Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Dusky-billed Parrotlet
Forpus modestus
Dusky-billed Parrotlet (Forpus modestus) — Parrots & Cockatoos of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet (Forpus modestus) is a member of the Psittacidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 27.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Psittaciformes
- Family Psittacidae African & New World Parrots
- Genus Forpus
- Species modestus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.2 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet (Forpus modestus) is a species of bird in the Psittacidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.2 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 3.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Dusky-billed Parrotlet?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is a small bird that weighs around 27.2 g.
Where does the Dusky-billed Parrotlet live?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Dusky-billed Parrotlet belong to?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet (Forpus modestus) belongs to the Psittacidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Dusky-billed Parrotlet eat?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Dusky-billed Parrotlet migrate?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Dusky-billed Parrotlet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Dusky-billed Parrotlet make?
1 real field recording of the Dusky-billed Parrotlet — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Dusky-billed Parrotlet's range?
The Dusky-billed Parrotlet has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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