Sun Parakeet
Aratinga solstitialis
Head and body length: approx. 30 cm, tail: 13.2 - 15 cm
100 - 123 g
Estimated at 1,500 - 4,000
Open savanna, savanna woodlands, forested valleys and seasonally flooded forests
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.
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.