Mountain parakeet
The mountain parakeet ("Psilopsiagon aurifrons"), also known as the golden-fronted parakeet, is a species of parrot, one of two in the genus "Psilopsiagon" within the family Psittacidae. It is found in the Puna grassland. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. Four subspecies are recognised. Subspecies. There are four subspecies: Description. This small parrot reaches about in length and weighs about . The male of the nominate subspecies, "P. a. aurifrons", has a green head, mantle, back and tail. The otherwise green primary feathers have blue outer webs. The face, throat and breast are yellow  gradually fading to a yellowish-green belly. The eye is brown and the bill horn-coloured. The female is similar to the male but has a yellow forehead, and the juvenile resembles the female but has a shorter tail. Both sexes of "P. a. margaritae" are similar to the female "P. a. aurifrons" but are larger with shorter tails and the colour of the female's bill is grey. "P. a. rubrirostris" is a similar colour to "P. a. margaritae" but the head, breast and belly are a rather darker shade of green tinged with blue. The male's bill  is pinkish-buff and the female's grey. The male and female "P. a. robertsi" resemble "P. a. aurifrons" but the belly is a darker shade of green and the chin and throat brighter yellow. Distribution and habitat. The mountain parakeet is found in the Andes at altitudes between . Its range includes Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Its typical habitat is among vegetation near rivers, on bushy slopes, among scrub, on rough grassland with cacti and brush and agricultural land. It also occurs in man-made environments such as parks and gardens. The four subspecies occupy separate, non-overlapping parts  of the range. This species does not migrate, but the birds move to higher altitudes in summer and lower ones in winter. Biology. The mountain parakeet is a sociable bird and forages on the ground and in scrub for buds, berries and seeds of such plants as "Fabiana densa", "Lepidophyllum" and "Adesmia". Breeding takes place at different times of year in different parts of the range. A clutch of three to six eggs is laid in a hole or crevice in a rocky outcrop, cliff face or river bank. Status. The mountain parakeet has a very wide range and is  fairly common in suitable habitat over much of that range. The IUCN has listed its conservation status as being of "least concern".