Mauritius Parakeet
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| iMauritius Parakeet | ||||||||||||||
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| Psittacula echo (A. Newton & E. Newton, 1876) |
The Mauritius Parakeet (Psittacula echo) is the sole survivor of the Psittacula species which inhabited the Southern Indian ocean islands near Madagascar. The total wild population is less than 100 individuals, most of which are males. It is among the rarest extant psittacids in the world. Its scientific name is possibly Psittacula eques echo because a similar bird was reported to have existed on nearby Réunion and could be considered the nominate subspecies of the extant Mauritius parakeet as it was described earlier (BirdLife International, 2006).
The females of this species possess a black beak which distinguishes them from the males which have a red beak. This feature is notably absent in the Rose-ringed Parakeet and the Alexandrine Parakeet which the Mauritius taxon closely resembles. However, it is found in the Red-breasted Parakeet, the Derbyan Parakeet and the Nicobar Parakeet which are morphologically dissimilar.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2006). Psittacula eques. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
