Golden Conure

Range:
Northeastern (Maranhao and Para regions) Brazil

Habitat:
Upland areas of dry rainforests

Size:
Length: 33.33 - 38.46 cm (13-15 in); Weight: 285.71-314.29 g (10-11 oz)

Young:
3-5 eggs

Incubation:
~30 days

Diet (wild):
Herbivore: fruits, flowers, buds, culture maize, seeds, and nuts

Diet (zoo):
Seed mix, bird pellets, fruits and vegetables.

Lifespan (wild):
10 years.

Lifespan (captivity):
Up to 43 years

Status:
Endangered, CITES Appendix I

Threats:
Loss of habitat, the exotic pet trade, and persecution (they are thought of as a nuisance to agriculture and are used for food or hunted for sport)

Anatomy/Physiology:
Their feathers are yellow except the flight feathers, which are green. There is a whitish ring around the eye. Their beaks are large; in fact their beaks can be larger than some small macaws.

Social/Family units:
They travel in pairs or small family groups of up to 20 individuals. They are very sociable.

Habits:
They nest in rainforest trees. During breeding season the males will do dramatic displays like spreading their wings and vocalizing loudly. They are nomadic, social and noisy. Their loud calls can be heard across the forest. Their large, hooked beak is used as a "third foot" when climbing in branches. Pairs often sit closely side by side and preen one another's feathers

Communication:
They are very vocal and very loud. Their calls can be heard across the forest. They also use beak grinding and shrieking in communication.

Defensive/Aggressive behavior:
They are peaceful birds that are seldom seen fighting.

Predators:
Snakes, larger birds of prey, and also human hunters

Locomotion:
They use flight and they will climb through the branches of trees using their beak as a third foot.

Activity:
Diurnal

Interesting story/facts:
They are very family oriented and will care for unrelated young. The survival rate of the young depends on the dominance status of each nest mate. Juveniles behave playfully but later may turn abusive towards nest mates.