Ochre-marked parakeet
Pyrrhura cruentata
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Diet
This species primarily eats the seed and fruit from two abundant rainforest trees the Cecropia and the Trema micrantha!
Breeding
In captivity two late and “a-synchronistic” clutches of 2 -6 eggs are laid compared to one clutch of 2 – 4 eggs in the wild. Like all parakeets they nest in holes in trees.
At The Zoo
Our pair of birds have regularly bred twice a year for the last 7 years! Their first nest offspring have to be removed when the second clutch of eggs are laid and near hatch but the second clutch often remain with their parents until early winter each year!
Habitat
Tropical Brazilian Atlantic lowland Amazon forest in the canopy and near clearings. Anywhere Cecropia trees grow!
Fun Facts
This is an extremely pretty small parakeet. Originally imported as a pet species into Europe - now very few are kept or maintained privately as they require CITES exemption certificates for anybody to possess them!
Behaviour
This a small flock loving parrot (parakeet) that feed and roost communally when not breeding.