Canary-winged Parakeet

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Canary-winged Parakeet
Conservation status
Least concern (LC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Genus: Brotogeris Species: B. versicolurus
Binomial name
Brotogeris versicolurus (Muller, 1776)

The Canary-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) is also known as the White-winged Parakeet. The bird is native to the Amazon River basin from southeast Colombia to the River’s mouth in Brazil. Caged birds have been released in some areas and the birds have established self sustaining populations in Lima, Peru, the Los Angeles, San Francisco, California and Miami, Florida areas of the United States, and in Puerto Rico. Although feral birds are showing some recent declines as nesters in the United States, they seem to be doing well in their native habitat.

The bird is 22 cm in length, and is mostly green in color. It has a trailing yellow edge on its folded wings. It’s most distinguished characteristic is the white wing patches most noticed when the bird is in flight. It is closely related to the Yellow-chevroned Parakeet. In fact, it was considered conspecific until 1997.

The bird feeds mostly on seeds and fruit in it’s native habitat, and feral populations have adapted to take in blossoms and nectar. Feral birds will also come to bird feeders. Wild birds primarily use disturbed forest and forest clearings around settlements. It rarely uses deep tropical forest.

Canary-winged Parakeets usually find holes in trees to nest in. They will also form nesting tunnels in dead palm fronds. It lays 4-5 eggs. After raising its young, all birds will form rather large communal roosts until the next breeding season.

[edit] References

• BirdLife International (2004). Brotogeris versicolurus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-792-26877-6
• Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 4, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-22-9
• "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6

[edit] External links

• History of Canary-winged Parakeets in the United States