Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Maroon-tailed Parakeet
Pyrrhura melanura
Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) — 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 Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) is a member of the Psittacidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 70.5 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 Pyrrhura
- Species melanura
Quick facts
- Weight
- 70.5 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) is a species of bird in the Psittacidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA w Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 70.5 g, with a wing length of about 12.8 cm and a tail of around 11.3 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 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Maroon-tailed Parakeet?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 70.5 g.
Where does the Maroon-tailed Parakeet live?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is found across South America with a range covering SA w Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Maroon-tailed Parakeet belong to?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet (Pyrrhura melanura) belongs to the Psittacidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Maroon-tailed Parakeet eat?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Maroon-tailed Parakeet migrate?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Maroon-tailed Parakeet 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 Maroon-tailed Parakeet make?
1 real field recording of the Maroon-tailed Parakeet — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Maroon-tailed Parakeet's range?
The Maroon-tailed Parakeet has a mapped global range of about 1.5 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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