Psittaciformes - Pyrrhura - White Necked Conure

White Necked Conure - Pyrrhura Albipectus - Vulnerable

The white-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura albipectus) or white-necked parakeet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found in southern Ecuador and adjacent northern Peru.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Identification: The white-breasted parakeet is on average about 24 centimeters in length. The parakeet has a dusky crown with pale gray fringes on its hind part, thin red frontal band, yellow and green scaled cheeks and orange ear coverts, full white collar and yellow breast, and a green belly and underparts. Its wings are green while its tail both green and red. Younger birds can be spotted as they lack frontal bands and have paler ear coverts.

More Information: The white-breasted parakeet lives in montane tropical forests in southern Ecuador and extreme northern Peru. They normally stay within a flock between four and 20 parakeets. Although still endangered, this range suggests that although their numbers are dwindling, their population is not as low as originally feared. This bird is on the endangered species list as its main threat to survival is habitat destruction due to logging, illegal gold mining and human settlement.