White-winged parakeet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-winged parakeet |
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| near Leticia, Colombia | |
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| Genus: |
Brotogeris
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| Species: |
versicolurus
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The white-winged parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) is a small, colorful parrot. It is also sometimes called the canary-winged parakeet. These birds originally come from the Amazon River basin in South America. You can find them from southeastern Colombia all the way to the river's end in Brazil.
Sometimes, pet parakeets escape or are set free. Because of this, white-winged parakeets now live in new places. You can find groups of them in cities like Lima, Peru, Los Angeles, and Miami, Florida in the United States. They also live in Puerto Rico.
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What Does It Look Like?
The white-winged parakeet is usually about 22 cm (about 8.7 inches) long. Most of its body is green. When its wings are folded, you might see a yellow edge on them. The easiest way to spot this parakeet is by the white patches on its wings. These patches are very clear when the bird is flying.
This parakeet is very similar to the yellow-chevroned parakeet. For a long time, many scientists thought they were the same type of bird!
How Do White-Winged Parakeets Behave?
White-winged parakeets are known to be charming birds, especially when they are pets. They often become very close with their human caregivers. These birds love to be near people, sometimes riding on shoulders or even nesting in hair!
They can make loud calls if they can't see their "flock" (which might be their human family). But usually, they are pretty quiet. They are also very good climbers and enjoy new challenges. These parakeets can adapt easily to different situations. They are not very picky about what they eat. While they aren't the best at talking, they are excellent at whistling!
What Do They Eat?
In the wild, white-winged parakeets mostly eat fruit and seeds. Parakeets that live in cities or towns have learned to eat other things too. They might eat blossoms (flowers) and nectar (sweet liquid from flowers). These birds also visit bird feeders in people's yards.
Wild parakeets usually live in forests that have been changed by people or in clearings near towns. They don't often live deep inside thick tropical forests.
If you have a white-winged parakeet as a pet, it can eat special bird food pellets or seeds. You should also give it fresh fruits, vegetables, and freshly sprouted seeds.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
White-winged parakeets usually build their nests in holes they find in trees. They might also take over tunnels made by termites and make them bigger for their own use.
A female parakeet usually lays three to five white eggs. The eggs hatch after about 26 days. The young birds, called chicks, leave the nest when they are about six to seven weeks old. They can feed themselves completely around nine weeks of age. After raising their young, all the birds gather together in large groups. They stay in these groups until it's time to breed again next season.
