Green-cheeked parakeet
| Green-cheeked parakeet | |
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Pyrrhura molinae molinae at Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Malaysia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Superfamily: | Psittacoidea |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Subfamily: | Arinae |
| Tribe: | Arini |
| Genus: | Pyrrhura |
| Species: | P. molinae |
| Binomial name | |
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Pyrrhura molinae Massena & Souance, 1854 |
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| Approximate range. Now also confirmed for lined area | |
The green-cheeked parakeet or green-cheeked conure (Pyrrhura molinae) is a small parrot of the genus Pyrrhura, which is part of a long-tailed group of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. This type of parrot is generally called a conure in aviculture. It is native to the forests of South America.
The green-cheeked parakeet is typically 26 cm (10 in) long and weighs 60 to 80 g. It is mainly green, with a brown/black/grey crown, white periophthalmic rings, green cheeks, blue primary wing feathers, a grey beak, and its long pointed tail is mostly maroon. It has short transverse striations on its breast and a red abdominal area. Males and females have an identical external appearance.
The green-cheeked parakeet has six subspecies:
P. m. sordida naturally occurs as a common green morph or as a rare yellow morph (which however is more frequent in captivity). The yellow morph is also called the yellow-sided conure and was once erroneously considered to be a separate species, P. hypoxantha. As P. hypoxantha was described before P. m. sordida the older name goes first, therefore P. m. sordida is called P. m. hypoxantha these days.
The green-cheeked parakeet is similar to the maroon-bellied parakeet (P. frontalis), and formerly there have been speculations that they were conspecific. It is also similar in appearance to the blaze-winged parakeet and the black-capped parrot.
The green-cheeked parakeet occurs in west-central and southern Mato Grosso, Brazil, northern and eastern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and western Paraguay. Its habitat is forests and woodland, where it usually forms flocks of 10 to 20 individuals at treetop level, or larger flocks where there is more food. It is also emerging as a popular pet for families and individuals.
The green-cheeked conure eats various seeds, vegetables and fruits. The average clutch is 4–6 eggs. Average incubation is 25 days, varying from 22 to 25 days. They are the quietest of the conures and can learn tricks and have a limited vocabulary, with extensive training.
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Wikipedia