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The Pileated Parrot, also known as the Red-capped Parrot (leading to easy confusion with the Australia Purpureicephalus spurius), is a medium-small species of parrot with a total length of about 22 cm (8½ in). It is found in or near Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, far north-eastern Argentina, and eastern Paraguay. A local name in Paraguayan Guaraní is Cúiu Cúiu.
Unlike all other species previously placed in the genus Pionopsitta, the Pileated Parrot does not have a contrasting brownish-olive chest, and recently it was established via mtDNA that it is indeed distinct enough for the others to be moved into a separate genus, Pyrilia, again making Pionopsitta monotypic. The plumage of the Pileated Parrot is overall green with bluish flight feathers, a faint brownish-maroon auricular patch (lacking in juveniles) and, in the male, a bright red forehead that extends down to just below the eyes.
Unlike all other species previously placed in the genus Pionopsitta, the Pileated Parrot does not have a contrasting brownish-olive chest, and recently it was established via mtDNA that it is indeed distinct enough for the others to be moved into a separate genus, Pyrilia, again making Pionopsitta monotypic. The plumage of the Pileated Parrot is overall green with bluish flight feathers, a faint brownish-maroon auricular patch (lacking in juveniles) and, in the male, a bright red forehead that extends down to just below the eyes.Advertisement
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