Blue-headed pionus
The blue-headed parrot, also known as the blue-headed pionus (Pionus menstruus ) is a medium-sized parrot of about 27 cm in length. The body is mostly green, with a blue head and neck, and red undertail coverts. It is a resident in tropical and subtropical South America and southern Central America, from Costa Rica, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Brazil.
Its habitat is forest and semi-open country, including cultivated areas. It is largely restricted to humid or semi-humid regions, but locally extends into drier habitats, at least along rivers. The blue-headed parrot lays three to five white eggs in a tree cavity.
Blue-headed parrots are noisy birds and make light, high-pitched squeaking sweenk calls. They eat fruit and seeds, and sometimes grain. They roost communally in palm and other trees, and large numbers can be seen at the roost sites at dawn and dusk.
Blue-headed pionus parrots are popular as pets. Compared to other parrot species (Amazons for example) they are very quiet. They are affectionate, but not known for their talking ability.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Blue-headed parrot, also known as the Blue-headed pionus is a medium-sized colorful parrot native to South America and southern Central America. It is mainly green with a blue head, neck and upper breast, red undertail coverts, and some yellowish on the wing coverts. The upper mandible is black with reddish areas on both sides. The male and the female are alike, and juvenile birds have less blue on the head, as well as red or pinkish feathers around the beak.
Blue-headed parrots are residents in tropical and subtropical South America and southern Central America, from Costa Rica, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Brazil. They inhabit forest and semi-open country, including cultivated areas. These birds prefer humid or semi-humid regions, but can also be found in drier habitats, at least along rivers.
Blue-headed parrots are noisy birds and make light, high-pitched squeaking 'sweenk' calls. They are highly gregarious and roost communally in the palm and other trees; large numbers of these bright and energetic birds can be seen at the roost sites usually at dawn and dusk. During the day Blue-headed parrots spend time in small groups, however, with the start of the breeding season they fly in large flocks and every morning travel long distances from their nesting sites to feeding areas.
Blue-headed parrots are herbivores (frugivores, granivores). They feed on fruit, seeds, flowers, and sometimes grain.
Little is known about the mating season in Blue-headed parrots. However, most parrot species are monogamous and pairs mate for life. These birds nest in tree cavities and lay 3 to 5 white eggs. Females incubate their eggs for about 26 days and the chicks leave the nest about 70 days after hatching. The young become independent at 3 months of age and reach reproductive maturity when they are 2-4 years old.
In some areas of their range, Blue-headed parrots suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation and from illegal trade.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Blue-headed parrot total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...