Red-faced Parrot

The red-faced parrot (Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is found in Ecuador and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. The red-faced parrot is rapidly decreasing and the species is now considered an endangered species. It is endemic to Ecuador and northern Peru, and specifically found in mild forests of provinces of Azuay, Loja and Morona-Santiago and the Piura department in Peru (Toyne et al.). They are also found in other areas in Southern Ecuador such as Chilla and El Sauce, but Selva Alegre seems to have the most red-faced parrots. This parrot is known to have vocalizations to find other flocks of birds. This species of parrot is going extinct due to loss of habitat Studies in southern Ecuador by Mark Jacobs and Jon Walker show that the red-faced parrot mostly inhabits the cloud forests of Selva Alegre (Jacobs & Walker). The destruction of these cloud forests for grazing and agriculture is the main cause for the endangering of the red-faced parrot. The population of the red-faced parrot in Selva Alegre estimates from a minimum of 169 to a maximum of 734 (Jacobs & Walker). Due to the smaller population of these birds, there are less individuals to mate, making the birth rate much lower than the death rate, causing the species to be more at risk to go extinct.