parrot or parakeet?

[ptuga72]

I consider birds who aren't already classified somewhere else a "conure" if they have the eye ring that does not connect to the beak and a stocky head. I personally think that the eye ring and head shape really defines how conures look, but I am no scientist so, eh.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

There are several genera represented by the birds we call "Conures". Green Cheeks are Pyrrhura Molinae and Suns are Aratinga Solstittialis for example. But there are 6 genera we call Macaw, and the Grey-Headed and Brown-Necked "Uncape" parrots are NOT in the genus as the Cape Parrot at this time, so I think even our fearless leader is not entirely consistent on the matter of how closely we think common language names should match taxonomic classification.

The word parakeet, according to Merriam-Webster, comes from a Spanish diminutive derived from the French word for parrot, and the dictionary definition is "any of numerous usually small slender parrots with a long graduated tail". Why this more general term is preferable to the general term "conure" I don't know. The best definition of "conure" I can find online is this: "Conures are a diverse, loosely-defined group of small to medium-sized parrots. They belong to several genera within a long-tailed group of the New World Parrot subfamily Arinae." from Wikipedia. For comparison, Wikipedia defines "macaw" thusly: "Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae (true parrots) genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca." It seems a reasonably well-defined term to me, and not really any looser than "Macaw" so I'm not sure why it is under so much fire. Caiques are two two species within a genus, but not the others in that genus... there isn't a good mapping betweeen taxonomy and common name. Why pick on conures?

If we want to be totally unambiguous, we should use the scientific names at all times. If we want to communicate colloquially, we should follow the dictates of common language usage. And for that, we go to the dicitionary...

I do see that there are some species under "Pyrrhura" and "Aratinga" that are not at all commonly spoken of, and they seem to be called "parakeet" rather than "conure" but since these aren't names in common use, why not call THEM "conure"? They LOOK like "Conures"!

I think if we can't use the terms "Conure" and "Macaw", then it is clear we shouldn't use the term "Cape Parrot". Not that I'm being provocative or anything...

[pchela]

Hey, I'm all for using conure to describe what I, and most people, think of as conures. Same with macaws and all of the others as well. As long as we can communicate and understand what each other are referring to, I don't see a problem. When I say Sun Conure, you all know what I'm talking about. If I say Sun Parakeet, there will probably be some confusion.

[Michael]

and the Grey-Headed and Brown-Necked "Uncape" parrots are NOT in the genus as the Cape Parrot at this time, so I think even our fearless leader is not entirely consistent on the matter of how closely we think common language names should match taxonomic classification

What???

[zazanomore]

I've seen the term cape and uncape. What's the difference?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

What???

you heard me!

Zzanomore,at one time there were 3 species of " Cape" parrot, and all were taxonomically classified as Poicephalous Robustus. For reasons that are somewhat controversial, they have been split into Poicephalus Robustus and Poicephalous Fusicollius. These can all interbreed, but the birds now called Poicephalous Robustus live naturally in a relatively small part of South Africa, and are rare enough to be considered endangered, and it is proposed only these be called "Cape" parrots. The other very similar birds now classified as Poicephalus Fusicollius fusicollius and Poicephalous Fusicollius suahelicus are doing considerably better in the wild and range further north in Africa with rather larger territories. The proposed common names for these are Grey Headed Parrot and Brown Necked Parrot. One breeder (Truman's) sort of casually suggested calling them Uncape Parrots and it half stuck.
After going around and around, I am beginning to feel All 3 should be called Cape Parrots, each with it's own qualification to that name.

That begs to comment on the reclassification, but I don't really have any influence over that, but common names are an English language thing and we all have some influence there.

[pchela]

Haha! And when I asked my birds breeder, Scott Lewis, about Uncapes he rolled his eyes and said something to the effect of "Oh, Jeannie. Look at all the trouble you've caused!"

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I should confess that in my enthusiasm I did misspeak... So before Michael puts me in the public stocks I should clarify that Poicephalous is the genus and the split was at the species level. I not sure that really changes the argument much at the common name level.

LOL pchela

[Natacha]

I should confess that in my enthusiasm I did misspeak... So before Michael puts me in the public stocks I should clarify that Poicephalous is the genus and the split was at the species level. I not sure that really changes the argument much at the common name level.

Hmm.....I think someone added an unnecessary "o"

[entrancedbymyGCC]

OK, gotta stop typing on the Touch late at night....