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Classification of Parrotlets
By: Robert Molenda
The classification of animals in general is a fascinating
subject, in which the information and systems of classification have changed
many times over the years. I will not bore you by taking you back to Darwin, but
hopefully will encompass the history of parrotlet classification.
In the early parts of this century, parrotlets were
inappropriately placed in several classifications. They were moved several
times, in an attempt to further classify the new birds which, at that time, were
being discovered almost daily. Our parrotlet friends were classified from
parakeets to lovebirds and back. Not until the general classification of broad
tailed parrots was established did their true recognition come true, our little
friends are Forpus.
Modern classification of parrotlets is broken down into the
following groups of classifications :
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Class - Aves
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Order - Psittaciformes
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Family - Psittacidae
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Sub-family - Psittacinae
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Genus *
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Species *
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Sub-species *
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Parrotlets are identified in several manners, the most
accurate being by their genus, species and, additionally, their sub species
classifications. Sometimes parrotlets are referred to by their common name, such
as Pacific or Green Rump, other times by the location they are native to, such
as the Trinidad. Still others are by the person who discovered them, such as the
Ridgway parrotlet. You are probably wondering how we have ever been able to keep
these birds straight with so many different ways to refer to one particular
bird. Well, it has not been easy and many errors have been made and corrected in
identification of parrotlets. These factors compounded the problem.
There are three genus of parrotlets, Forpus, Nannopsittaca
and Touit. This article will deal only with the Forpus genus.
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Common Name |
Blue Winged Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
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Current Classification |
Forpus xanthopterygius (Spix 1824) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus xanthopterygius xanthopterygius (Spix
1824) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus x. flavescens (Salvadori) |
| Other Names |
Salvadori's Blue Wing Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus x. olallae (Gyldenstolpe 1941) |
| Other Names |
Olalla's Blue Wing Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus x. crassirostris (Taczanowski 1883) |
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Other Names |
Large-Billed Parrotlet, Thick-Billed Blue Wing
Parrotlet |
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Previous Classifications |
Forpus crassirostris |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus x. flavissimus (Herllmayr 1929) |
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Other Names |
Blue Rump Parrotlet, Ceara Blue Wing Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus x. spengeli (Hartlaub) |
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Other Names |
Spengel's Parrotlet |
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Previous Classifications |
Forpus spengeli |
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Common Name |
Green Rump Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
Guiana Parrotlet, Green-and-Blue Rump Parrotlet,
Passerine Parrot, Passerine Parrotlet, Blue Wing Parakeet |
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Current Classification |
Forpus passerinus (Linné 1758) |
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Previous Classifications |
Forpus modesta, Psittacula gregaria, Psittacus
passerinus |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus p. passerinus (Linné 1758) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus p. cyanochlorus (Schlegel 1864) |
| Other Names |
Schlegel's Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus p. cyanophanes (Todd 1915) |
| Other Names |
Rio Hacha Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus p. deliciosus (Ridgway 1888) |
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Other Names |
Delicate Parrotlet, Brazilian Parrotlet, Santarem
Passerine Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus p. viridissimus (Lafresnaye 1848) |
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Other Names |
Trinidad Parrotlet, Venezuelan Parrotlet, Venezuelan
Green Parrotlet |
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Common Name |
Mexican Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
Turquoise Rump Parrotlet, Blue Rump Parrotlet |
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Current Classification |
Forpus cyanopygius (Souancé 1856) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus cyanopygius cyanopygius (Souancé 1856) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus c. insularis (Ridgway 1888) |
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Other Names |
Grayson's Parrotlet, Tres Marias Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus c. pallidus (Brewster 1889) |
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Other Names |
Sonoran Parrotlet, Sonora Parrotlet |
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Common Name |
Pacific Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
Celestial Parrotlet, Lesson's Parrotlet |
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Current Classification |
Forpus coelestis (Lesson 1847) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus coelestis coelestis (Lesson 1847) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus c. lucida (Ridgway) |
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Other Names |
Ridgway's Parrotlet |
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Common Name |
Sclater's Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
Dusky-billed Parrotlet, Black-billed Parrotlet |
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Current Classification |
Forpus sclateri (G. R. Gray 1859) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus sclateri sclateri (G. R. Gray 1859) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus s. eidos (Peters 1937) |
| Other Names |
Schomburk's Parrotlet |
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Common Name |
Spectacle Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
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Current Classification |
Forpus conspicillatus (Laresnaye 1848) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus conspicillatus conspicillatus (Laresnaye
1848) |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus c. caucae (Chapman 1915) |
| Other Names |
Cauca Spectacle Parrotlet |
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Sub-Species |
Forpus c. metae (Borrero and Camacho 1961) |
| Other Names |
Meta Spectacle Parrotlet |
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Common Name |
Yellow-faced Parrotlet |
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Other Names |
Pachaloro Parakeet |
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Current Classification |
Forpus xanthops (Salvin) |
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Previous Classifications |
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Sub-Species |
None |
References :
"Parrots and related birds", Henry Bates and Robert Buesenbark
"Parrots of the World", Joseph M. Forshaw
"All About Parrotlets", Sandee and Robert Molenda
"The Parrotlet Handbook, A Guide to Parrotlets, their identification, care
and breeding", Sandee and Robert Molenda
"A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico", Ernest P. Edwards
"Birds, Alternative Names, A World Checklist", Walter Lodge
"Finding Birds Around the World", Peter Alden / John Gooders
"Parrots in Captivity", W.T. Greene M.D.
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