Dusky-headed parakeet

Dusky-headed conure
	At Beale Park, Reading, Berkshire, England
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae
Genus:	Aratinga
Species:	A. weddellii
Binomial name
	Aratinga weddellii; (Deville, 1851)
Synonyms
	Conurus weddellii Deville, 1851

The dusky-headed parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), also known as Weddell's conure or dusky-headed 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. Its range extends from southeastern Colombia south through eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru and southwest Amazonian Brazil, to central Bolivia. It prefers semiopen habitats such as várzea, forest edge, and forest remnants, but can also be found in coffee plantations. 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 a typical length of 25–28 cm (10–11 in) and a weight around 100 grams, it is slightly smaller than the sun conure. Many people call these conures minimacaws because they have skin near their beak and eyes, 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 searches decaying wood for insect larvae. It also ingests mineral-rich soil, e.g., from a clay lick, as a supplement. A pair raises their offspring together, nesting in woodpecker holes in trees or arboreal termite nests.

Consuming clay is believed to provide a mineral supplement and neutralise toxins in their diet. Their predators (along with many other neotropical parrots) include many birds of prey, monkeys, and in some cases, jaguars.

They do well in captivity.^{[citation needed]} They are fairly easy to breed if provided with a durable nest box, and will lay up to three clutches per year.^{[citation needed]} They are known to be quiet, compared to other conure species^{[citation needed]}, but still very energetic and clownish, like most conures. These conures' lifespans range from 25 to 50 years, though their typical lifespans are usually 35–40 years. ^{[citation needed]}

Recently, they have been sighted as a colony in coastal districts of Lima, Perú. They probably came as pets, and have settled in this city.

Dusky conure in a cage, waiting to come out

References

^ BirdLife International (2012). "Aratinga weddellii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help){{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
^ Deville, E. (1851). "Note sur espèces nouvelles d'oiseaux provenant de l'expédition de M. Castelnau". Revue et magasin de zoologie pure et appliquée. 2nd ser. 3 (5): 209.

Juniper, T.; Parr, M. (1998). A Guide to the Parrots of the World. East Sussex: Pica Press. ISBN 1-873403-40-2.

External links

"Dusky-headed parakeet - BirdLife Species Factsheet". BirdLife International (2008). Retrieved 3 January 2009.

[1] BirdLife International (2012). "Aratinga weddellii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help){{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)

[2] Deville, E. (1851). "Note sur espèces nouvelles d'oiseaux provenant de l'expédition de M. Castelnau". Revue et magasin de zoologie pure et appliquée. 2nd ser. 3 (5): 209.

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