Under Threat - The Green-Cheeked Parrot

  The Green-Cheeked Parrot (also known as the Green-Cheeked Parakeet and the Green-Cheeked Conure) is a small species of long-tailed parrot that is found inhabiting the jungles of South America. They are strikingly coloured birds with green cheeks and body, a dark head, white rings around their eyes, blue wings and an extraordinary maroon tail that is long and straight.

Natively found in the forests of Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina, the Green-Cheeked Parrot is an incredibly sociable bird that inhabits it's woodland home in a flock that usually contains between 10 and 20 members. However, unlike numerous other South American tropical birds, the Green-Cheeked Parrot rarely participates in mixed species feeding, tending to remain with their flock instead.

Although not actually considered as an endangered animal by the IUCN (the Green-Cheeked Parrot is in fact listed as being of Least Concern), this species has seen drastic declines in their wild population numbers due to both loss of their natural habitat from deforestation, and also the high demand for these beautiful birds as exotic pets, mainly from the USA.

Although the capture and sale of the Green-Cheeked Parrot is now prohibited, the trade still continues with populations in certain areas almost having completely disappeared. The majority of these birds today found in homes in North America however, are generally thought to have come from captive individuals.

Due to the incredibly sociable nature of these plucky little parrots, the demand for them as pets increased dramatically and with the added novelty that (along with a number of other parrot species) the Green-Cheeked Parrot is able to effectively mimic both Human sounds and other noises that occur in day to day life. Both their population numbers and their habitat range are shrinking fast.