Thectocercus acuticaudatus
The Blue-crowned Parakeet, scientifically known as Thectocercus acuticaudatus (formerly Aratinga acuticaudata), is a vibrant, medium-sized parrot native to South America, measuring 33-37 cm (13-14.5 in) in length and weighing 140-190 g (4.9-6.7 oz). Its striking field marks include a brilliant blue crown extending from the forehead to the nape, a brownish-orange face and throat fading into a yellowish belly, and an overall green body with reddish-orange primary coverts. Its most distinctive f...
Found in dry forests, savannas, thorn scrub, gallery woodlands, agricultural lands, and urban parks; typically from lowlands up to 2,700 meters elevation.
Feeds primarily on a wide variety of seeds (especially palms, corn, sorghum), fruits, nuts, berries, flowers, and flower buds, foraging both in trees and on the ground.
Blue-crowned Parakeets are diurnal and highly social, often forming large, noisy flocks of several hundred individuals outside the breeding season, which converge at communal roosts in tall trees. They forage acrobatically in trees and on the ground, utilizing their strong beaks to crack seeds an...
The Blue-crowned Parakeet is broadly distributed across central and eastern South America, primarily inhabiting dry, open to semi-open habitats east of the Andean mountain range. Its extensive native breeding range includes large portions of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argent...
Least Concern
- Also widely known as the Sharp-tailed Conure due to its distinctively tapered tail. - Blue-crowned Parakeets can live for over 30 years in captivity, sometimes even reaching 50 years. - Feral populations, originating from escaped pets, are thriving in various urban areas of Florida and Californ...