Blue-crowned Parakeet

Overview

The blue-crowned parakeet, also known as the sharp-tailed conure, is a small green Neotropical parrot characterised by a blue head and pale beak. It is native to large parts of South America, ranging from eastern Colombia to Curacao in the southern Caribbean and the northern region of Argentina.

Identification

• Medium-sized bird measuring approximately 37 cm in length and weighing between 140 and 190 g.
• Predominantly green plumage with dull blue coloring on the forehead, crown, cheeks, and ears, and a ring of white featherless skin around each eye.
• Tail feathers are green on top and maroon to red-brown on the underside, iridescing to bright orange and scarlet under full-spectrum light.
• Upper mandible is horn-colored tapering to a needle-sharp, grey-black tip; legs are pink-brown with grey-brown claws.

Habitat

This species inhabits savanna-like habitats, woodland, and forest margins. It avoids dense humid forests such as the Amazon, with a distribution that extends from eastern Colombia to Curacao and the northern region of Argentina.

Did you know?

Blue-crowned parakeets are born with red coloring around the head, which is replaced by the blue crown seen in adults. A talking blue-crowned conure was the titular star of the family movie Paulie.