Reproductive biology of Maroon-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis) in subtropical Brazil

About a fifth of all 72 species of Psittacidae in Brazil are endangered (16 species). Of those, six are in the genus Pyrrhura (of 18 species, 33% of the genus). The lack of information about breeding is a problem common to all species of parrots, especially those that are endangered. Closely related species should have similar ecologies and so the study of a common species can provide important information about the rest. The Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Pyrrhura frontalis, common in southern Brazil, is our model species to examine breeding patterns. During the breeding season of 2016, we collected data from 10 active nests in nest boxes in a rural area near the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Median clutch size was 5, and clutches varied 2 – 8 eggs per nest. Forty of 52 eggs hatched (77%), and 37 survived to fledge (93%). Nests were initiated in October, November and December, yet laying date did not influence growth rates, all young left the nest at similar weights (80.70 ± 4.87 g). In one late nest, nestlings were parasitized by flies (two died), when growth ceased, but recovered when fly larvae were removed. Fledging weight was also independent of clutch size, which suggests that food was not limiting. We demonstrate not only that nest-boxes can be an important tool for conservation and for studying breeding behavior, but that data from this study can be used to better understand other, and endangered, species of Pyrrhura.