About Aratinga mitrata (Tschudi, 1844)
The mitred parakeet (scientific name Aratinga mitrata, also referenced as Psittacara mitratus in this text) is 31 to 38 cm (12 to 15 in) long and weighs 219 to 275 g (7.7 to 9.7 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adults of all subspecies are mostly green, with a purplish forehead and varying amounts and patterns of red on the face. All subspecies have red on the forecrown and red in front of the eye. The red usually extends past the eye and down the cheeks, and often appears only as flecks on the ear coverts. Subspecies P. m. chlorogenys has less red around and below the eye than other subspecies, often has a blue tinge on the crown, and has some red on the thighs. Some individuals of all subspecies have a small amount of red at the bend of the wing. Their eye is surrounded by bare white skin, and their bill is horn colored. Juveniles have little to no red plumage. Observed differences in plumage coloration among wild and preserved birds may be due to incorrect age assignments, and could also be clinal variation. Three subspecies are recognized with distinct native ranges. The nominate subspecies P. m. mitratus is found from the departments of Ayacucho and Cuzco in Peru, south through Bolivia, into northwestern Argentina as far as Córdoba Province. Subspecies P. m. chlorogenys occurs on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes between the departments of Amazonas and Junín. Subspecies P. m. tucumanus is found in the Argentinian provinces of Córdoba and Tucumán. The mitred parakeet has been introduced to Uruguay, where it has established a wild population. Populations in California, Florida, and Hawaii originate from escaped or released cage birds. The species does not appear on California's official list of introduced birds, but it is included on the official lists of Florida and Hawaii. Within its native range, the mitred parakeet inhabits a variety of mostly forested landscapes. These include evergreen montane forest, deciduous montane forest, cloudforest, secondary forest, and semi-humid to humid scrub areas located in otherwise arid zones. Subspecies P. m. chlorogenys occurs at elevations between 1,200 and 2,900 m (3,900 to 9,500 ft). The other two subspecies occupy a wider elevational range, from 1,000 to 3,400 m (3,300 to 11,200 ft), with one recorded sighting at 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in Peru. Introduced populations in California and Florida are found mostly in suburban and urban areas, while introduced populations in Hawaii occur in both populated and unpopulated areas.
