Green-cheeked conure
The Green-cheeked parakeet or Green-cheeked conure (Pyrrhura molinae) is a small member of the New World parrot subfamily Arinae. The term conure is often used for this parrot and its relatives in aviculture. It is native to the forests of Central and South America.
The Green-cheeked parakeet is a small parrot that lives in the forests of South America. It is mainly green, with a brown/black/grey crown, white periophthalmic rings, green cheeks, blue primary wing feathers, and a grey beak, and its long pointed tail is mostly maroon. It has short transverse striations on its breast and a red abdominal area. Males and females are similar in appearance.
Green-cheeked parakeets occur in west-central and southern Mato Grosso, Brazil, northern and eastern Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and western Paraguay. They live in forests and woodland areas.
Green-cheeked parakeets are social birds active during the day. They usually form flocks of 10 to 20 individuals at the treetop level or larger flocks where there is more food. They are generally shy in their nature and are the quietest of the conure species.
Green-cheeked parakeets are herbivores (frugivores, granivores). Their diet includes fruits, vegetables, and various seeds.
Green-cheeked parakeets typically nest in hollows of tree trunks laying between 4 and 6 eggs. The incubation period lasts 22-25 days. The chicks hatch altricial (helpless) and become reproductively mature when they are 1-3 years old.
There are no known threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Green-cheeked parakeet total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.