The identity of the mysterious "Azara's Parakeet" Sittace flaviventris Wagler, 1832

An Acad Bras Cienc. 2018 Jul-Sep;90(3):2851-2853. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765201820170881. Epub 2018 Jun 25.

Abstract

Sittace flaviventris Wagler, 1832 was the name given to Azara's No. 276 "Maracaná cabeza y encuentro roxos", but since then the identity of the species has remained a mystery. Based on a tail-less domestic individual, it has most often been attributed to an aberrant Aratinga parakeet, and is currently considered a doubtful taxon. In this note the identity of "Azara's Parakeet" is confirmed as Red-spectacled Amazon Amazona pretrei (Temminck, 1830), a species that still occurs today in the region from where Azara described it. Sittace flaviventris is thus a junior synonym of Amazona pretrei.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brazil
  • Parakeets / anatomy & histology*
  • Parakeets / classification*