Return of Bird of the Week: Austral Parakeet
Another species of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost large island in South America, is the Austral Parakeet. It’s a cousin the late, lamented Carolina Parakeet, North America’s only native member of the parrot family.
Austral Parakeets, Tierra del Fuego, Aregentina
The species’ range extends up the coast of Chile. In Tierra del Fuego, it’s a sea level bird, but further north it ranges to 2,000 meters.
Austral Parakeets, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
The Austral Parakeet is suffering population declines as a result of deforestation, competition with non-native species, and human captures for pet trade. But overall, this is a species of least concern.
While WC saw only this one pair, the species forages in flocks of as many as 100 birds, mostly on seeds and fruit, but sometimes on human agriculture. They reportedly mate for life, nesting in cavities. They are also incredibly hard to see when they are in the beech foliage of Tierra del Fuego.
For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.