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Overview
Painted parakeet

Painted parakeet

Wikipedia

The painted parakeet, known as the painted conure in aviculture, is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, and Venezuela.

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Distribution

Region

Northern South America and eastern Panama

Typical Environment

Occurs from eastern Panama through northern Colombia and Venezuela across the Guianas into northern Brazil, with populations in French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana. It occupies humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests, forest edges, and secondary growth. The species also uses gallery forests along rivers and seasonally flooded varzea. It may venture into clearings, savanna-forest mosaics, and fruiting plantations near forest.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size22–24 cm
Wing Span28–32 cm
Male Weight0.075 kg
Female Weight0.07 kg
Life Expectancy15 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 3/5

Useful to know

Also called the painted conure in aviculture, this small parakeet of the New World parrots is widespread across the Guiana Shield and northern Amazonia, reaching eastern Panama. It is highly social, often foraging in chattering flocks and roosting communally. It nests in tree cavities and is an important seed disperser for many fruiting trees. Taxonomy within the complex is nuanced, with several former subspecies treated as separate species by some authorities.

Gallery

Bird photo
Bird photo
Bird photo
Conurus pictus, from Levaillant's Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, pl. 16

Conurus pictus, from Levaillant's Histoire naturelle des oiseaux d'Afrique, pl. 16

Bird photo

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

swift, direct flight with rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Typically found in small to medium flocks that keep close contact with constant chatter. Pairs maintain strong bonds and often forage side by side within the flock. Nests are in natural tree cavities, with both parents participating in incubation and chick rearing.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Vocalizations are sharp, high-pitched screeches and rapid chattering given in flight and at roosts. At close range, softer contact calls and grating notes are common within flocks.

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