The sulphur-breasted parakeet (Aratinga maculata), or sulphur-breasted conure is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil and Suriname. It resembles the closely related sun parakeet (A. solstitialis).
Taxonomy and systematics
The sulphur-breasted parakeet was originally described as Psittacus maculatus. For many years the early specimens were thought to be immature sun parakeets or hybrids, and the current specific epithet maculata was thought to be invalid. A 2005 paper described what was thought to be a new species A. pintoi but in 2009 the "new" species was determined to be the previously described A. maculata. The reclassification was widely accepted but not without some dissent.
The sulphur-breasted parakeet is monotypic.
Distribution and habitat
The sulphur-breasted parakeet has two disjunct ranges. It is found in Brazil's Pará state north of the lower Amazon River between the Maicuru and Paru rivers, and also in Suriname's Sipaliwini Savanna. It probably also occurs in the Brazilian state of Amapá but has not been confirmed there.
The sulphur-breasted parakeet inhabits open to semi-open landscapes, typically those with sandy soils and scattered trees and bushes. It also occurs in gallery forest, and occasionally in orchards.