9 thoughts on “Red-faced Parrot (Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops)”
In case Barry Walker (who has been to Cerro Chinguela 4 times and not seen Hapalopsittaca despite being attentive) and Elio Cortez who sent a picture of Hapalopsittaca from Cerro Chinguela taken by Martin Vallejo in 2019 and wrote: “Elio Ivan Nuñez Cortez
Hola Niels Kaare Krabbe y Barry, esta foto fue tomada por una amigo (Martin Vallejo), en a finales de 2019… recuerdo que me dijo que fueron 07 individuos que pasaron volando sobre él, pararon en un arbol y listos para la foto, fue en el mismo cerro Chinguelas, a lado de la carretera, el año pasado fuimos con Barry pero nada, yo vivito la zona muy seguido y no he podido registrarlo para mi vida pajarera (es una pena aún).”
Evidently, the species is not regular or very rare there. Most likely birds visiting from the west slope or Ecuador because of forest fires
I conducted the registration of the 7 individuals of Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops. These registrations were part of my doctoral thesis, which will be defended shortly, comparing the Chinguelas area with the interior of the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary. In addition to these registrations in Chinguelas, I had 3 auditory registrations within the Sanctuary, occurring in the months of September, March, and April of the same year.
I cannot ascertain the exact number of individuals due to the fog and dense forest in which I was at the time, but it is certain that there was one pair for each registration. The registrations were in close proximity, approximately 16 and 19 km straight-line distance from the updated eBird point (in the Chinguelas hill).
Really I think that is complicated estimate the populations of this bird, speacial in the enviroment conditions that inhabits. However Elio Nuñez told me that the records in the area are so rare, so probably this bird have small populations inside AP where the forest is more protected, but I afraid the authorities in Peru are no interested in these bird for the not “threatened situation”. Parker cathegorize this bird like a “high sensitive ” (Parker III et al. 1996) and the basic information on natural history is scarty, the “actually records” have small groups of individuals or doesnt’ exist records. I have 40 points between SNTN and the Chinguela side , at the elevation that bird habits (2500-3200 m ), but just had records on presence, this points had a one repetion in the same places. So 0,05 of the total records. Consequently in my humild point of view, this bird should cathegorized in a “threatened situation” at global.
Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops I have visited Cerro Chinguela in Piura Peru close to the Ecuador border on 4 occasions with a total of around 15 days in the field there. February 1987 (constant rain), & March 2001. The first trip was done packing in all we needed on our backs up the mule trail from Sapalache. The second trip was with the help of a mule, but again walking from Sapalache. It rained but I do remember some sun on that trip. At that time a very rough road had been attempted but it was impossible to transit it at the time we were there. Now the road, although sometimes with minor landslides, is good and you can commute to birding localities with early starts from Huancabamba. In 2014 and 2022 we did in a 4×4 Toyota. In 1987, the habitat was much as described in the 1985 publication by Parker et al. In 2001 it was a huge shock to see what had happened in the intervening 14 years. At that time, the forest below Batan was severely fragmented and, beyond Machete, had gone altogether apart from a few scraps, but there was intact forest above that and the mule trail went through untouched forest. Now in 2014 there is nothing below Batan and, although there is good forest on the other side of the river, it is very difficult to get to without an expedition and even that forest is now in the process of being burned. In 2022 and the area was pretty much the same as in 2014, so on all 4 visits the optimum habitat for Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops was intact and in good shape and despite being very attentive and looking hard with other experienced observers no Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops were detected. Others who have recorded the species in the area have done so very few times and always in the summer months leading me to believe the occurrence of this Parrot is sporadic and it is extremely scarce in Peru
Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops, is a rare and patchily distributed parrot and -for certain- globally threatened. Restricted to the forests and vegetations of the Southern Andes of Ecuador and northern Peru between 2700 – 3500 m.a.s.l. In Ecuador, almost the entire distribution and confirmed records are in non-protected areas (or borders of protected areas). Threatened by the expansions of cities and human settlements. Plus, mining and intensive agriculture.
