Green-cheeked red-tailed parrot

In the photo: Green-cheeked red-tailed parrot (Pyrrhura molinae)

APPEARANCE OF THE GREEN-CHECKED RED-TAIL PARROT

Medium parakeet with a body length of up to 26 cm and an average weight of about 60 – 80 gr. The main color of the body is green, the head is gray-brown above. The cheeks are green behind the eye with a gray spot, the chest is gray with longitudinal stripes. The underparts of the chest and belly are olive green. There is a red spot on the abdomen. Undertail turquoise. The chowst is brick red, the flight feathers in the wings are blue. The periorbital ring is white and bare, the beak is gray-black, the eyes are brown, and the paws are gray. Both sexes are colored the same. 6 subspecies are known, which differ in habitat and color elements.

Life expectancy with proper care is about 12 – 15 years.

HABITAT AND LIFE IN THE NATURE OF THE GREEN-CHECKED RED-TAIL PARROT

It lives throughout Brazil, as well as in the northeast of Bolivia, northwest of Argentina. They keep dense wooded low-lying areas. Often visit the outskirts of forests, savannas. Also seen in the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of up to 2900 m above sea level.

Outside the breeding season, they stay in flocks of 10 to 20 individuals. They usually feed in the tops of trees.

The diet includes dry small seeds, fruits, flowers, berries and nuts.

REPRODUCTION OF THE GREEN-CHECKED RED-TAIL PARROT

The breeding season is in February. Nests are built in cavities and hollows in trees. The clutch usually contains 4-6 eggs, which are incubated only by the female for 22-24 days. During incubation, the male feeds and guards the female and the nest. The chicks leave the nest at 7 weeks of age. Parents feed them for about 3 weeks until they are completely independent.