Birds of the World
 - Dusky-headed Parakeet
 - Dusky-headed Parakeet
+3
 - Dusky-headed Parakeet
Watch
 - Dusky-headed Parakeet
Listen

Dusky-headed Parakeet Aratinga weddellii Scientific name definitions

Nigel Collar and Peter F. D. Boesman
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated September 17, 2013

Sign in to see your badges

Introduction

Dusky-headed Parakeet is a relatively large and long-tailed parakeet restricted to the lowlands of western Amazonia, where it occurs from southeast Colombia south to northeast Bolivia, and across western Brazil. It remains generally common, and the species seems to have adapted to some degree of habitat degradation and fragmentation. Most of its plumage is green, but this parakeet is distinctive on account of the brownish-gray head and neck, with a slightly scaled effect, which make the species easily identifiable. It inhabits clearings and riparian areas, including seasonally flooded forest, but apparently large shuns terra firme forest, and feeds on range of fruits and flowers. It sometimes forms large flocks, which may perform local movements in response to changes in food supplies.

Field Identification

28 cm; 96–129 g. Head and sides of neck brownish grey with feathers tipped bluish grey , giving slight scaled effect; bare orbital ring  yellowish white; breast grass-green shading to lemon-yellow on belly and thighs, becoming green on vent; nape to rump green with vague dusky markings; wings green with outer secondaries, primary-coverts and primary tips dark blue; tail green tipped dark blue. Immature similar.

Systematics History

Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

SE Colombia S through E Ecuador, E Peru and SW Amazonian Brazil to C Bolivia (Cochabamba).

Habitat

Seasonally flooded várzea forest, riparian growth, tall swampy second growth, scrublands and clearings, generally avoiding terra firme forest; also reported in cane and coffee plantations. Lowlands to 750 m.

Movement

Formation of large flocks at particular food sources suggests at least local displacements in response to changes in supply.

Diet and Foraging

Poorly documented. Fruits of palms  , Goupia glabra, Inga edulis, Mimosa, blossoms and inflorescences such as of Erythrina and Dioclea glabra.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Flight calls consist of thin rusty notes “kree kree” (1). Calls when perched similar, but interspersed with rasping brays. Quality shriller than sympatric Psittacara leucophthalmus, which has a more nasal voice.

Breeding

Evidently Jun–Aug throughout range, with possible further record in Feb, Colombia; Apr–Jun in E of range in Brazil. Nest in hole  in dead tree or arboreal termitarium, usually adjacent to water; pair witnessed enlarging old woodpecker hole. In captivity: 3–4 eggs; incubation, by female only, 23 days; nestling period 50 days.

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Common in most of range, even in degraded and settled areas; evidence indicates a steady increase with clearance of continuous forest and construction of roads through such terrain. Traded in moderate numbers up to mid-1980s, with 17,195 exported by Bolivia in 1980–1983, but currently banned from export in all range states.

Distribution of the Dusky-headed Parakeet - Range Map
Enlarge
  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Dusky-headed Parakeet

Recommended Citation

Collar, N. and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Dusky-headed Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.duhpar.01
Birds of the World

Partnerships

A global alliance of nature organizations working to document the natural history of all bird species at an unprecedented scale.