Pyrilia is a genus of parrots in the family Psittacidae.

All are relatively short-tailed parrots that are restricted to forests in the Neotropics. Their head or face contrasts clearly with the mainly green body, and they have a brownish or olive patch on the chest.

Taxonomy

The genus Pyrilia was introduced in 1856 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte with Pyrilia typica Bonaparte, 1856, as the type species. This scientific name is a junior synonym of Psittacula pyrilia Bonaparte, 1853, the saffron-headed parrot. The name Pyrilia combines the Ancient Greek πυρ/pur, πυρος/puros meaning "fire" with Latin ilia meaning "flanks".

The genus was split from the now-monotypic Pionopsitta, and then briefly moved to Gypopsitta. But as Pyrilia was published a few months before Gypopsitta, the former has priority.

Species

The genus contains seven species:

ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Pyrilia haematotisBrown-hooded parrotsoutheastern Mexico to north-western Colombia.
Pyrilia pulchraRose-faced parrotColombia and Ecuador.
Pyrilia pyriliaSaffron-headed parrotColombia, Panama, Venezuela, and possibly Ecuador.
Pyrilia barrabandiOrange-cheeked parrotwestern Amazon
Pyrilia caicaCaica parrotBrazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Pyrilia aurantiocephalaBald parrot or orange-headed parrot,east-central Amazon of Brazil
Pyrilia vulturinaVulturine parroteastern Amazon of Brazil

Media related to Pyrilia at Wikimedia Commons