Identification: Spot-winged Parrotlet (Touit stictopterus) is a chunky bird of 16–17 cm in length. It is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. Only the Touit parrotlet has an all-green tail; the upper wing coverts are dusky brown-tipped dull white, and the outermost primary covers are orange. The juvenile upper wing coverts are green with black bases showing through, and the outermost primary coverts are green. The immature bird looks like a female but is less bright.
Habitats: Spot-winged parrotlets habitually like tall trees and are hard to spot in the foliage because of their camouflaging plumage. Therefore, most birders are observed when they are flying above the trees, but they are rare in between the trees. They rarely migrate if they are likely to take place depending on food availability.
Call: Spot-winged Parrotlet call are harsh ddreet-ddreet-ddreet, raspy raah-reh or raah-reh…reh, normally quiet when in perch.
Distribution: Spot-winged Parrotlet is a small but rare bird found in central Colombia, on the western slopes of the Cordillera Central in Cauca, the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental in Cundinamarca, the Sierra de la Macarena in Meta, and possibly eastern Nariño, and the eastern slopes of the Andes in eastern Ecuador to northern Peru; mostly 1000 to 1700 m; vulnerable.
Status: Spot-winged Parrotlets are feared to have a small population and are threatened due to habitat loss, which is causing a sluggish decline in population size.
Diet: The diet consists of Ficus figs, different fruits, (i.e., berries, banana, oats, barley) seeds, maize crops, and grain.
Localities: Cordillera de los Picachos National Park, Meta-Huila, Colombia. Sangay National Park, Morona-Santiago, Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, and Sierra Azul Forest Reserve, western Napo, Ecuador So far, very few birders have observed this rare species of parrot. This little parakeet flies in small numbers in flocks via the canopy of humid montane forests.
Similar species: only the Touit parrotlet is in this range. However, the scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet T. huetii blue face and red underwings coverts. Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet T. purpuratus, possibly sympatric in northeastern Peru; brown band on scapulars; blue rump and red tail The Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola has black barring to green plumage. Cobalt-winged Parakeet Brotogeris cyanoptera orange chin-spot; blue flight feathers; pointed tail; and prominent white eye-ring
Read More: Yellow-eyed Cuckooshrike (Coracina lineata)