Several areas where this parrot might be present (mainly on the western slope of the eastern Andean Ecuadorian cordillera), have been surveyed, but without positive results or with lower numbers of individuals in reduced but adequate habitat). We do not know why this parrot prefers more the heavily fragmented western slopes at similar altitude, but near the borders of the dry Andean valleys towards the Pacific Ocean rather than the Amazonian ones mentioned above. Probably the strict habitat it is the eastern slope of the western cordillera (the most damaged and threatened in Ecuador)
Based in our analysis, this Psittacidae it’s restricted to the Southern Central Andes Endemic Bird Area, definitely (<10000 Km2). Records are just specific (localized) and seems to be that the fluctuation of mature individuals is dependent of the suitable habitat extension which is heavily fragmented in certain areas. Several records in suitable habitats on western side of the andes mention few individuals or pairs (meta populations).
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion. Additional information submitted via this Forum, in particular regarding this species’ situation in Peru, will be reflected in the updated species factsheet.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I have presented lengthy documentation to Claudia Hermes, who I understand was responsible for giving this species a status of Least Concern, showing that the inclusion of the upper Amazonian slope of southern Ecuador in its range was erroneous (I am surprised this documentation is not mentioned above). In Ecuador, the species is confined to the heavily deforested interAndean slopes. As evident from comments above, it is a very rare bird in Peru. In fact it has been suggested that Peruvian records are merely vagrant birds from Ecuador (Peruvian Red List: SERFOR 2018). My estimate is that the global population may be less than 1000 mature individuals, perhaps as few as 550-600. Only two important roosts are known (near Cuenca and near Saraguro), the largest of these, near Saraguro not currently protected. If density estimates are reliable (Jacobs and Walker 1999 and a recent, as yet unpublished report by Mena et al. 2021), the species has undergone a severe decline over the last three decades. I can only recommend that its status is changed to Endangered, which is also the status it was given in the Ecuador Red List (Freile et al 2019).
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Red-faced Parrot is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criteria A2bc+4bc; C2a(i).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
In case Barry Walker (who has been to Cerro Chinguela 4 times and not seen Hapalopsittaca despite being attentive) and Elio Cortez who sent a picture of Hapalopsittaca from Cerro Chinguela taken by Martin Vallejo in 2019 and wrote: “Elio Ivan Nuñez Cortez
Hola Niels Kaare Krabbe y Barry, esta foto fue tomada por una amigo (Martin Vallejo), en a finales de 2019… recuerdo que me dijo que fueron 07 individuos que pasaron volando sobre él, pararon en un arbol y listos para la foto, fue en el mismo cerro Chinguelas, a lado de la carretera, el año pasado fuimos con Barry pero nada, yo vivito la zona muy seguido y no he podido registrarlo para mi vida pajarera (es una pena aún).”
Evidently, the species is not regular or very rare there. Most likely birds visiting from the west slope or Ecuador because of forest fires
I conducted the registration of the 7 individuals of Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops. These registrations were part of my doctoral thesis, which will be defended shortly, comparing the Chinguelas area with the interior of the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary. In addition to these registrations in Chinguelas, I had 3 auditory registrations within the Sanctuary, occurring in the months of September, March, and April of the same year.
I cannot ascertain the exact number of individuals due to the fog and dense forest in which I was at the time, but it is certain that there was one pair for each registration. The registrations were in close proximity, approximately 16 and 19 km straight-line distance from the updated eBird point (in the Chinguelas hill).
Really I think that is complicated estimate the populations of this bird, speacial in the enviroment conditions that inhabits. However Elio Nuñez told me that the records in the area are so rare, so probably this bird have small populations inside AP where the forest is more protected, but I afraid the authorities in Peru are no interested in these bird for the not “threatened situation”. Parker cathegorize this bird like a “high sensitive ” (Parker III et al. 1996) and the basic information on natural history is scarty, the “actually records” have small groups of individuals or doesnt’ exist records. I have 40 points between SNTN and the Chinguela side , at the elevation that bird habits (2500-3200 m ), but just had records on presence, this points had a one repetion in the same places. So 0,05 of the total records. Consequently in my humild point of view, this bird should cathegorized in a “threatened situation” at global.
Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops I have visited Cerro Chinguela in Piura Peru close to the Ecuador border on 4 occasions with a total of around 15 days in the field there. February 1987 (constant rain), & March 2001. The first trip was done packing in all we needed on our backs up the mule trail from Sapalache. The second trip was with the help of a mule, but again walking from Sapalache. It rained but I do remember some sun on that trip. At that time a very rough road had been attempted but it was impossible to transit it at the time we were there. Now the road, although sometimes with minor landslides, is good and you can commute to birding localities with early starts from Huancabamba. In 2014 and 2022 we did in a 4×4 Toyota. In 1987, the habitat was much as described in the 1985 publication by Parker et al. In 2001 it was a huge shock to see what had happened in the intervening 14 years. At that time, the forest below Batan was severely fragmented and, beyond Machete, had gone altogether apart from a few scraps, but there was intact forest above that and the mule trail went through untouched forest. Now in 2014 there is nothing below Batan and, although there is good forest on the other side of the river, it is very difficult to get to without an expedition and even that forest is now in the process of being burned. In 2022 and the area was pretty much the same as in 2014, so on all 4 visits the optimum habitat for Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops was intact and in good shape and despite being very attentive and looking hard with other experienced observers no Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops were detected. Others who have recorded the species in the area have done so very few times and always in the summer months leading me to believe the occurrence of this Parrot is sporadic and it is extremely scarce in Peru
Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops, is a rare and patchily distributed parrot and -for certain- globally threatened. Restricted to the forests and vegetations of the Southern Andes of Ecuador and northern Peru between 2700 – 3500 m.a.s.l. In Ecuador, almost the entire distribution and confirmed records are in non-protected areas (or borders of protected areas). Threatened by the expansions of cities and human settlements. Plus, mining and intensive agriculture.
Several areas where this parrot might be present (mainly on the western slope of the eastern Andean Ecuadorian cordillera), have been surveyed, but without positive results or with lower numbers of individuals in reduced but adequate habitat). We do not know why this parrot prefers more the heavily fragmented western slopes at similar altitude, but near the borders of the dry Andean valleys towards the Pacific Ocean rather than the Amazonian ones mentioned above. Probably the strict habitat it is the eastern slope of the western cordillera (the most damaged and threatened in Ecuador)
Based in our analysis, this Psittacidae it’s restricted to the Southern Central Andes Endemic Bird Area, definitely (<10000 Km2). Records are just specific (localized) and seems to be that the fluctuation of mature individuals is dependent of the suitable habitat extension which is heavily fragmented in certain areas. Several records in suitable habitats on western side of the andes mention few individuals or pairs (meta populations).
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion. Additional information submitted via this Forum, in particular regarding this species’ situation in Peru, will be reflected in the updated species factsheet.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I have presented lengthy documentation to Claudia Hermes, who I understand was responsible for giving this species a status of Least Concern, showing that the inclusion of the upper Amazonian slope of southern Ecuador in its range was erroneous (I am surprised this documentation is not mentioned above). In Ecuador, the species is confined to the heavily deforested interAndean slopes. As evident from comments above, it is a very rare bird in Peru. In fact it has been suggested that Peruvian records are merely vagrant birds from Ecuador (Peruvian Red List: SERFOR 2018). My estimate is that the global population may be less than 1000 mature individuals, perhaps as few as 550-600. Only two important roosts are known (near Cuenca and near Saraguro), the largest of these, near Saraguro not currently protected. If density estimates are reliable (Jacobs and Walker 1999 and a recent, as yet unpublished report by Mena et al. 2021), the species has undergone a severe decline over the last three decades. I can only recommend that its status is changed to Endangered, which is also the status it was given in the Ecuador Red List (Freile et al 2019).
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Red-faced Parrot is recommended to be listed as Endangered under Criteria A2bc+4bc; C2a(i).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.