BLACK-CAPPED CONURE
Black-capped parakeet
AKA Black-capped conure, Rock conure
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae
Genus Pyrrhura
SPECIES Pyrrhura rupicola
The black-capped parakeet (Pyrrhura rupicola ), also known as the black-capped conure or rock conure in aviculture, is a parrot native to the south-western Amazon Basin and adjacent east Andean slopes in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. It has a total length of approximately 25 cm. It is primarily green with off-white scalloping on the hindneck and breast and red primary coverts.
It lives in humid forests, ranging from the Amazonian lowlands up to an altitude of 1000 m on the east Andean slopes. It is designated as Least Concern despite deforestation in the Amazon Basin. Flock size is up to 30 birds, with smaller groups forming during breeding season.
In aviculture, these birds are known as black capped conures. As the quietest conure birds, they are popular as household pets. They will reproduce in captivity and mate with other conure family members to produce hybrid offspring, BUT this practice is NOT RECOMMENDED. They have large personalities and are highly social, making great companion animals.
Distribution
Geography
Continents South America
Countries Bolivia, Brazil, Peru
Biogeographical realms Neotropical
Habits and Lifestyle
Black capped parakeets are highly social
birds and communal roosters. In the wild,
they flock with up to 30 birds at a time.
During breeding season, smaller groups
of families can be found. Black capped
parakeets enjoy bathing. In the wild,
black capped parakeets are canopy feeders.
The black capped parakeet lives up to 30 years in captivity.
Diet and Nutrition
Wild black capped parakeets eat various fruits, nuts, berries, and vegetation. They may also raid farmers' crops.
Mating Habits
Black capped parakeets reach sexual maturity between 1 and 3 years old. They roost in small groups during breeding season. A clutch generally has 4 to 7 eggs. They have a 24-day incubation period, followed by 7 to 8 weeks of parental care. Black capped parakeets have a breeding season from February to March. In their native habitat, Australia, it's between September to December.
Conservation
Black-capped parakeets are listed as near threatened in the wild in Appendix II. The primary cause of their habitat loss is the deforestation of the Amazon Basin. It is estimated that between 13.7% and 15.5% of habitable land will be lost over 18 years. A decrease in forest buffers alongside streams, amnesty for landowners guilty of illegal deforestation before 2008, and a reduction in the amount of private land that must be kept as forest contribute to this problem.
Domestication
Known as the black capped conure in aviculture, it is known as the quietest of the conures. They can be loud if they are bored or left alone for too long. They are most active at dawn and dusk. They are sociable birds who require a lot of attention. They may be shy around new people, but their highly inquisitive nature often negates any shyness. Black capped conures preen themselves to clean themselves and keep their feathers orderly. They may yawn after this to clear out their nasal passages. Conures enjoy having their head scratched gently by their owners. They may indicate this by bowing their heads or rubbing against a hand.
References
1. Black-capped parakeet Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_parakeet
2. Black-capped parakeet on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22685857/180518211
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/609935
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