Two had extensive red feathers on the
>head and breast (probably about 10% of feathers were red), and red carpal
>patches. This is the character you consider indicative of
>Crimson-fronted. Two others had limited red feathers (probably 1-2% of
>feathers were red), no red on the underwing, and a small red crown not
>touching the eye-ring. These are characters consistent with
>Scarlet-fronted or Mitred. The fifth had no red anywhere, consistent with
>Green. I was not really considering the possibility that this flock could
>be mixed species, that is I had assumed that they were all descendants of
>two birds, since breeding was noted in your neighborhood. Plus it was
>consistent with somebody losing a pair of birds which then reproduced. Is
>there a pattern of plumage change with age among _Aratinga_? Could the
>reduced-red individuals represent young of the two most colorful
>individuals? With the green one being the youngest? Or perhaps I need to
>broaden my view to accept the possibility of several individuals of
>perhaps three species escaping or being set free. If the latter case is
>true, than the flock is a mixed-species flock, probably comprised of three
>species: Crimson-fronted, Mitred, and at least one Green (as Gene
>suggested earlier). Ugh. I chosse Mitred over Scarlet-fronted due to
>their preference for tree cavities.
>
>
My brother used to raise these by the jillion, and they do get more red
feathers as they mature, but in my experience its usually subtle (the
species with the most red do seem to start out greener, if that makes sense).
I am confused by your common names here. I have seen mitred (mitrata) with
red all around the eye, and scattered red on their breasts, and that's the
way they are illustrated in "Parrots of the World". A subspecies (mitrata
alticola) is illustrated with the red cap not reaching the eye-- I wonder how
common it is in captivity around here? By crimson fronted do you mean
Wagleri? They start out all green and are known for nesting on cliffs (as you
note, mitred are tree cavity nesters) About the mixed flocks-- In south
Texas mixed flocks of the bigger parrots are very common, I've seen
red-crowned, red lored, and white crowned all in the same flock. The conures,
however, tend to be one species flocks (usually all green). I suspect,
however, that green conures can get to Texas on their own. Up here, it would
be interesting to see what species the pet stores are selling. It wouldn't
surprise me to see sociable birds like these form mixed flocks when there's
no one else around. I'd really like to get a chance to look at these
sometime.
-------------------------------------
Name: Jerry Broadus
jbroadus at seanet.com
901-16th. St S.W.
Puyallup, Wa. 98371
206-845-3156
09/16/96
17:46:35