Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) & Choco Parakeet (Pyrrhura pacifica)

Depending on which birding field guide you have you may see these birds lumped together with Pyrrhura melanura as the nominate with these subspecies or as two separate species as per the title of this post.

  • P. m. berlepschi
  • P. m. chapmani
  • P. m. melanura
  • P. m. pacifica
  • P. m. souancei

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I did see them in 3 separate locations in Ecuador so I know I have at least two varieties!  The photos above were taken at Wildsumaco Lodge and were the only Maroon-tailed Parakeets I saw perched.  I also saw them flying through trees at the Waterfall Trail in Mindo & from the canopy tower at Napo Wildlife center.  The ones at Mindo and Rio Silanche are definitely the Choco Parakeet being the only species seen in the western side of the Andes (red).  The ones above could possibly be P.m. souancei (dark green) or the nominate (lighter green).  The ones at Napo were most likely Pyrrhura melanura.  Splits are so confusing!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT MAROON-TAILED & CHOCO PARAKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife – Maroon-tailed

Birdlife – Choco

Neotropical Birds

Information about the split

VIDEOS

This is pretty much all I get with smaller birds like Pyrrhura Parakeets – just a fleeting glimpse!

Here’s some bird porn to make up for it – filmed at Wildsumaco.

 

Eco-tourism At It’s Best – Napo Wildlife Center, Ecuador

If you’ve ever wondered how important eco-tourism is to conservation, this video on the Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador explains it very well.  See how this small rainforest community benefits from the lodge by all the jobs created, new schools and a doctor for their community.  The profits go directly into the community and not overseas.  This is the best incentive to protect their native wildlife, tourists won’t come to look at empty forests!

If only we could get all those places in Africa, Indonesia and anywhere that still has poaching and deforestation happening and get more lodges like this up and running!

If you want to come here, a Star Alliance based award using Aerogal to Coca is only 20,000 United Mileage Plus miles each way!  One Chase credit card sign up can get you to this wonderful place!

We will be here next month, I can’t wait!