Отправлено: 11.06.21 22:06. Заголовок: Psittacids

I'll post there some descriptions that I did inspired by Автор idea of macaw-like parakeets from the "Neocene Florida expanded" thread. I think that in this thread we can also talk about other ideas regarding Psittacids of the Neocene.

 Отправлено: 11.06.21 22:13. Заголовок: Blue-fronted macaw (..

Blue-fronted macaw (Araguari cyanofrons)
During the Holocene, human activities caused great damage to the Psittaciformes. Many species became extinct, while others became critically endangered. However, the psittacids that were able to survive the anthropogenic onslaught over natural resources during the end of the Holocene, continued their evolution and their descendants ended filling the niches left by the psittacids that weren’t able to survive. One of these survivors were birds of the Genus Phyrrhura, which were versatile enough to survive in great urban centers and in the Neocene they gave rise to the Genus Araguari. Araguari is a word of the Guarani language which was used as a name for some species of pscittacids. These birds are morphologically similar to the Ara macaws, with long tails and long narrow wings. The difference between the members of these two genus is that the Araguari macaws lack the bare face patch around the eyes that was characteristic to the Ara macaws. This gives these birds the appearance of giant parakeets. The birds of this genus filled the niches that were once occupied by the true macaws (Genus Ara) and by large parrots. A successful group, the Araguari macaws originated first in South America and spread to North America and Caribe before the disappearance of the Isthmus of Panama. The type species of this genus is the blue-fronted macaw. This bird lives from the savannas of Central South America to the forests of the Atlantic coast of this continent, also reaching the Araucaria forests in the South.
Blue-fronted macaws are large birds, with 80 cm from beak to tail and a wingspan of 87 cm. Its plumage is mostly green, with exception of the primaries and secondaries feathers which are red. It bears a vivid blue plumage in its forehead, crown and nape. The tail is long and has feathers that are bright green above and red below. The beak is strong and dark grey, the feet are of this same color.
Seeds and fruit are the major part of the diet of these birds. Their beaks are well adapted for eating various seeds and nuts as they have the ability to break open the hardest of shells with relative ease. Because of this, they are seed predators not seed dispersers. All Araguari species consume clay to absorb toxic compounds produced by some poison an to supplement the diet with sodium. Blue-fronted macaws will leave their roosts in flocks around dawn and head to their feeding areas.
Blue-fronted macaws are monogamous and remain with their mates for life. As they fly in large flocks the mates fly together. They will also be found flying in pairs in their feeding, roosting and nesting areas. The breeding season occurs during the spring. The nest is made in cavities on trees, either live or dead. Fissures on cliffs are also used. These birds will aggressively dislodge digger parrots (genus Ampliforpus) from their nests in cliffs, which are then enlarged by the macaws. Females will lay one to two eggs which only she will incubate for a period of approximately 26 days and the chicks fledge from the nest about 90 days after hatching. Blue-fronted macaws reach sexual maturity in two to four years. Their lifespan is of 50 years.

Other species in the Genus Araguari:

Blue-headed macaw (Araguari cyanocephala)
Living in the savannas of Central South America and in the Gran Chaco, this bird has 76 cm of length and a wingspan of 83 cm. They are mostly green with the exception of the head that is blue and the primaries and secondaries feathers that are red.

Green-chested macaw (Araguari amazonica)
Living in the Amazon rainforest, this bird has 85 cm of length and a wingspan of 92 cm. They have green plumage in the throat, underbelly and tail. The head, nape, wings and back are blue. The primaries and secondaries feathers are red.

Red-headed macaw (Araguari rubrocephala)
Living from the tropical forests of the Panama Peninsula to the tropical forests of Mexico, this bird has 79 cm of length and a wingspan of 85 cm. It has a red head, bright green body, blue wings and green greater coverts. The tail of this bird is scarlet with blue on top.

Red-bellied macaw (Araguari erythroventer)
Living in the subtropical forests of North America, from Texas to the Florida Peninsula, this bird has 77 cm of length and a wingspan of 83 cm. Its plumage is mostly green, with exception of the belly, underbelly and chest that are red. This species also has a red nape and crown. The primaries and secundaries feathers of this species are blue.

Antiguan macaw (Araguari minor)
Living in the tropical forests of Great Antigua, this species is the smallest member of the Genus Araguari, with 67 cm of length and a wingspan of 78 cm. The plumage of this species is mostly green, with a red forehead, a red patch over the ears and bright blue wing feather.

 Отправлено: 12.06.21 11:21. Заголовок: JOrnitho Wow, 6 in ..

JOrnitho
Wow, 6 in a row! Good ones! I'm rushing to add them to the catalogue.

 Отправлено: 12.06.21 18:39. Заголовок: Very good and accomp..

Very good and accomplished description, thank you!
Once great Spec project had been created by team gave rise to some paleontologists. I hope, there will be famous scientists among Neocene project contributors!

 Отправлено: 22.06.21 15:22. Заголовок: I was working in the..

I was working in the description of the primitive genus of macaw-like parakeet that Автор proposed. As he said this genus would live in Central America. Would this genus be considered a relic taxon? Perhaps it had representatives spread in South America, but these disappeared.

 Отправлено: 22.06.21 17:38. Заголовок: JOrnitho As I could..

JOrnitho
As I could understand, your question is whether that taxon could be relic. The answer is yes, although it's up to you to decide. A new genus is also plausible, and there are many new genera within relic families in Neocene.

