The Arini tribe of the neotropical parrots is a monophyletic clade of macaws and parakeets (commonly called conures in aviculture) characterized by colorful plumage and long, tapering tails. They occur throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America, the Caribbean and the southern United States. One genus and several species are extinct; another genus is extinct in the wild. Two species are known only through subfossil remains. About a dozen hypothetical extinct species (see Extinct Caribbean macaws) have been described, native to the Caribbean area. Among the Arini are some of the rarest birds in the world, such as Spix's macaw, which is extinct in the wild – fewer than 100 specimens survive in captivity. It also contains the largest flighted parrot in the world, the hyacinth macaw. Some species, such as the blue-and-yellow macaw and sun conure are popular pet parrots.
Molecular studies have dated the divergence of the Arini tribe from the ancestral neotropical parrots to late in the Paleogene period about 30–35 million years ago.
Taxonomy The Arini are one of three recognized clades in subfamily Arinae of neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae of Afrotropical and neotropical parrots, one of three families of true parrots. Image Genus Living speciesAnodorhynchus Hyacinth macaw, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus Lear's macaw, Anodorhynchus leari Glaucous macaw, Anodorhynchus glaucus (possibly extinct)Cyanopsitta Spix's macaw, Cyanopsitta spixii (extinct in the wild)Ara Blue-and-yellow macaw, Ara ararauna Blue-throated macaw, Ara glaucogularis Military macaw, Ara militaris Great green macaw, Ara ambiguus Scarlet macaw, Ara macao Red-and-green (green-winged) macaw, Ara chloropterus Cuban red macaw, Ara tricolor (extinct) Red-fronted macaw, Ara rubrogenys Chestnut-fronted macaw, Ara severus Saint Croix macaw, Ara autocthones (extinct)Orthopsittaca Red-bellied macaw, Orthopsittaca manilatusPrimolius Blue-headed macaw, Primolius couloni Blue-winged macaw, Primolius maracana Golden-collared macaw, Primolius auricollisDiopsittaca Red-shouldered macaw, Diopsittaca nobilisRhynchopsitta Thick-billed parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha Maroon-fronted parrot, Rhynchopsitta terrisi Rhynchopsitta phillipsi (extinct)Ognorhynchus Yellow-eared parrot, Ognorhynchus icterotisGuaruba Golden parakeet, Guaruba guaroubaLeptosittaca Golden-plumed parakeet, Leptosittaca branickiiConuropsis† Carolina parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis (extinct) Conuropsis fratercula (extinct, proposed genus Conuropsis contested, known from subfossil remains)Psittacara Green parakeet, Psittacara holochlorus Pacific parakeet, Psittacara strenuus Socorro parakeet, Psittacara brevipes Scarlet-fronted parakeet, Psittacara wagleri Cordilleran parakeet, Psittacara frontatus Mitred parakeet, Psittacara mitratus Red-masked parakeet, Psittacara erythrogenys Finsch's parakeet, Psittacara finschi White-eyed parakeet, Psittacara leucophthalmus Cuban parakeet, Psittacara euops Hispaniolan parakeet, Psittacara chloropterus Puerto Rican parakeet, Psittacara maugei (extinct)Aratinga Sun parakeet, Aratinga solstitialis Sulphur-breasted parakeet, Aratinga maculata Jandaya parakeet, Aratinga jandaya Golden-capped parakeet, Aratinga auricapillus Nanday parakeet, Aratinga nenday Dusky-headed parakeet, Aratinga weddelliiEupsittula Brown-throated parakeet, Eupsittula pertinax Olive-throated parakeet, Eupsittula nana Orange-fronted parakeet, Eupsittula canicularis Peach-fronted parakeet, Eupsittula aurea Cactus (Caatinga) parakeet, Eupsittula cactorumThectocercus Blue-crowned parakeet, Thectocercus acuticaudatus Cyanoliseus Burrowing parakeet, Cyanoliseus patagonusPyrrhura Ochre-marked parakeet, Pyrrhura cruentata Maroon-bellied parakeet, Pyrrhura frontalis Blaze-winged parakeet, Pyrrhura devillei Crimson-bellied parakeet, Pyrrhura perlata Pearly parakeet, Pyrrhura lepida Green-cheeked parakeet, Pyrrhura molinae Painted parakeet, Pyrrhura picta Sinú parakeet, Pyrrhura (picta) subandina (possibly extinct) Todd's (Perijá) parakeet, Pyrrhura (picta) caeruleiceps Azuero parakeet, Pyrrhura (picta) eisenmanni Venezuelan parakeet, Pyrrhura emma Santarém parakeet, Pyrrhura amazonum Madeira parakeet, Pyrrhura (amazonum) snethlageae Bonaparte's parakeet, Pyrrhura lucianii Rose-fronted parakeet or red-crowned parakeet, Pyrrhura roseifrons Wavy-breasted parakeet, Pyrrhura (roseifrons) peruviana White-eared (maroon-faced) parakeet, Pyrrhura leucotis Grey-breasted parakeet, Pyrrhura griseipectus Pfrimer's parakeet, Pyrrhura pfrimeri Fiery-shouldered parakeet, Pyrrhura egregia Santa Marta parakeet, Pyrrhura viridicata Maroon-tailed parakeet, Pyrrhura melanura El Oro parakeet, Pyrrhura orcesi Black-capped (rock) parakeet, Pyrrhura rupicola White-necked parakeet, Pyrrhura albipectus Flame-winged (brown-breasted) parakeet, Pyrrhura calliptera Blood-eared parakeet, Pyrrhura hoematotis Rose-headed (rose-crowned) parakeet, Pyrrhura rhodocephala Sulphur-winged parakeet, Pyrrhura hoffmanniEnicognathus Austral parakeet, Enicognathus ferrugineus Slender-billed parakeet, Enicognathus leptorhynchus
See also List of parrots List of macaws List of Aratinga parakeets
References