Aratinga erythrogenys

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PSITTACIFORMES	PSITTACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Aratinga erythrogenys

Species Authority:

(Lesson, 1844)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Red-masked Conure, Red-masked Parakeet
Spanish	–	Aratinga de Guayaquil, Perico Caretirrojo

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Published:

2011

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Taylor, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Orrantia, R., Baquerizo, J., Horstman, E.

Justification:
This species has a moderately small population which has suffered some severe local declines (primarily owing to trapping) but remains common in some other areas. The overall population decline is likely to be moderately rapid. It is consequently classified as Near Threatened.

History:

2008	–	Near Threatened
2004	–	Near Threatened

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Aratinga erythrogenys occurs from Manabí, north-west Ecuador, south to Lambayeque and Cajamarca, north-west Peru, with the high Andes marking its easternmost limit, at least in Ecuador^3,4,6. There are very few records from the centre of its range, in Guayas, El Oro and Azuay, Ecuador, which may effectively divide the population into two distinct sub-populations³. The total population is unlikely to be smaller than 10,000, with the majority occurring in Ecuador³. Although considered 'common' in parts of its range^1,2,4,9, there have been severe local declines^3,8, and there is recent anecdotal evidence that numbers are still falling^10,11.
Countries:	Native: Ecuador; Peru Introduced: Netherlands Antilles; Puerto Rico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species's population size has not been formally estimated, but, in the absence of sufficient data, it is preliminarily suspected to number more than 10,000 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in a range of habitats - from humid forest through deciduous forest, dry Acacia scrub to open, sparsely vegetated desert and intensely farmed areas to towns - but principally inhabits arid areas⁶, from sea-level to 2,500 m, but most frequently below 1,500 m ³. It nests in tree cavities, but the extent to which it tolerates logged forest and can breed successfully in small woodlots or even isolated trees is unclear³. Observations indicate that it can persist in highly degraded forest¹¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It occurs in a range of habitats - from humid forest through deciduous forest, dry Acacia scrub to open, sparsely vegetated desert and intensely farmed areas to towns - but principally inhabits arid areas⁶, from sea-level to 2,500 m, but most frequently below 1,500 m ³. It nests in tree cavities, but the extent to which it tolerates logged forest and can breed successfully in small woodlots or even isolated trees is unclear³. Observations indicate that it can persist in highly degraded forest¹¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	It suffers heavily from local trade in Peru and Ecuador, where it is a common and highly sought-after pet^2,3,9. It is also internationally traded from Peru, but its status is clouded by the misdeclaring of traded birds⁵ and pre-trade mortality⁷, which both demonstrate the complexities of estimating true numbers taken from the wild³. The species is frequently confiscated by the Ecuadorian authorities^10,11. Despite the threat of trapping, the main causes of recent declines may be habitat loss and fragmentation¹⁰.

Major Threat(s):

It suffers heavily from local trade in Peru and Ecuador, where it is a common and highly sought-after pet^2,3,9. It is also internationally traded from Peru, but its status is clouded by the misdeclaring of traded birds⁵ and pre-trade mortality⁷, which both demonstrate the complexities of estimating true numbers taken from the wild³. The species is frequently confiscated by the Ecuadorian authorities^10,11. Despite the threat of trapping, the main causes of recent declines may be habitat loss and fragmentation¹⁰.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix II. Conservation Actions Proposed Conduct surveys to obtain a population estimate. Research current threat from trade. Enforce trade restrictions. Census and monitor population. Monitor rates of habitat loss and fragmentation. Study its ability to persist in altered and fragmented habitats.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Conduct surveys to obtain a population estimate. Research current threat from trade. Enforce trade restrictions. Census and monitor population. Monitor rates of habitat loss and fragmentation. Study its ability to persist in altered and fragmented habitats.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2011. Aratinga erythrogenys. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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