Beauty and brains. The sun parakeet certainly has both, with eye-catching plumage and a high brain-to-body ratio. It puts this brainpower to good use in complex social interactions and vocalizations, as well as in climbing and other feats of dexterity that require precision and concentration. A prodigious consumer of fruits, this parakeet plays an important role as a seed disperser. But it is in jeopardy as numbers have fallen dramatically due to habitat loss, trapping for the pet trade, and hunting for feathers and collections.