Olive-throated Parakeet Eupsittula nana Scientific name definitions

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Olive-throated Parakeet is a common Eupsittula of forest and scrub in its range. Two subspecies are recognized, with the nominate subspecies found on Jamaica and the other distributed along the east slope of Central America. The Central American subspecies is sometimes treated as a separate species, "Aztec Parakeet". Olive-throated Parakeet has a pale bill, green head, back, and tail, an olive throat and bold, whitish eyering. The species is often located by the strident shrieks of flocks moving through the forest.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

21·5–25 cm; 85 g. Mainly dark green parakeet , brownish and olive underparts , with prominent blue band on wing (outer secondaries and inner primaries). Bill brownish horn with paler tip, iris yellow to orange, and legs blackish grey. Sexes alike. Immature is like adult, but has browish iris. Compared to wholly allopatric (and previously conspecific) E. nana  has throat and especially lower underparts paler brown, whereas bill is on average smaller. Race vicinalis slightly larger than nominate, but is brighter above and greener below.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

22–26 cm; 72–85 g. Green , yellower on ear-coverts and rump; bare orbital skin white  ; throat and breast olive-brown, shading to olive on belly and vent; outer webs of flight-feathers dull blue; flight-feathers grey below; tail yellowish below. Immature similar.

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Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Jamaica.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Introduced to Hispaniola.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Dense humid forest and edge, deciduous woodlands (probably main habitat), pine stands, riparian vegetation, scrublands, plantations, clearings with groves, in coastal plains and foothills. Recorded to 1100 m in Honduras, 1000 m in Mexico, but only 700 m in Costa Rica.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Humid forest and edge, deciduous woodlands (probably main habitat), pine stands (especially in Dominican Republic), riparian vegetation, scrublands, plantations, clearings with groves and even gardens. Commonest in Jamaica in mid-level wet limestone forests; in Dominican Republic mainly found at foothill elevations. Recorded to at least 1500 m in Jamaica.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Generally considered to be resident, but is a winter visitor to Caye Caulker, off Belize. Previously suggested that the species is possibly only a seasonal visitor to NW Panama, but there seems to be no real evidence for this supposition (2 Olson, S.L. (1993). Contributions to avian biogeography from the archipelago and lowlands of Bocas del Toro, Panama. Auk. 110(1): 100–108. Close ).

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

On Jamaica noted to visit arid S forests when certain food available, but otherwise absent.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Fruit of figs, Inga, Hura, Hieronyma and Bursera simaruba (3 Foster, M. S. (2007) The potential of fruit trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico. Bird Conservation International 17: 45–61. Close ); some melastomes. Recorded also feeding on leaves and flowers , including saman tree flowers   (Albizia saman). Recorded in flocks  of up to 50+ and reported to form mixed flocks with Psittacara finschi.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Fruit of figs, Erythrina, Bauhinia and Spathodia (4 Haynes-Sutton, A., A. Downer, and R. Sutton (2009). A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. Christopher Helm, London. Close ); flowers  of Cannabis sativa, Jamaica. Often cause damage to crops, notably maize, but also reported to feed on corn and gungo peas, as well as other cultivated fruits (e.g. Psidium guajava) (4 Haynes-Sutton, A., A. Downer, and R. Sutton (2009). A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. Christopher Helm, London. Close ). Usually seen in flocks of up to 20 birds (4 Haynes-Sutton, A., A. Downer, and R. Sutton (2009). A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. Christopher Helm, London. Close ).

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

No described differences from E. nana: gives a sharp, grating “krik-krik-krik-krik” or raucous “krrieh krrie krreah”. Considered similar in quality to calls of Pionus senilis, but higher-pitched, and squeakier and higher-pitched than those of Pyrilia haematotis. Quality burrier, less shrill compared to (partially) sympatric Psittacara holochlorus.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Flight call a screechy “creek” or “clack”, often doubled or tripled. Calls when perched similar, but interspersed with chattering notes. Less raucous than sympatric (in Hispaniola) Psittacara chloropterus. On Jamaica might be confused, if bird not seen, with calls of Jamaican Woodpecker (Melanerpes radiolatus).

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Season Jan–Apr (the dry and early wet seasons) in Costa Rica; Apr–May in Belize and Guatemala. Nest in cavity in termitarium , often excavated by the birds themselves, and often along riverbank or at forest edge. Clutch 3–4 eggs.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Mar–Jun in Jamaica, but earlier in Dominican Republic (where one nest was initiated in mid Jan) (5 Latta, S., Rimmer, C., Keith, A., Wiley, J., Raffaele, H., McFarland, K. and Fernandez, E. (2006). Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Close ). Nest in cavity in termitarium  or in tree holes. Eggs 3–5.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Aztec)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally common to abundant (e.g. in Belize), and the commonest parrot in some localities (e.g. Yucatán, Mexico (6 Plasencia-Vázquez, A.H. and Escalona-Segura, G. (2014). Relative abundance of parrots throughout the Yucatan Peninsula: implications for their conservation. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 126(4):759–766. Close ), although it has declined in some areas, e.g. in many parts of Costa Rica and probably parts of Mexico (7 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 ), as a result of habitat loss. Generally less common in S Costa Rica, but is considered common in Bocas del Toro, NW Panama. Range recently expanded to Querétaro. Known from a number of protected areas including Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve (8 De Labra, M.A., Escalante, P., Monterrubio Rico, T.C. and Coates-Estrada, R. (2010). Hábitat, abundancia y perspectivas de conservación de psittacidos en la Reserva de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México. Ornitología Neotropical. 21(4): 599–610. Close ), Centla Marshes Biosphere Reserve (9 Santiago-Alarcon, D., Arriaga-Weiss, S.L. and Escobar, O. (2011). Bird community composition of Centla Marshes Biosphere Reserve, Tabasco, Mexico. Orn. Neotropical. 22(2): 229–246. Close ) Uncommon in international trade.

Olive-throated Parakeet (Jamaican)

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. CITES II. Remains common and widespread on Jamaica (4 Haynes-Sutton, A., A. Downer, and R. Sutton (2009). A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Jamaica. Christopher Helm, London. Close ) and is increasing rapidly in Dominican Republic (first definitely reported in 1995) but perhaps present since 1970s or earlier), where it is possibly displacing the endemic <em>Psittacara chloropterus</em> as a result (5 Latta, S., Rimmer, C., Keith, A., Wiley, J., Raffaele, H., McFarland, K. and Fernandez, E. (2006). Birds of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Close ). Also recently observed in Puerto Rico (Apr 1993), where presumably either also deliberately introduced or as escapees from captivity (10 Salguero-Faría, J.A. and Roig-Bachs, C. (2000). Senegal Parrot, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Olive-throated Parakeet, and Green-winged Macaw: new psittacine records for Puerto Rico. El Pitirre. 13(2): 45–46. Close ). Persecuted as crop pest. Uncommon in international trade.