 Отправлено: 24.06.21 02:04. Заголовок: I made the descripti..

I made the description for the relic species. I used the genus Pyrrhura, which was once widespread is now limited to two species in restricted areas.

Yucatan conure (Pyrrhura mexicana)
During the Holocene, human interference in nature caused the extinction of several species. However, some species were able to survive and its descendants continued their evolution in the Neocene, with the Genus Pyrrhura being one of them. This genus was once widespread, reaching from subtropical South America and southern Central America. These birds suffered with the human impacts over the ecosystems, but after humanity became extinct, the survivors of this genus recovered and spread, even reaching lands beyond their original range. During this time, the Genus Pyrrhura gave rise to some new genera, among its descendants is the Genus Araguari, large macaw-like psittacids. Now many of the Pyrrhura species disappeared and the Genus became a relic taxon, with only two species still living. One of these species is the Yucatan conure. This species inhabits the tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Yucatan conures have 22 cm of length and 47 cm of wingspan. Adult and juvenile Pfrimer's parakeet look similar in plumage. They have dark maroon faces and ear coverts, with a blue crown. They have white eye rings surrounding their eyes above their dark gray beaks. Their necks are covered in green feathers. The breasts are colored blue with hints of white and brown, while their abdomen is red. The wings have a blend of red, green and blue. Their tails are maroon with a green base.
The diet of the Yucatan conure is mostly made up of fruits, berries, and seeds. However, they will also eat certain flowers, insects, and their larvae.
This bird is social, being typically seen in pairs or flocks with 40 individuals. These flocks are typically noisy when in flight but will be quiet when resting or feeding in the canopy. Monogamous, after the pairs are formed, they will stay together for life. A mated pair can be identified in a flock because the male and the female will fly very close to each other. The nest is placed in a tree cavity. The female lays between 4 and 6 white eggs and the incubation lasts for 25 days. Only the female incubate the eggs, with the male being responsible to protect the nest and bring food to her. The young will fledge with 24 days and they reach sexual maturity with 2 years. The lifespan of the Yucatan conure is of 27 years.
The other representative of the Genus Pyrrhura is the Amazon conure (Pyrrhura amazonica). This species is restricted to the Northern parts of the Amazon rainforest in South America. This bird have 23 cm of length and a wingspan of 49 cm. The plumage is mostly green. The chest has dark grey and whitish scaling on a green background, and the rump and belly are dark maroon. The face and throat are dark red, the forehead is blue and there is a reddish ear-patch. The long, graduated tail has a red underside.

 Отправлено: 24.06.21 11:02. Заголовок: JOrnitho A good par..

JOrnitho
A good parrot, I'm adding it to the catalogue.

 Отправлено: 28.07.21 18:06. Заголовок: I finished the descr..

I finished the description for the predatory parrot that I talked about some time ago.

Rapacious parrot (Pseudonestor vorax)
During the Holocene, human interference in nature caused the extinction of several species. In the Neocene, the niches left behind by the species that went extinct were filled by new creatures. One of these is the Rapacious parrot, a species of omnivorous psittacid with predatory tendencies. This bird inhabits the Tropical zone of South America, from the Amazon rainforest to the savannas of Central South America.
The Rapacious parrot has 46 cm of length and 72 cm of wingspan. Its plumage is green, with a reddish yellow belly and uppertail coverts. It has red feathers on the undersides of its wing. It has a bare black facial skin and a relatively long, strong, hooked dark grey bill, giving to the bird a vulture-like profile. The bare part of the head is an adaptation to avoid the feathers of being dirty from the blood of the carcasses that it eats.
An omnivore, the Rapacious parrot feeds on more than plants, insects, other birds, mammals, and carrion. Its diet will change according to the disponibility of food. When there is an abundance of fruits, these birds become nearly complete herbivores. However, when these birds find carrion, even when there is an abundance of fruits, they will eat it. Is common to see Rapacious parrots among birds of prey and cathartids feeding on carcasses. When the number of fruits decreases, these parrots become more carnivorous, actively hunting small mammals and birds. These birds will also attack nests of birds to eat their eggs and chicks.
Rapacious parrots are monogamous breeders who nest in tree cavities. Each mated pair of parrots needs their own tree for their nest. Couples will fight each other for the nests. If they find a nest occupied by a smaller species of bird, the couple will aggressively expel it, and if the size allows, the parrots can kill and eat the other birds. The female lays three to five eggs, which she incubates for 30 days while being fed by her mate. The adults aggressively defend their nesting sites. The parents take care of them until 5 weeks after they are fledged. The young leave the nest at the age of 12 weeks. The lifespan of the Rapacious parrot is 45 years.
Another species in the Genus Pseudonestor is the Andean rapacious parrot (Pseudonestor andinus). This species inhabits the Andean Plateau and is more carnivorous than its relative, hunting efficiently other animals that live in the plateau. More robust that the Rapacious parrot, the Andean species have 52 cm of length and a wingspan of 92 cm. Its plumage is moss green, with a yellow belly and uppertail coverts. It has pale red feathers on the undersides of its wing. Like it relative, the Andean rapacious parrot have a bare black facial skin and a relatively long, strong, hooked dark grey bill. This species build its nest in rock crevices.

 Отправлено: 28.07.21 18:43. Заголовок: JOrnitho Wow, thank..

JOrnitho
Wow, thank you! Rushing to add it to the catalogues!