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individuals flying over the village of Monte Dourado (01°31’22”S 52°34’55”W), in the municipality of Almeirim, Pará, and over Laranjal do Jari, on the other side of the rio Jari. They were observed mostly in open areas, but also flying over primary and second-growth forests, including Eucalyptus plantations. The species was also recorded near habitation, where they were seen resting, copulating and consuming fruits of species such as Euterpe oleracea, Anacardium occidentalis, Inga sp. and Laetia sp. During our censuses in Monte Dourado, we observed seven groups, the sizes of which varied from two to 14, with Figure 1. Sulphur-breasted Parakeet a mean of eight individuals. maculata, Monte Dourado, Flock sizes observed are similar Pará, , October 2009 (T. V. V. New records of Sulphur- to those reported by Silveira Costa) breasted Parakeet Aratinga et al.8 at Monte Alegre (2–10 maculata in Pará and Amapá individuals), although groups of recently proven to involve A. 3 5,7,8 states, Brazil up to 30 have been recorded . maculata , and the species is Sulphur-breasted Parakeet The species vocalises much more considered fairly common there 7 Aratinga maculata is known frequently in flight than perched, by O’Shea . In adjacent French from just a few localities in when usually emit only Guiana, early records listed in 9 northern South America5,7,8. Long short calls and rarely ‘sing’. Tostain et al. as A. solstitialis confused with Sun Parakeet A. Its vocalisations recall those of probably concern A. maculata, Sun Parakeet, as already noted but no specimen or other evidence solstitialis, only recently has 8 it been recognised specifically, by Silveira et al. , and its vocal exists as confirmation. Records in based on subtle but consistent repertoire primarily comprises the that country are from the upper morphological characters6,8. A. kew ‘song’ given both in flight and Maroni River at the border with maculata is a brightly plumaged perched (XC 57212–213), and a Surinam, where available habitat bird of savannas and other open short weak krek, which resembles appears unsuitable for the species areas, gathers in large flocks and calls of Brotogeris spp. (XC 57522) and where trading wild birds is roosts in tree cavities2,3,8. However, and is given only when perched. common practice among local very few data exist concerning its The range of A. maculata people, meaning that these records distribution, habits and natural in Brazil was thought to be may pertain to escapees (O. restricted to the vicinity of Monte Claessens pers. comm.). Further history, making it one of the most 8 poorly known of all Neotropical Alegre and Alenquer, Pará . studies are needed to confirm psittacids. Our records appear to be the its natural occurrence in that On 29–30 October 2006 at species’ easternmost, extending country. Other historical records 17h30 FO & JFP observed a flock its range c.250 km north-east of A. maculata in Brazil from the of nine A. maculata flying low over and confirming its presence in south bank of the Amazon appear a matrix of pasture and second the state of Amapá. The presence erroneous and were discussed by 8 growth beside the rio Jari, in the of a member of the A. solstitialis Silveira et al. . municipality of Laranjal do Jari group in Amapá, a region with Our records demonstrate that A. extensive savanna enclaves, was maculata occupies a much broader (00°50’31”S 52°30’57”W), Amapá. 1 The diagnostic features were seen initially suggested by Forshaw , range (to western Amapá) than clearly. Despite extensive work who alleged that the north-west previously thought. Furthermore, of the state may be occupied, as our data suggest that the species further east, between Laranjal 4 do Jari and Macapá, no further did Milensky et al. . However, is perhaps benefiting from the records were made. On 2–31 these authors did not mention any deforestation that characterises October 2009, TVVC & CBA evidence for its occurrence there. the study region, given that A. recorded several groups of the Elsewhere in northern South maculata prefers open areas and species during surveys on the America, A. maculata is known roosts in tall dead trees. Based border between Pará and Amapá from Surinam and . on this, we expect that it may states. Flocks were observed in Records in southern Surinam, from even expand its range to recently flight or perched in open areas the Sipaliwini savanna, previously deforested regions beyond the and strips of forest, including attributed to A. solstitialis, were current range, and further studies

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may verify that it reaches even with six new species for the further north-east than the country. Orn. Neotrop. 16: municipality of Laranjal do Jari. 361–370. 8. Silveira, L. F., Lima, F. C. T. Acknowledgements & Höfling, E. (2005) A new TVVC and CBA are very grateful species of Aratinga parakeet to Jos Barlow, Toby Gardner and (Psittaciformes: ) Carlos Peres for inviting them to from Brazil, with taxonomic join field work in the Jari area. remarks on the Aratinga We thank Olivier Claessens for solstitialis complex. Auk 122: sharing his observations from 292–305. French Guiana, Luís Fábio 9. Tostain, O., Dujardin, J.-L., Silveira for locating important Erard, C. & Thiollay, J. M. references and providing helpful (1992) Oiseaux de Guyane. suggestions, and Kevin Zimmer Brunoy: Société d’Études for his review of the manuscript. Ornithologiques. This is contribution 19 in the Amazonian Ornithology Technical Thiago Vernaschi Vieira da Series of the INPA Scientific Costa Collections Program. Laboratório de Ornitologia, Instituto de Biociências e Museu References de Zoologia da Universidade de 1. Forshaw, J. M. & Cooper, São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, W. T. (1978) of the travessa 14, no. 101, 05508-090 world. Princeton, NJ: T. F. São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: H. Publications. [email protected]. 2. Joseph, L. (1992) Notes on the distribution and Christian Borges Andretti natural history of the Sun Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Parakeet Aratinga solstitialis da Amazônia (INPA), Coleções solstitialis. Orn. Neotrop. 3: Zoológicas, Coleção de Aves, CP 17–26. 478, Manaus, AM, Brazil. E-mail: 3. Kyle, T. (2009) Sun [email protected]. rising. PsittaScene 21(4): 3–5. 4. Milensky, C., Hinds, W., Fábio Olmos Aleixo, A. & Lima, M. F. C. Comitê Brasileiro de Registros (2005) Birds. In: Hollowell, Ornitológicos, Largo do Paissandú T. & Reynolds, R. P. (eds.) 100/4C, 01034-010, São Paulo, SP, Checklist of the terrestrial Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]. vertebrates of the Guiana José Fernando Pacheco Shield. Bull. Biol. Soc. Wash. Comitê Brasileiro de Registros 13: 43–76. Ornitológicos, Rua Bambina 5. Mittermeier, J. C., Zyskowski, 50 apto. 104, 22251-050, Rio K., Stowe, E. S. & Lai, de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: J. E. (2010) Avifauna of [email protected]. the Sipaliwini Savanna (Suriname) with insights into Received 23 July 2010; final its biogeography affinities. revision accepted 13 February Bull. Peabody Mus. Nat. 2011 Hist. 51: 97–122. 6. Nemésio, A. & Rasmussen, C. (2009) The rediscovery of Buffon’s “Guarouba” or “Perriche jaune”: two senior synonyms of Aratinga pintoi Silveira, Lima & Höfling, 2005 (Aves: Psittaciformes). Zootaxa 2013: 1–16. 7. O’Shea, B. J. (2005) Notes on birds of the Sipaliwini Savanna and other localities in southern ,

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