Peach-fronted Parakeet

Overview

The peach-fronted parakeet (Eupsittula aurea), also known as the peach-fronted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a very large range and a stable population, although it faces significant threats from the pet trade.

Identification

• Adults measure 23 to 28 cm in length and weigh between 74 and 94 g, with no visible sexual dimorphism.
• Plumage features a peachy orange forehead and forecrown, a dull blue hindcrown, and dull green nape, upperparts, and tail.
• Cheeks and throat are pale olive-brown, transitioning through the breast and belly to greenish yellow vents and undertail coverts; bare yellow skin surrounds the eye.
• Vocalisation consists of a rolling 'vreet vreet-vreet-vreet-vreet' that breaks irregularly from low to very high pitch.

Habitat

The species ranges from extreme southern Suriname south through most of eastern Brazil to eastern Bolivia, extreme southeastern Peru, central and eastern Paraguay, and slightly into northeastern Argentina. It inhabits a wide variety of landscapes, including semi-open to wooded areas such as Mauritia palm groves, cerrado, gallery forest, campo rupestre, and urban areas.

Diet

Foraging is conducted primarily on the ground, with the bird feeding in agricultural fields both before and after harvest. Its diet consists mainly of seeds from a wide variety of plants, supplemented by termites and insect larvae.

Did you know?

The species typically excavates its nest in termitaria, utilising structures both on the ground and in trees. Despite this reliance on termite mounds, the species appears to benefit from forest clearance for agriculture.