States: Protected against hunting, killing, or 

 capture permanently by Rules and 

 Regulations concerning the Wildlife and 

 Hunting in the Commonwealth of 

 Puerto Rico, 1972, Article 8a. 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



Deforestation, widespread hunting, and taking 

 of parrots for pets almost certainly brought about 

 the original decline of this species. Now that the 

 population is so small, all adverse pressures are 

 very serious. Severe hurricanes in 1928 and 1932 

 decimated the population, probably by destruc- 

 tion of fruit (Noel Snyder pers. comm.). Inter- 

 actions between parrots and red-tailed hawks, 

 broad-winged hawks, and sharp-shinned hawks 

 have been seen (Cameron Kepler in Forshaw 

 1973). The pearly-eyed thrasher {Margarops fus- 

 cata), which competes with parrots for nesting 

 sites and also preys on eggs and chicks, has be- 

 come much more abundant and widespread in re- 

 cent years (Nathan Leopold 1968 pers. comm.; 

 Cameron Kepler in Forshaw 1973). Pearly-eyed 

 thrashers and red-tailed hawks are believed to be 

 the most serious predators; rats and screech owls 

 are not considered serious (Noel Snyder pers. 

 comm.). 



A critical shortage of nesting holes in hollow 

 trees combined with fierce competition from the 

 exploding population of pearly-eyed thrashers 

 continue to threaten parrots. lUegcil hunting and 

 nest robberies by humans are still threats (Noel 

 Snyder pers. comm.). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



65' 



DESCRIPTION 



The adult parrot is about 29 cm long, with 

 predominantly green plumage, paler and more 



yellowish on underparts; feathers are edged with 

 dusky black, p2U"ticularly on head and neck ; lores 

 and frontal band are red; there is a distinct white 

 eye ring; under tail coverts are yellowish-green; 

 feathers of abdomen are sometimes slightly tinged 

 with dull red; primary-coverts and primaries axe 

 dark blue; outer webs of outermost secondaries 

 are blue narrowly edged with dull green; under 

 wing-coverts are green; undersides of flight fea- 

 thers are bluish-green; tail is green narrowly tipped 



with yellowish-green, bases of lateral feathers are 

 marked with red on inner webs and outermost 

 feathers are edged with blue; bill is yellowish horn; 

 iris is brown; legs are yellowish brown. Immatures 

 ^u■e similar to adults (Forshaw 1973). 



The extinct subspecies A. v. gracilipes of 

 nearby Culebralsland was very similar, but smaller 

 and with smaller, more slender feet (Forshaw 

 1973). 



Measurements. A. v. vittata: (8 males) wing 

 182-193 mm (av. 188.5 mm); taU 90-103 (96.9); 

 exposed cuhnen 27-30 (28.5);tarsus 21-24 (22.1); 

 (5 females) wing 178-196 (av. 185.6 mm); tail 93- 

 104 (98.2); exposed cuhnen 27-28 (27.2); tarsus 

 22-24 (23.0). A. v. gracilipes: (2 males) wing 169- 

 173 (av. 171.0 mm); taU 93-95 (94.0); exposed 

 culmen 26 (26.0); tarsus 20-21 (20.5); (1 female) 

 wing 175 mm; tail 100; exposed culmen 23; tar- 

 sus 20 (Forshaw 1973). 



RANGE 



The present range is confined to Puerto Rico; 

 it formerly included nearby Culebra, Vieques and 

 Mona Islands. This parrot was last recorded on 

 Culebra Island in 1899; it disappeared from other 

 offshore islands of Puerto Rico earlier. 



It has not been recorded from the mangrove 

 swamp at the mouth of the Mameyes River since 

 Wetmore (1927) found it there. It was known to 

 be in Guanjataca Forest at medium altitudes up 

 to 1910, in Rio Abaja Forest also at medium 

 elevations up to 1920's, and in Carite Forest at 

 high elevations up until the 1930's. It is now 

 virtually confined to Luguillo National Forest, 

 which comprises 11,200 ha of relatively high- 

 elevation tropical rainforest in extreme eastern 

 Puerto Rico (Noel Snyder pers. comm.). 



RANGE MAP 



The range of the parrot has included most 

 areas of Luguillo Forest above 400 m elevation. 



STATES/COUNTIES 



Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 



HABITAT 



Mature wet forests with high rainfall between 

 about 400 and 800 m elevation are required by 

 this species. It is now confined in breeding areas 

 having the largest number of old Colorado trees, 



