Aratinga weddellii
| Dusky-headed conure | |
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| At Beale Park, Reading, Berkshire, England | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Aratinga |
| Species: | A. weddellii |
| Binomial name | |
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Aratinga weddellii (Deville, 1851) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Conurus weddellii Deville, 1851 |
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Conurus weddellii Deville, 1851
The dusky-headed parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), also known as Weddell's conure or dusky conure in aviculture, is a small green Neotropical parrot with dusty grey head found in wooded habitats in the western Amazon basin of South America. It prefers semi-open habitats such as várzea, forest edge, and forest remnants, but can also be found in coffee plantations. Some of the countries that it lives in are Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. It is generally common and its habitat preference makes it less vulnerable than many other Amazonian species. Consequently, it is considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN.
This long-tailed species is generally green in color (both lutino and blue mutations are rare, but do exist in captivity) with a gray-brown head, a blue-tipped tail, and remiges that are dark gray from below, mainly blue from above. The bill is black, and it has a broad bare white (sometimes yellow-tinged) eye-ring. With an average length of 25–28 cm (10–11 in) and a weight of about 100 grams, it is slightly smaller than the sun conure. Many people call this conures mini macaws because they have skin near their beak and eye, similar to the macaw.
It is social, and usually found in pairs or small groups.It may even flock with different species of conures. When food is plentiful, it may form flocks of up to 100 members. It eats fruit, seeds, and flowers, and will search decaying wood for insect larvae. It also ingests mineral-rich soil, e.g., from a clay lick, as a supplement. The pair raise their offspring together, nesting in woodpecker holes in trees or arboreal termite nests.
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Wikipedia