Monk Parakeet
73223
225333163
2008-07-13T03:45:45Z
Senator Palpatine
7357381
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/72.224.141.238|72.224.141.238]] to last version by 68.109.180.184 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Taxobox
| name = Monk Parakeet
| image = Monk Parakeet on short grass.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Wild ''Myiopsitta monachus monachus'' in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]].
| status = LC
| status_system = iucn3.1
| regnum = [[Animalia]]
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neognathae]]
| superordo = [[Neoaves]]
| ordo = [[Psittaciformes]]
| familia = [[Psittacidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Psittacinae]] <small>(but see [[#Systematics and taxonomy|text]])</small>
| tribus = [[Neotropical parrots|Arini]] <small>(but see [[#Systematics and taxonomy|text]])</small>
| genus = '''''Myiopsitta'''''
| genus_authority = [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte|Bonaparte]], 1854
| species = '''''M. monachus'''''
| binomial = ''Myiopsitta monachus''
| binomial_authority = ([[Pieter Boddaert|Boddaert]], 1783)
| subdivision_ranks = [[Subspecies]]
| subdivision =
2-4, see text
| synonyms =
''Psittacus monachus'' <small>Boddaert, 1783</small><br />
''Bolborrhynchus luchsi'' <small>[[Otto Finsch|Finsch]], 1868</small><br />
''Myiopsitta luchsi'' <small>(Finsch, 1868)</small><br />
but see [[#Systematics and taxonomy|text]]
}}
The '''Monk Parakeet''' or '''Quaker Parrot''' (''Myiopsitta monachus'') is a [[species]] of [[parrot]], the only member of the [[monotypic]] genus '''''Myiopsitta'''''. It originates from the temperate to subtropical areas of [[Argentina]] and the surrounding countries in [[South America]]. Self-sustaining [[feral]] populations occur in many places, mainly in [[North America]] and [[Europe]].
==Description==
[[Image:Quaker Parrot.jpg|thumb|left|Female pet Monk Parakeet]]
The [[nominate subspecies]] of this parakeet is 29 cm long on average, with a 48 cm wingspan, and weighs 100 g. Females tend to be 10-20% smaller. It has bright green upperparts. The forehead and breast are pale grey with darker scalloping and the rest of the underparts are very-light green to yellow. The [[remiges]] are dark blue, and the tail is long and tapering. The bill is orange. The call is a loud and throaty ''chape(-yee)'' or ''quak quaki quak-wi quarr'', and screeches ''skveet''.<ref name = hbw+j&p>Collar (1997a,b), Juniper & Parr (1998)</ref>
Domestic breeds in colors other than the natural plumage have been produced. These include birds with white, blue, and yellow in place of green. As such coloration provides less camouflage, feral birds are usually of wild-type coloration.
==Systematics and taxonomy==
''Myiopsitta monachus'' is presently the only unequivocally accepted member of the [[genus]] '''''Myiopsitta'''''. However, it seems that the Cliff Parakeet (see below) will eventually be recognized as a species again, as it has been on-again-off-again since it was first described in 1868.<ref name = hbw-luchsi>Collar (1997b)</ref> It is presently included with the Monk Parakeet because there is too little up-to-date research on which an authoritative [[taxonomic]] decision could be based. The [[American Ornithologists' Union|AOU]] for example has deferred recognizing the Cliff Parakeet as distinct "because of insufficient published data".<ref>SACC (2008)</ref>
Consequently, there are four [[subspecies]] presently recognized:<ref name = hbw+j&p />
* '''''Myiopsitta monachus monachus''''' <small>(Boddaert, 1783)</small> – [[Argentina]] from SE [[Santiago del Estero Province]] throughout the [[Salado River, Argentina|Río Salado]] and lower [[Paraná River|Paraná]] basins to [[Buenos Aires Province]] and [[Uruguay]]
:The largest subspecies
* '''''Myiopsitta monachus calita''''' <small>(Boddaert, 1783)</small> – [[Andean]] foothills up to 1,000 m [[Above mean sea level|ASL]], from SE [[Bolivia]] ([[Santa Cruz Department|Santa Cruz]] and [[Tarija department]]s) to [[Paraguay]] and NW Argentina, then west of the range of ''monachus'', extending into the lowlands again in [[Río Negro Province|Río Negro]] and possibly [[Chubut province]]s.
:Smaller than ''monachus'', wings more prominently blue, grey of head darker.
* '''''Myiopsitta monachus cotorra''''' <small>(Finsch, 1868)</small> – SW [[Brazil]] ([[Mato Grosso]], [[Mato Grosso do Sul]], possibly [[Rio Grande do Sul]]) throughout the [[Río Paraguay]] and middle Paraná basins as well as the [[Gran Chaco]].
