NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Seychelles Parakeet
Psittacula wardi (E. Newton, 1867)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Seychelles parakeet or Seychelles Island parrot (Psittacula wardi) is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was scientifically named Palaeornis wardi by the British ornithologist Edward Newton in 1867, and the specific name honours the British civil commissioner Swinburne Ward who procured the specimens that formed the basis for the description. It was found on the islands of Mahé, Silhouette, and possibly Praslin. Ten skin specimens exist today, but no skeletons. Though the species was later moved to the genus Psittacula, genetic studies have led some researchers to suggest it should belong in a reinstated Palaeornis along with the closely related Alexandrine parakeet (P. eupatria) of Asia. This parakeet was about 41 cm (16 in) in length, with a long, pointed tail. The male was mainly green, with blue on parts of the head, and a black stripe on the cheek. The underside was yellowish, and the bird had a purple-red patch on the wings. The tail was blue, green, and yellow, and the bill was red and yellow.
Wikipedia contributors, Seychelles parakeet; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:38:54.577210+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Psittacula wardi (E. Newton, 1867)
- Name authority
- (E. Newton, 1867)
- Common name
- Seychelles Parakeet
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Psittacula
- Extinction status
- Recorded extinct
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPsittaciformes
- familyPsittaculidae
- genusPsittacula Cuvier, 1800
- speciesPsittacula wardi (E. Newton, 1867)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Psittacula. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Blue-winged ParakeetPsittacula columboides (Vigors, 1830) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Derbyan ParakeetPsittacula derbiana (Fraser, 1852) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Alexandrine ParakeetPsittacula eupatria (Linnaeus, 1766) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blossom-headed ParakeetPsittacula roseata Biswas, 1951 | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Echo ParakeetPsittacula eques (Boddaert, 1783) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-breasted ParakeetPsittacula alexandri (Linnaeus, 1758) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Plum-headed ParakeetPsittacula cyanocephala (Linnaeus, 1766) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Newton's ParakeetPsittacula exsul (A. Newton, 1872) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Gray-headed ParakeetPsittacula finschii (Hume, 1874) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Slaty-headed ParakeetPsittacula himalayana (R. Lesson, 1831) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rose-ringed ParakeetPsittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Long-tailed ParakeetPsittacula longicauda (Boddaert, 1783) | PsittaculidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Palaeornis wardi E. Newton, 1867 E. Newton, 1867 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=554890 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4PKCQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.