Forpus
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Forpus is a genus of neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae. It is the only genus in the Forpini tribe of the subfamily Arinae.
Forpus is a genus of neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae. It is the only genus in the Forpini tribe of the subfamily Arinae.
Taxonomy
The genus Forpus was introduced in 1858 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The type species was subsequently designated as the green-rumped parrotlet. The etymology of the genus name is unknown. The genus contains nine species: Mexican parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius) Grayson's parrotlet or Tres Marias parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius insularis) Green-rumped parrotlet (Forpus passerinus) Colombian green-rumped parrotlet or Rio Hacha parrotlet (Forpus passerinus cyanophanes) Trinidad green-rumped parrotlet or Venezuelan parrotlet (Forpus passerinus viridissimus) Roraima green-rumped parrotlet or Schlegel's parrotlet (Forpus passerinus cyanochlorus) Amazon green-rumped parrotlet or delicate parrotlet or Santarem passerine parrotlet (Forpus passerinus deliciosus) Cobalt-rumped parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius) Salvadori's cobalt-rumped parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius flavescens) Hellmayr's cobalt-rumped parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius flavissimus) Turquoise-winged parrotlet (Forpus spengeli) Riparian parrotlet (Forpus crassirostris) Spectacled parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus) Cauca spectacled parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus caucae) Venezuelan spectacled parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus metae) Dusky-billed parrotlet or Sclater's parrotlet (Forpus modestus) Forpus modestus sclateri Pacific parrotlet (Forpus coelestis) Yellow-faced parrotlet (Forpus xanthops)
Description
Because of similarities to their larger parrot relatives and their small size, Forpus birds are often called parrotlets. Forpus parrotlets are relatively small birds. Species range between long and typically weigh . Forpus species are sexually dimorphic. Most males are bright green or yellow-green, with bright blue markings on their wings, tails, rumps, and heads (location varies between species). Females are duller green with more yellow-green markings and have few or no blue feathers. Forpus parrotlets have dark brown eyes with light peach or tan feet and beaks (with the exception of the dusky-billed parrotlet, which has a darker beak and feet). Like all parrots, Forpus species exhibit zygodactyly, meaning two toes face forwards and two face backwards.
Aviculture
(Forpus conspicillatus)]] Many species in the genus Forpus are commonly kept as pets. These parrotlets are very social and may show signs of depression if kept alone, unless they have frequent contact with humans. Forpus parrots, especially males, can be very loud and need space to fly and roam. Like any other parrot, they usually spend their time socializing with their partner. These parrotlets enjoy chewing on calcium treats, wood (bark, e.g. corkbark), and porous rocks. Due to their curiosity, exposure to toxic material like plastic, toxic plants, and chemically treated objects should be strictly avoided, especially galvanized wires (falsely used as cheap material for aviaries) which have led to many cases of toxidrome. Forpus parrotlets are not easy to breed as they are extremely aggressive and will sometimes kill or severely maim their partners. Mexican, spectacled, and yellow-faced parrotlets are rarer in the U.S. but are more common as pets in other countries. Dusky-billed parrotlets, more commonly known as Sclater's parrotlets, are extremely rare and are only found in captivity in Europe. Some Forpus species, such as the Pacific parrotlet, have several color mutations that are selectively bred for as pets.
Gallery
File:Forpus passerinus-Venezuela-8a.jpg|Green-rumped parrotlet (Forpus passerinus) File:Forpus xanthopterygius -Brazil-6-4c.jpg|Cobalt-rumped parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius) File:Forpus conspicillatus -Colombia -pair-8-3c.jpg|Spectacled parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus) File:Forpus coelestis -Peru -male-8-2c.jpg|Pacific parrotlet (Forpus coelestis) File:Forpus xanthops -AFA show bird-8a.jpg|Yellow-faced parrotlet (Forpus xanthops) File:Mexican Parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius) (8079380755).jpg|Mexican parrotlet (Forpus cyanopygius) File:Forpus sclateri - Dusky-billed Parrotlet 01.JPG|Dusky-billed parrotlet (Forpus modestus) File:Forpus coelestis -yellow mutation -pet-8d.jpg|Pacific parrotlet (Forpus coelestis), captive yellow mutation
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1348473778 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.