White-bellied Parrot

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White-bellied Parrot

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Subfamily: Psittacinae
Tribe: Arini
Genus: Pionites
Species: P. leucogaster
Binomial name
Pionites leucogaster
(Kuhl, 1820)

The White-bellied Parrot (Pionites leucogaster), in aviculture often referred to as the White-bellied Caique, is one of the two species in the genus Pionites of the Psittacidae family; the other species being the allopatric Black-headed Parrot.

It is found in humid forest and nearby wooded habitats in the Amazon south of the Amazon River in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. It is generally fairly common throughout its range and is easily seen in a wide range of protected areas, such as the Manú National Park and Tambopata-Candamo in Peru, Cristalino State Park (near Alta Floresta), Xingu National Park and Amazônia National Park in Brazil, and Madidi National Park in Bolivia.

The White-bellied Parrot has an orange-yellow head and vent, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish primary feathers, a pinkish-horn beak, and pinkish legs and feet.

Juveniles have brownish or black feathers on the head and nape, yellow feathers on the white belly, and greyish legs - as shown in the photo below. Generally the off-colored feathers will be lost and replaced by orange or white feathers respectively. Young birds also have dark brown irises, which will change to a rust or orange as the bird matures.

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[edit] Subspecies

  • Green-thighed Parrot/Caique (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster). Found in the eastern part of its range. It has green thighs and upper tail.
  • Yellow-thighed Parrot/Caique (P. l. xanthomerius). Found in western part of its range. It has yellow thighs and green upper tail.
  • Yellow-tailed Parrot/Caique (P. l. xanthurus). Found in the central part of its range. It has yellow thighs and upper tail.

The Yellow-thighed is the subspecies most commonly kept as a pet in the United States. The Green-thighed is somewhat rare in captivity, and Yellow-tailed is very rare in captivity.

[edit] Aviculture

White-bellied Parrots are popular in aviculture.

[edit] Gallery

[edit] References

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