Description
This is a small member of the parrot family, it is considered the most beautiful of the conures. They are a brilliant golden yellow with only the lower portion of the wings being green. They rather resemble a small macaw with a beak and head that is quite large, though they have a relatively short tail. The eye is brown surrounded by a naked white eye ring. The beak is a pale horn color and the legs are a light pink. The young have green feathers in the plumage and the yellow is duller. They are fully feathered by 18 months of age.
Habitat
It is apparently nomadic in lowland humid forest. In the dry season, it frequents the canopy of dense forest but, in the breeding season, appears to inhabit clearings with few scattered trees. Tree-cavities are used for nesting and roosting. It feeds on fruit, berries, seeds and nuts and, seasonally, on crops (especially maize, which ripens immediately before fledging). Breeding generally occurs in December-April, but has been noted in October. Breeding is apparently shared by the group, with several females contributing two or three eggs to each nest and several adults caring for the young. Up to nine young have been recorded in a nest in the wild, and up to 14 in captivity.
Distribution and threat
You might see the golden parakeet in a remote area of northeastern Brazil. These beautiful birds are endangered because of deforestation. They are also threatened by people who catch wild birds for aviculture. If people catch these birds only for the attractiveness of their plumage, we´ll probably won´t see them in the nature soon. They are considered as pests because they feed on crops and may be hunted for food or sport.
adapted from conservationoutdoors.org
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