# Orange-fronted Parakeet

Scientific name: Eupsittula canicularis

Bird group: [parakeet](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/parakeet)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/198/Orange-fronted-Parakeet

## Identification

The orange-fronted parakeet or orange-fronted conure (Eupsittula canicularis), also known as the half-moon conure, is a medium-sized parrot that is resident from western Mexico to Costa Rica.
Orange-fronted parakeets are 22.5 cm (8.9 in) long and weigh 80 g (2.8 oz). The adult is mainly green, paler and yellower below and with an olive tone to the breast. The wings have blue outer primaries and yellow linings, and the pointed tail is tipped with blue. The head is distinctive, with a blue crown, orange forehead, bare yellow eye-ring, yellow iris and white bill. Young birds are similar to the adults, but with much less orange on the forehead.


## Distribution and habitat

The Orange-fronted Parakeet is native to Mexico and Central 
America (Raffaele and others 
1998). It was introduced to 
Puerto Rico, where it is locally 
uncommon from Cabezas de 
San Juan near Fajardo (Raffaele 
and others 1998) and scattered 
throughout the Fajardo Christmas 
Bird Count circle (Wunderle, Jr. 
2017) and nearby (Falcón and 
Tremblay 2018). In Puerto Rico, 
the species usually inhabits 
wooded pastures and urban 
areas with ornamental trees 
(Raffaele and others 1998). 
However, in its native habitat 
it occurs mostly in tropical 
deciduous and semideciduous forests, lower cloud forests, 
agricultural areas, disturbed 
areas, mango plantations, 
coconut palms, and fl at coastal 
plains (Hardy 1965, Navarro 
1994). The atlas fieldwork 
yielded a total of 22 records 
within 15 hexagons or 3 percent 
of the 479 total hexagons (see 
map). Of the 15 hexagons where 
the Orange-fronted Parakeet was 
found, breeding met the atlas 
definition of confirmed in 13 
percent (two) of the hexagons, 
probable in 53 percent (eight), 
and possible in 27 percent (four), 
while the species was observed 
in 7 percent (one) of the 
hexagons but without evidence 
of breeding (see map). Orange-fronted Parakeet distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life 
zones in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       189Orange-fronted Parakeet/Periquito Frentianaranjado

## Breeding

The Orange-fronted Parakeets nest has not yet been found on 
Puerto Rico (Raffaele and others 
1998). However, it may excavate 
nest holes in arboreal termitaria 
(Sazima 1989). Atlas results 
suggest that this species breeds 
from February to July and to a 
lesser extent during December 
(see chart). Overall, the breeding 
activity peaks in March, and it 
mostly takes place within the 
subtropical moist forest life 
zone (see chart). Atlas results show that this species breeds 
mostly within the subtropical 
moist forest life zone (79 percent 
of the hexagons) (see table 
and map). It also breeds in 
subtropical rain forest life zones 
at higher elevations (7 percent of 
the hexagons).

## Conservation

The Orange-fronted Parakeet is currently listed as a species 
of least concern by the 
IUCN (BirdLife International 
2018), while in Puerto Rico this parakeet has increased 
in population size and has 
expanded in range (Falcón and 
Tremblay 2018). Locally, this 
species is not listed in any of the 
threatened categories of PRDNER 
and USFWS.In Puerto Rico, the Orange-fronted Parakeet has a protected 
habitat in land of 14 percent or 
46 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (334 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_198_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_198_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.