Golden parakeet Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Golden parakeet

At Gramado Zoo, Brazil
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix I (CITES)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Guaruba
Species:	guarouba

Synonyms
Psittacus guarouba Aratinga guarouba

The golden parakeet or golden conure (Guaruba guarouba) is a beautiful, medium-sized parrot. It is also called the Queen of Bavaria conure. This bright golden-yellow bird lives in the Amazon Basin in northern Brazil. It is the only species in its group, called Guaruba.

Its feathers are mostly bright yellow, which gives it its common name. But it also has green feathers on its outer wings. Golden parakeets live in the drier, higher parts of the rainforests in Amazonian Brazil. Sadly, they are in danger because their forest homes are being cut down or flooded. People also used to illegally catch them for the pet trade. This bird is now protected by international laws.

About the Golden Parakeet
What They Look Like
Where They Live
Behavior and Life
- Reproduction
Protecting Golden Parakeets
Gallery
See also

About the Golden Parakeet

The golden parakeet was first written about a long time ago. In 1633, a Dutch geographer named Joannes de Laet mentioned it. He used a local name, Guiarubas. This name comes from the Tupi language, where Guarajúba means "yellow bird."

Later, in 1788, a German naturalist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave the bird its scientific name. He called it Psittacus guarouba. Today, the golden parakeet is the only species in the group Guaruba. This group was named by a French naturalist, René Lesson, in 1830. The scientific name Guaruba guarouba helps scientists around the world know exactly which bird they are talking about.

Scientists have studied the golden parakeet's family tree. They found it is closely related to the red-shouldered macaw. It is also related to the golden-plumed parakeet.

What They Look Like

The golden parakeet is about 34 to 36 centimeters (13 to 14 inches) long. It is mostly yellow. Its outer wings have green feathers. Its tail is all yellow.

This bird has a large, gray beak. It has pale-pink skin around its eyes. Its eyes are brown, and its legs are pink. Both male and female golden parakeets look the same.

Young golden parakeets look a bit different. They are not as bright yellow as adults. They have more green feathers. Their head and neck are mostly green. Their back is a mix of green and yellow. Their chest is greenish. Young birds have pale-gray skin around their eyes and brown legs.

Where They Live

The golden parakeet lives in a specific area of Brazil. This area is about 174,000 square kilometers (67,000 square miles). It is located between the Tocantins, Xingu, and Tapajós Rivers. These rivers are in the Amazon Basin, south of the Amazon River itself. This region is in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil. Some birds have also been seen in nearby northern Maranhão.

Golden parakeets use different places to live during the year. In the dry season, they stay in tall forests. But during the breeding season, they move to open areas. These open areas are usually at the edge of the forest, like farm fields.

Behavior and Life

Golden parakeets are very social birds. They live, eat, sleep, and even raise their young together. In the wild, they eat many different things. Their diet includes fruits like mango, muruci, and açai. They also eat flowers, buds, and seeds. Sometimes, they eat crops like corn.

Reproduction

A golden parakeet specimen at MHNT

The way golden parakeets raise their young is special. Unlike many parrots, a pair often gets help from other birds in their group. These helpers assist in raising the baby birds. This behavior is less common for parakeets kept as pets. Pet parakeets sometimes leave their young after about three weeks.

Golden parakeets are ready to have babies when they are about three years old. Their breeding season is from November to February. They build their nests high up in trees. Their nests are deeper than average bird nests. They usually lay about four white eggs. Each egg is about 37 by 30 millimeters (1.5 by 1.2 inches). The parents guard their eggs very carefully.

The eggs hatch after about 30 days. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm. For the first few years, young adult parakeets might lay eggs that do not hatch. This usually changes when they are six to eight years old.

When baby golden parakeets are born, they have white fluffy feathers. These feathers get darker within a week. By the end of the third week, their wing feathers start to grow. Young parakeets are playful. But sometimes, they can be rough with each other.

Baby parakeets in the nest can be eaten by toucans. This might be why the golden parakeets are so social. Several birds in the group work together to protect their nests from toucans.

Protecting Golden Parakeets

The golden parakeet is listed as a vulnerable species. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. The main reasons for this are deforestation and illegal trapping. Deforestation is when forests are cut down. People also used to catch these birds from the wild. They were in high demand as pets because of their beautiful feathers.

In some places, people see golden parakeets as pests. This is because the birds eat their crops. So, people sometimes hunt them for food or for sport. It is thought that there are only about 10,000 to 20,000 golden parakeets left in the wild.

One example of how golden parakeets lose their homes is the Tucuruí Dam. This dam was built in Brazil between 1975 and 1984. Over 35,000 people and many animals lost their homes. A huge area of rainforest, about 2,875 square kilometers (1,110 square miles), was flooded. This created many islands, and the trees on these islands were heavily cut down.

Many groups are working together to help the golden parakeet. The Brazilian government, Parrots International, and universities are involved. They are raising young birds in captivity. Then, they plan to release them back into their natural homes. Local people in Northeast Brazil are also helping with these efforts.