Mexican Parrotlet Forpus cyanopygius Scientific name definitions

The aptly named Mexican Parrotlet is the northernmost Forpus and endemic to northwest Mexico. They are fairly common in riparian woods and semideciduous to deciduous woodlands and plantations. As with other parrotlets, they are usually found in pairs or flocks, and are often first detected by their excited screeching and twittering calls. They may be very difficult to find when perched given their small size, and leaf-like appearance. Flight is fast; usually in tight formations. The tail is short and square.

13–14 cm; 30–37 g. Green above with turquoise-blue lower back, rump, secondary-coverts , outer secondaries and underwing-coverts; paler, grass-green on face and undersides , latter sometimes tinged bluish. Female has blue replaced by yellowish green. Immature like adult, male with reduced blue. Race insularis has darker green upperparts, underparts glaucous, and darker, more cobalt-blue; larger.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Fruits including small Ficus, berries and grass seeds, taken from ground.

Call is a screechy or reedy “kree” or “kreeit”, given both in flight and perched. Groups in flight call continuously, producing a relatively loud tinkling twittering. When perched, calls are more subdued.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. CITES II. Restricted-range species: present in North-west Mexican Pacific Slope EBA. Previously considered to be frequent to common (1 Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA. Close ). No reliable population estimate. Global population is suspected to be declining fairly rapidly under significant pressure from capture for illegal cagebird trade (2 Cantú, J.C., Sánchez, M.E., Grosselet, M. and Silva, J. (2007). The illegal parrot trade in Mexico: a comprehensive assessment. Defenders of Wildlife & Teyeliz, México DF. Close , 3 Marín-Togo, M.C., Monterrubio-Rico, T.C., Renton, K., Rubio-Rocha, Y., Macías-Caballero, C., Ortega-Rodríguez, J.M., Cancino-Murillo, R. (2012). Reduced current distribution of Psittacidae on the Mexican Pacific coast: potential impacts of habitat loss and capture for trade. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21(2): 451–473. Close ). Previously thought to be of little importance in trade; now may be the second most captured parrot species in Mexico, with c. 8000 individuals captured illegally each year (2 Cantú, J.C., Sánchez, M.E., Grosselet, M. and Silva, J. (2007). The illegal parrot trade in Mexico: a comprehensive assessment. Defenders of Wildlife & Teyeliz, México DF. Close ). Original distribution has contracted by 29–61% (4 Ríos-Muñoz, C. A., and A. G. Navarro-Sigüenza (2009). Efectos del cambio de uso de suelo en la disponibilidad hipotética de hábitat para los psitácidos de México. Ornitología Neotropical 20(4):491–509. Close , 3 Marín-Togo, M.C., Monterrubio-Rico, T.C., Renton, K., Rubio-Rocha, Y., Macías-Caballero, C., Ortega-Rodríguez, J.M., Cancino-Murillo, R. (2012). Reduced current distribution of Psittacidae on the Mexican Pacific coast: potential impacts of habitat loss and capture for trade. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21(2): 451–473. Close ); species is sometimes absent even where suitable habitat is found, suggesting that capture of wild birds is the main factor in its disappearance (3 Marín-Togo, M.C., Monterrubio-Rico, T.C., Renton, K., Rubio-Rocha, Y., Macías-Caballero, C., Ortega-Rodríguez, J.M., Cancino-Murillo, R. (2012). Reduced current distribution of Psittacidae on the Mexican Pacific coast: potential impacts of habitat loss and capture for trade. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21(2): 451–473. Close ). Appears to have declined on Tres Marías, but small flocks persist. Not previously considered of conservation concern, information on its declining range (and presumably population) led to its being uplisting to Near Threatened in 2015 BirdLife International (2016) Species factsheet: Forpus cyanopygius. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/01/2016. . Designated ‘Subject to Special Protection’ in Mexico (5 SEMARNAT (2010) Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-23759-SEMARNAT-22371237, Protección ambiental-Especies nativas de México de flora y fauna silvestres-Categorías de riesgo y especificaciones para su inclusión, exclusión o cambio-Lista de especies en riesgo. Diario Oficial de la Federación, jueves 30 de diciembre de 2010. Gobierno de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Mexico D.F. Close ).