Conuropsis carolinensis
The Carolina Parakeet, Conuropsis carolinensis, was a vibrant, medium-sized parrot, measuring about 30-32 cm (12-13 inches) in length with a wingspan of roughly 48-52 cm (19-20 inches). Its plumage was predominantly bright green, fading to a lighter green on the belly, with a brilliant yellow head and neck, and a striking orange forehead and cheeks. This distinctive head coloration, along with its long, pointed tail, made it unmistakable in its native habitat. Taxonomically, it was the only n...
This parakeet primarily inhabited extensive tracts of bottomland forest, cypress swamps, and deciduous woodlands, particularly favoring those along major river systems. They preferred low to mid-elevation forest ecosystems with abundant fruit and seed-producing trees.
Primarily consumed seeds, nuts, and unripe fruits, including those from cypress, sycamore, beech, cocklebur, and thistle plants. Foraged by gleaning and dismantling seed pods.
Carolina Parakeets were highly social and diurnal, often observed in large, noisy flocks that could number in the hundreds. They roosted communally in tree cavities, often hollow sycamores or cypress trees. Foraging was a collective activity, with flocks moving through forests in search of seeds,...
Historically, the Carolina Parakeet boasted a vast breeding and year-round range across the southeastern United States, extending north to southern New England, west to Colorado and the Great Plains, and south throughout Florida. Its core distribution covered the Appalachian states, the entire Gu...
Extinct
- The Carolina Parakeet was the only parrot species native to the eastern United States, making its loss particularly profound. - The last confirmed wild Carolina Parakeet was reportedly seen in Florida in 1920, though some accounts suggest sightings into the 1930s. - The very last individual, a ...