:Essentially identical to ''calida'' but supposedly less yellow below and brighter overall.
* '''Cliff Parakeet''', '''''Myiopsitta (monachus) luchsi''''' <small>(Boddaert, 1783)</small> – [[Andean]] valleys of central Bolivia between 1,000<ref name = j&p1998>Juniper & Parr (1998)</ref>/1,300<ref name = hbw-luchsi /> and 3,000 m ASL, roughly from SE [[La Paz Department (Bolivia)|La Paz]] to N [[Chuquisaca department]]s. Essentially the same range as the [[Red-fronted Macaw]].
:Smaller, with clearer plumage pattern: no scalloping on breast, underparts brighter yellow, underwing lighter. Base of [[maxilla]] dark.
The first three subspecies' ranges meet in the general area of Paraguay, and there they are insufficiently delimited. The distinctness and delimitation of ''calita'' and ''cotorra'' especially requires further study. As regards the Cliff Parakeet, it appears as if its altitudinal range does not overlap with that of ''calita''/''cotorra'' and that it is thus entirely - but just barely - [[allopatric]].<ref name = j&p1998 />
Like the other [[Neotropical parrots]], the Monk Parakeet is usually placed in the [[tribe (biology)|tribe]] Arini, which might warrant elevation to [[subfamily]] rank as Arinae. ''M. monachus'' belongs to the long-tailed [[clade]] of these - [[macaw]]s and [[conure]]s, essentially -, which would retain the name Arini/Arinae if this [[polyphyletic]] group is split.
==Ecology and behavior==
[[Image:Myiopsitta monachus -large nests in gum trees2.jpg|right|thumb|Nests in gum trees, [[Málaga]], Spain.]]
The Monk Parakeet is globally very common,<ref>BLI (2007)</ref> and even the rather localized Cliff Parakeet is generally common.<ref name = hbw-luchsi /> In Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, Monk Parakeets are regarded as major agricultural pests (as noted by [[Charles Darwin]] among others). Their population explosion in South American rural areas seems to be associated with the expansion of [[eucalyptus]] [[forestry]] for paper pulp production, which offers the bird the opportunity to build protected nests in artificial forests where there is small ecological competition from other species. The Cliff Parakeet occasionally plunders [[maize]] fields but it is apparently not considered a major pest as there is no serious persecution.<ref name = hbw-luchsi />
The Monk Parakeet is the only parrot that builds a stick [[bird nest|nest]], in a tree or on a man-made structure, rather than using a hole in a tree. This [[social animal|gregarious]] species often breeds colonially, building a single large nest with separate entrances for each pair. In the wild, the colonies can become quite large, with pairs occupying separate "apartments" in nests that can reach the size of a small [[automobile]]. These nests can attract many other tenants including birds of prey such as the [[Spot-winged Falconet]], ducks such as the [[Speckled Teal]] and even mammals. Their 5-12 eggs hatch in about 24 days.
The Cliff Parakeet, as its name implies, rather nests in cliff crevices. This [[taxon]] rarely builds communal nests, but individual pairs still prefer to nest in close association.<ref name = hbw-luchsi />
Unusually for a parrot, Monk Parakeet pairs occasionally have helper individuals, often a grown offspring, which assists with feeding the young (see [[kin selection]]).
The lifespan of Monk Parakeets has been quoted to be from 15-20 years,<ref>Fasbach (2001)</ref> to 25-30 years;<ref>Kamuda (1998)</ref> the former might refer to average lifespans in captivity and/or in the wild, while the latter is in the range of maximum lifespans recorded for parakeets.
===As pets===
[[Image:Quaker-takeoff.png|thumb|right|Tame Quaker Parrot taking off]]
Monk Parakeets are highly intelligent, social birds. Those kept as pets routinely develop large [[vocabulary|vocabularies]]. They are able to learn scores of words and phrases.<ref>[http://www.butnowyouknow.com/oatmeal.html The Vocabulary of a Quaker Parrot]. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.</ref> This species is considered especially adept at learning.{{Fact|date=May 2007}}
===As an introduced species===
[[Image:Myiopsitta monachus -Old San Juan -Puerto Rico.jpg|thumb|left|Monk Parakeet in San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
Self-sustaining [[feral]] populations have been recorded in several US states and various countries of [[Europe]] (namely [[Spain]]), as well as in [[Brazil]], [[Israel]], [[Bermuda]], [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Japan]]. As it is an open woodlands species, it adapts readily to urban areas.
