 cm (2ins) in diameter all year as some pairs breed in winter; breeding possible all year; however breeding usually begins in August; breeding condition signaled by increasing silvery-blue tinge to bill; clutch between 3 and 9 eggs, laid every two days; usual clutch size 6 to 8 eggs; female broods alone after laying second egg; incubation 19 days; female seldom leaves nest, then only briefly; sensitive to disturbance and nest box inspection, often abandoning clutch; not all hatch; fledging period 4 to 5 weeks; young are cared for 3 to 4 weeks after leaving nest; they must be removed quickly if adults breed again as they can be mutilated by parents; young mature at 6 months, but should not be allowed to breed.