Pfrimer's parakeet

Pfrimer's parakeet
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Superfamily:	Psittacoidea
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Arinae
Tribe:	Arini
Genus:	Pyrrhura
Species:	P. pfrimeri
Binomial name
Pyrrhura pfrimeri Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920
Synonyms
Pyrrhura leucotis pfrimeri

The Pfrimer's parakeet (Pyrrhura pfrimeri), in aviculture also known as Pfrimer's conure, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to Goiás and Tocantins in Brazil. It is restricted to deciduous and semi-deciduous Caatinga forest.

It has often been considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet, as Pyrrhura leucotis pfrimeri. The split was based on range, differences in habitat and distinctive differences in plumage (it is the only member of the P. leucotis complex where the pale patch on the ear-coverts is greatly reduced). A recent study based on mtDNA has confirmed its status as a distinct species.

This parrot is classified as endangered by BirdLife International. The primary problem is the ongoing habitat loss within its already fragmented range, but capture for the wild bird trade also poses a potential threat.

External links

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• South American Classification Committee: Treat Pyrrhura griseipectus and P. pfrimeri as distinct species from Pyrrhura leucotis.
• Ribas, C. C., L. Joseph, C. Y. Miyaki (2006). Molecular systematics and patterns of diversification in Pyrrhura (Psittacidae), with special reference to the picta-leucotis complex. The Auk 123(3): 660-680.