Rock parakeet
Rock parakeet | ||||||||||
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Rock Parakeet ( Cyanoliseus patagonus ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||
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Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||
Cyanoliseus | ||||||||||
Bonaparte , 1854 | ||||||||||
Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||
Cyanoliseus patagonus | ||||||||||
( Vieillot , 1818) | ||||||||||
Subspecies | ||||||||||
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The rock parakeet ( Cyanoliseus patagonus ) belongs to the family of real parrots and to the genus Cyanoliseus . It is also called the Chilean Parakeet .
description
The rock parakeet is a diurnal bird. It is very similar in appearance and proportion to the macaw parakeet . The head, neck, back and the back feathers are colored dark brown and olive with different shades of green. The lower back, torso and lower body are yellowish with a slight olive tint. The hips and lower abdomen have a washed-out red-orange color. The throat and chest are gray with a slight shade of brown. On the outside of the chest there are whitish markings that come together to form a narrow band. The upper and lower wing covers are also olive in color. Furthermore, the outer flags of the flight feathers are blue-green, the underside of the tail brownish and the upper side olive-green with a bluish tinge. The beak is gray and the iris is pale gray in color with a bare white eye ring. The feet are flesh-colored. The rock parakeet reaches a total size of 45 cm. The lifespan is about 30 years.
distribution
The rock parakeet is found in parts of southern South America , central Chile , Argentina and southern Uruguay . Open grasslands and savannahs are its preferred biotope. In Argentina it is fought as a food pest, while in Chile it is protected.
food
The rock parakeet looks for food in large schools on the ground and in the vegetation . The rock parakeet feeds mainly on seeds, berries, fruits and other parts of plants, such as leaves, as well as on maize and grain.
Reproduction
The rock parakeet's pair bond is very strong and can last a lifetime. For the brood , meter-deep tunnels are dug into steep clay or sandstone walls. The nesting holes are created in these passages. The corridors can be 3 m to the cave. The breeding season begins in September. The female incubates around 2 to 4 eggs. The chicks hatch after 22 to 26 days. After hatching, they are still naked and blind. Until they have reached the size of the adult birds and are fully feathered, they stay in the nest cavity for eight weeks.
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Cyanoliseus patagonus in the Internet Bird Collection
- Cyanoliseus patagonus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
literature
- JM Forshaw: Parrots of the world . David & Charles, 1981, ISBN 0-7153-7698-5 .
- F. Robiller: Handbook of Bird Care, Parrots Vol. III Central and South America . Ulmer, 1990, ISBN 3-8001-7207-0 .
- Rosemary Low: The Parrot Book . Ulmer, 1989, ISBN 3-8001-7191-0 .