The Red-Masked Parakeet in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico

How many parakeets can you see in the picture? Photo by Teresa C. RamírezMany sightings of the Red-Masked Parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys) have been reported in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico during the past few months. As an introduced species, many of these birds formerly lived in cages and, upon escaping, became feral.

Initial sightings date as far back as 1992, when José Salguero observed 8 individuals in the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras campus. Since then, and particularly during 2012, more Red-Masked Parakeets have been observed, both in the same spot and around nearby areas, including San Ignacio de Loyola Academy in Río Piedras, where 20 individuals were observed on February 17. Sightings have also been reported in the municipalities of Arecibo, Maunabo and Cabo Rojo, among others. Over time, this species may become more and more common in the wild.

However, bird-watchers must be careful when entering their data into the eBird website, mainly when they are doing so under the common name in Spanish, “perico frentirrojo”. It seems that 2 species –the Red-masked or Cherry-headed Parakeet (Aratinga erythrogenys) and the Crimson-fronted Parakeet (Aratinga finschi)– both appear under the same common name in Spanish. Keep in mind that other countries frequently adopt the same common name for different species.

This detail has caused a few involuntary errors by eBird users trying to enter their “perico frentirrojo” observations. It can easily be avoided by making sure that the scientific name corresponds to the species observed.