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Blue-crowned Conure  (Aratinga acuticaudata)

Also Known As: Blue-crowned Parakeet, Sharp-tailed Conure
 
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Blue-crowned Conure in the wild

Credit: (c) Priscilla Old
 
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Did You Know?
This species is the only Aratinga conure with a blue forehead and crown.

Status in the Wild
World Population:
Margarita Island race rare, 100-200 birds. Other populations not recorded.

Range:
A.a. acuticaudata: E Bolivia and SW Mato Grosso, Brazil, to Paraguay, W Uruguay and N Argentina, south to La Pampa and SW Buenos Aires. Introduced to Florida and S California, US.
A.a. neumanni: highlands on E slopes of Andes in Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca, and possibly Tarija, S Bolivia.
A.a. haemorrhous: NE Brazil in Piaui and N Bahia.
A.a. koenigi: NE Colombia, from Guajira Peninsula and Santa Marta Mountains south to W Meta, and N Venezuela, from NW Zulia to Falcon and N Lara, and Aragua east to N Monagas and south to N Bolivar and southern Apure.
A.a. neoxena: Margarita Island, N Venezuela.


Habitat:
Found in dry deciduous forest and other open habitats including semi-desert. Seen in caatinga and cerrado with stands of Mauritia and Buriti palms in NE Brazil, from gallery forest in Venezuela and Colombia, almost desert in Bolivia and pampas in Argentina. Up to 2600m (8528 ft).

Threat Summary:
Numbers appear stable however, 193,299 wild-caught birds were traded on international market from 1981. Margarita Island race (A.a. neoxena) at risk from tourism, the wild bird trade and predation by rats.

IUCN Rating:
Least concern

Wild Diet:
Food items include Sorghum and Bambusa seeds, berries of Condalia lineata and fruit of cacti and crops such as mango; also insects.

CITES Rating:
Appendix II

Ecology:
Feeds in trees and on the ground, in pairs, or small flocks; congregations larger when food abundant. In some areas birds roost in crevices on cliffs. May be seen with Mitred and White-eyed Conures.

Clutch and Egg Size:
3 rounded eggs, 33.0 x 24.0mm (1.3 x 0.9 in)

Breeding Season:
December, Paraguay and Argentina; March-July Venezuela.

More Info Sites:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/conures/bluecrownconure.php

http://www.conure.org/aratinga_acuticaudata.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-crowned_Parakeet