T-T: Green-rumped Parrotlet - Forpus passerinus

We saw or heard 3 members of the Parrot Family (Psittacidae) during our Trinidad-Tobago trip. The Green-rumped Parrotlet likes semi-open areas like savannas and suburban locales, and is the smallest of the 4 parrot species normally seen on T-T (9 parrots are listed, but some accidental or rare).

These shots were at the Aripo Livestock Station, a government facility with open space and some marshy areas. Birds here not close, so cropping of photos reduces the quality. This bird seems to be the male Green-rumped, as the female has a yellow-green forehead. Very small parrot, at 5.5" - thus the name Parrotlet or sometimes Parrakeet, or Parakeet.




Taxonomy-
Parrots are in the Order Psittaciformes, an order with only one family, the Parrots (Psittacidae).
Maybe only one family, but lots of members worldwide, with some 360 species in 80 genera. They range from the tropical to temperate climes, and some have established themselves as far north as Connecticut (Monk Parakeet). The genus Forpus has 7 species. The Green-rumped, F. passerinus, has 2 subspecies - this one if F. p. viridissimus, seen in Trinidad, Venezuela and Columbia.