In areas where they have been introduced, some fear that they will harm [[agriculture|crops]] and native species. Evidence of harm caused by feral colonies is disputed, and many people oppose killing this charismatic bird, but there have been local bans and eradication programs in some areas of the USA. Outside the USA, introduced populations do not appear to raise similar controversy, presumably because of smaller numbers of birds, or because their settlement in urban areas does not pose a threat to agricultural production.
It was found that feral populations are often descended from very small founder populations. Being as social and intelligent as they are, Monk Parakeets will develop some cultural [[tradition]]s, namely vocal [[dialect]]s that differ between groups. In populations descended from a large number of birds, a range of "dialects" will exist. If the founder population is small however, a process similar to [[genetic drift]] may occur if prominent founders vocalize in an unusual "dialect", with this particular way of vocalizing becoming established in the resulting feral colony. For example, no less than three different "dialects" occur among the feral Monk Parrots of the [[Milford, Connecticut]], metropolitan area.<ref>Buhrmann-Deever ''et al.'' (2007)</ref>
'''Brazil'''<br />
The species has in recent years expanded its range in Brazil, where there is now a self-sustaining population in the downtown area of [[Rio de Janeiro]]. Since this population occurs far from the bird's original range in Brazil - it was only found in the far south and southwest -, it is most probably a consequence of escapees from the [[pet trade]]. In Rio de Janeiro, the bird can be easily seen at the [[Aterro do Flamengo]] gardens - where it nests on [[palm trees]] and feeds on their fruit; the Rio birds seem to favor nesting amid the leaves of [[coconut]] palm trees - as well as in the vicinity of the neighboring domestic flight terminal, the [[Santos Dumont Airport]].
'''United States of America'''<br />
Considerable numbers of Monk Parakeet were imported to the [[United States]] in the late 1960s as a pet. Many escaped or were intentionally released, and populations were allowed to proliferate. By the early 1970s, ''M. monachus'' was established in seven states, and by 1995 it had spread to eight more. There are now thought to be approximately 100,000 in Florida alone.
As one of the few temperate-zone parrots, the Monk Parakeet is more able than most to survive cold climates, and colonies exist as far north as [[New York City]], [[Chicago]], [[Cincinnati]], coastal [[Rhode Island]] and [[Connecticut]], and southwestern [[Washington]]. This hardiness makes this species second only to the [[Rose-ringed Parakeet]] amongst parrots as a successful [[introduced species]].
In addition they have found a home in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]], after an accidental release decades ago of what appears black-market birds.<ref>Powell (2006)</ref> Within [[Green-Wood Cemetery]], the grounds crew initially tried to destroy the unsightly nests at the entrance gate, they no longer do so, because the presence of the parrots has reduced the number of [[feral pigeon|pigeons]] nesting within it. The management's decision was based on a comparative chemical analysis of pigeon feces (which destroy brownstone structures) and Monk Parakeet feces (which have no ill effect). Oddly then, the Monk Parakeets are in effect preserving this historic structure. [[Brooklyn College]], on the other hand, has a Monk Parakeet as an "unofficial" mascot in reference to the colony of the species that lives in its campus grounds. It featured on the masthead of the student magazine.
Due to its invasiveness, a number of states outlaw either importation, sale, release, or mere possession of a monk parakeet.<ref>QIC (2004)</ref>
'''Spain'''<br />
Monk Parakeets can be seen in [[Madrid]], [[Barcelona]], [[Cadiz]], [[Valencia, Spain|Valencia]], [[Malaga]], and the [[Canary Islands]]. In Madrid, they especially frequent the [[Ciudad Universitaria]] (university campus). They are a common sight in Barcelona parks, often as numerous as pigeons. They form substantial colonies in [[Parc de la Ciutadella]], Parc de la [[Barceloneta]], and in smaller city parks such as Jardins Josep Truetta in [[Poble Nou]].
==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
* {{aut|Athan, Mattie Sue; Davey, JoAnn & Davey, Jon-Mark}} (2004): ''[http://parrotsinthecity.com Parrots In The City: One Bird's Struggle for a Place on the Planet]''. Quaker Parakeet Society, Framingham, Mass. <small>ISBN 159113563X</small>
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|BirdLife International (BLI)}}|year=2004|id=48061|title=Myiopsitta monachus|downloaded=11 May 2006}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
* {{aut|Buhrmann-Deever, Susannah C.; Rappaport, Amy R. & Bradbury, Jack W.}} (2007): Geographic Variation in Contact Calls of Feral North American Populations of the Monk Parakeet [English with Spanish abstract]. ''[[Condor (journal)|Condor]]'' '''109'''(2): 389-398. <small>[[Digital Object Identifier|DOI]]:10.1650/0010-5422(2007)109[389:GVICCO]2.0.CO;2</small> [http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1650%2F0010-5422(2007)109%5B389%3AGVICCO%5D2.0.CO%3B2 HTML abstract]
* {{aut|Collar, Nigel J.}} (1997a): 249. Monk Parakeet. ''In:'' {{aut|del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds.)}}: ''[[Handbook of Birds of the World]]'' (Vol.4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos): 445, Plates 50. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. <small>ISBN 84-87334-22-9</small>
* {{aut|Collar, Nigel J.}} (1997b): 250. Cliff Parakeet. ''In:'' {{aut|del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds.)}}: ''[[Handbook of Birds of the World]]'' (Vol.4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos): 445, Plates 50. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. <small>ISBN 84-87334-22-9</small>
* {{aut|Fasbach, Laura}} (2001): [http://www.edgewateronline.com/edgewater-parrots/07-23-01.html A squawk in the park]. ''Edgewater Online''. Version of 2001-JUL-23. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.
