White-eyed Parakeet

Overview

The white-eyed parakeet (Psittacara leucophthalmus), also known in aviculture as the white-eyed conure, is a species of New World parrot found throughout most of mainland South America and on the island of Trinidad. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing due to the pet trade.

Identification

• Adults are 32 to 35 cm long, mostly green with paler underparts and red flecks on the head, neck, and wing edges.
• Distinctive orange eyes are surrounded by bare white to yellowish-white skin, while the bill is horn-coloured.
• Very vocal, producing a grating chattering and high-pitched shrieks such as "r'teet-r'teet-tiw-" and sharp, harsh calls like "scree-ah".
• Juveniles resemble adults but typically lack the red markings on the head and wings.

Habitat

Found in every mainland South American country except Chile and also on Trinidad, this species inhabits a wide variety of mostly open landscapes such as forest edges, savannahs, secondary forests, gallery forests, palm groves, and mangroves. It is generally a bird of the lowlands but can occur at elevations up to 2,500 m in Bolivia.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of fruit but also includes seeds, flowers, and small numbers of arthropods. The species is known to visit clay licks.

Did you know?

In captivity, white-eyed parakeets can live for 25 to 30 years and are noted for being sweet, loving, and talkative pets that often choose to mimic speech rather than scream.