Hawk-headed Parrots

Abstract

Sometimes referred to as the “Red-fanned parrot”, Deroptyus accipitrinus or the Hawk-headed parrot is found in the wild in tropical areas of Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Surinam, Venezuela, Peru, and Guyana. There are two recognized subspecies, the nominate form Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus is found throughout the range with the exception of Brazil, where it is replaced by a second form, Deroptyus accipitrinus fuscifrons. Brazilian Hawk-heads lack the buff color of the fore crown, and have a darker head, larger size, and generally deeper colors throughout the body. Males and females are the same although some claim they can differentiate the sexes by the amount of blue on the tips of the chest and abdominal feathers.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Hawk-headed parrot as “Least Concern” and CITES lists it on appendix II; the species is not threatened or endangered throughout its natural range. Neither subspecies is considered “common” in aviculture probably due to limited importation during the days of unregulated trapping. Brazil has not allowed commercial trapping and export of wild parrots since the 1960s and therefore the Brazilian form is actually rather rare in the caged bird trade worldwide, and is rarely bred in captivity outside of Brazil. Most of the representatives held in captivity in U.S. aviculture originated from Guyana or Surinam where a moderate amount of trapping took place in the 1980s to supply the pet and breeder trade...

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