Grey-breasted Parakeet

The grey-breasted parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus) is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to Ceará in north-eastern Brazil and restricted to a few mountains with relatively humid forest and woodland in a region otherwise dominated by arid Caatinga. They now only live in two locations, Serra do Baturité and Quixadá. Until recently, it was considered a subspecies of the white-eared parakeet, as Pyrrhura leucotis griseipectus. The split was based on their widely disjunct distributions, differences in measurement of bill, and subtle differences in colour of crown, ear-coverts and chest. A recent study based on mtDNA has failed to confirm the status of the grey-breasted parakeet as a species distinct from the white-eared parakeet, while confirming the species status of Pfrimer's parakeet. After a decade of conservation efforts that included providing nest boxes, the population has seen a significant increase in size from less than 250 to upwards of 1,000 individuals. In 2017, the species was down-listed on the IUCN Red List from Critically Endangered to Endangered.