About Aratinga wagleri (G.R.Gray, 1845)
Taxonomy and Size
The scarlet-fronted parakeet, currently classified with the scientific name Aratinga wagleri (G.R.Gray, 1845), is 34 to 40 cm (13 to 16 in) long and weighs 162 to 217 g (5.7 to 7.7 oz). Males and females have identical appearance.
Adult Plumage (General)
Adults are mostly green, with yellower coloration on the underparts, and some individuals have red speckles on the throat. The species gets its common English name from the red coloration of its forehead and the front portion of its crown.
Wing, Tail and Soft Part Features
The undersides of its flight feathers and tail are olive-yellow. Its iris is pale gray, surrounded by bare gray skin; its bill is horn colored, and its legs and feet are brownish.
Subspecies Morphology
Subspecies P. w. transilis is somewhat smaller and darker overall than the nominate subspecies, and the red patch on its crown does not extend as far toward the back of the head. Immature birds look similar to adults, but have less red on the head.
Distribution Pattern
The scarlet-fronted parakeet has a disjunct distribution. The nominate subspecies occurs in the Colombian Andes, the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia, the Serranía del Perijá along the Colombia-Venezuela border, and in western Venezuela.
Subspecies Range
Subspecies P. w. transilis occurs in extreme eastern Colombia, and in northern Venezuela from Falcón east to Sucre and Monagas.
Habitat Types
This species lives in a variety of landscapes, including the edges of cloudforest, tropical deciduous forest, gallery forest, and secondary forest. It can also be found in fields, orchards, and parks in developed areas.
Elevational Range
Its elevational range extends from 350 to 2,500 m (1,100 to 8,200 ft).