* {{aut|Kamuda, Melinda L.}} (1998): [http://www.monkparakeet.com/melinda.htm Quaker Parrots (a.k.a. Monk Parakeets) Care and Training]. Version of 1998-MAR-19. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.
* {{aut|Juniper, Tony & Parr, Mike}} (1998): 269 Monk Parakeet. ''In: Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World'': 475-476, plate 62. [[Helm Identification Guides|Christopher Helm]], London. <small>ISBN 1873403402</small>
* {{aut|[[National Geographic Society]]}} (2002): ''Field Guide to the Birds of North America''. National Geographic, Washington DC. <small>ISBN 0-792-26877-6</small>
* {{aut|Powell, Michael}} (2006): [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701474.html Parrots Have Colonized the Wilds of Brooklyn]. ''[[Washington Post]]'', 2006-DEC-28. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.
* {{aut|Quaker Information Center (QIC)}} (2004): [http://quakerville.net/qic/statelaw.asp Are Quakers Legal In My State?] Version of 2004-DEC-31. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.
* {{aut|[[David Allen Sibley|Sibley, David Allen]]}} (2000): ''[[The Sibley Guide to Birds]]''. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. <small>ISBN 0-679-45122-6</small>
* {{aut|South American Classification Committee (SACC)}} (2008): [http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline03.html A classification of the bird species of South America (Part 3: Columbiformes to Caprimulgiformes)]. Version of 2008-JAN-09. Retrieved 2008-JAN-12.
== External links ==
*[http://www.birdloversonline.com/quakers Quaker page @ Bird Lovers]
*[http://www.qp-society.com Quaker Parakeet Society website]
*[http://www.quakerville.com/index.asp QuakerVille, the Quaker Parrot virtual community]
*[http://invasions.bio.utk.edu/invaders/monk.html Institute for Biological Invasions: Monk Parakeet]<!-- this contains much well-referenced detail information -->
*[http://www.monkparakeet.com/ Monk Parakeets in North America]
*[http://www.brooklynparrots.com BrooklynParrots.com: A Web Site About the Wild Parrots of Brooklyn]
*[http://www.edgewaterparrots.com Edgewaterparrots.com: A Web Site About the Wild Parrots of [[Edgewater, NJ]]]
*[http://www.myfwc.com/critters/exotics/SpeciesNumberResults.asp?SPPNO=218 Florida's Exotic Wildlife: Monk Parakeet]
*[http://myfwc.com/bba/mopa.htm Florida Breeding Bird Atlas: Monk Parakeet]
*[http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/naturalized.htm Naturalized Parrots in the U.S.]
*[http://quakerparrot.weebly.com Quaker Parrot]
*[http://www.ibercajalav.net/img/258_MonkParakeetM.monachus.pdf Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta]
[[Category:Parrots]]
[[Category:Arini]]
[[Category:Genera of birds]]
[[Category:Birds of Argentina]]
[[Category:Birds of Brazil]]
[[Category:Birds of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Birds of Paraguay]]
[[Category:Birds of Uruguay]]
[[Category:Birds of the Cayman Islands]]
[[Category:Birds kept as pets]]
[[Category:Birds of Guadeloupe]]
[[Category:Birds of the United States]]
[[Category:Aviculture]]
[[Category:Talking birds]]
[[Category:Invasive animal species]]
[[ca:Cotorreta de pit gris]]
[[cs:Papoušek mniší]]
[[de:Mönchssittich]]
[[es:Myiopsitta monachus]]
[[fr:Myiopsitta monachus]]
[[hu:Barátpapagáj]]
[[nl:Monniksparkiet]]
[[ja:オキナインコ]]
[[pt:Caturrita]]
[[ru:Попугай-монах]]
[[fi:Munkkiarati]]