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The green parakeet ( Psittacara holochlorus), green conure, or Mexican green conure is a New World parrot. As defined by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), it is native to Mexico and southern Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
Three subspecies are recognised:
The subspecies P. h. rubritorquis has sometimes been considered as a separate species, the red-throated parakeet.
The Socorro parakeet ( Psittacara brevipes) was formerly considered as a subspecies. The green parakeet was for a time placed in the genus Aratinga as A. holochlora but from about 2013 has been in its present genus Psittacara.
In its native range, the green parakeet inhabits semi-open landscapes including deciduous woodland, gallery forest, and scrublands. It shuns humid lowland forest and is typically found at elevations between . In Texas it is also found in cities and towns.
Its diet has not been fully documented but is known to include seed and fruits. It can be a crop pest.
The breeding season has not been defined but appears to include at least January to April. It nests in tree cavities, caves, and cliff faces. The clutch size is four eggs. The incubation period is thought to be 23 days; the time to fledging and details of parental care are not known.
Its variety of vocalizations include "sharp squeaky notes", "loud harsh calls", and "shrill noisy chattering". Its flight call is "a rolling, harsh and high pitched screek...screek."
Description
The green parakeet is long and weighs about . The sexes are alike. Adults of both subspecies are generally green that is paler and yellower on their underparts. Their cheeks and throat have variable amounts of red speckles. Their underwing Covert feather are yellowish green and the undersides of their flight feathers and tail are olive-yellow. Their iris is orange-red surrounded by bare pale beige skin, their bill horn colored, and their legs and feet brownish. The subspecies P. h. brewsteri is overall somewhat darker than the nominate and has a slight glaucous cast on its head.Eitniear, J. C., N. Collar, C. J. Sharpe, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Green Parakeet ( Psittacara holochlorus
retrieved April 5, 2023
Distribution and habitat
The nominate subspecies of the green parakeet is native in eastern Mexico from Nuevo León and Tamaulipas south to Veracruz. The subspecies P. h. brewsteri is in the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua. In the United States, the species is established in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas; that sub-population'
Sightings in California, Florida, and New Mexico are believed to be of escaped or released cage birds and the species is not on those states' lists.
Behavior
The green parakeet is non-migratory but makes local movements in response to food availability.
Status
The IUCN follows the HBW taxonomy and so includes the Socorro and Pacific parakeets in its assessment of the green parakeet as being of Least Concern. It has estimated that the combined population numbers about 200,000 mature individuals and is decreasing. No immediate threats to the Mexican population have been identified. NatureServe considers the species Vulnerable in Texas due to hunting pressure.
Further reading
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