Austral Parakeet

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Austral Conure

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae
Genus:	Enicognathus
Species:	E. ferrugineus

Binomial name

Enicognathus ferrugineus
(Müller, 1776)

Also known as Austral Conure, Emerald Parakeet.

The Austral Parakeet, Enicognathus ferrugineus, is a parrot found on the southern tip of South America - further south than any other parrot - ranging as far north as Temuco. It is a fairly large conure, 35cm (2cm more than a Monk or Quaker Parakeet). It is primarily green, lightly barred, with some dull red on the forehead and lores, belly, and upper tail, with the northern part of the range displaying less red.

It occurs mostly in wooded country, but also shrubland and farmland. It stays near sea level in the extreme south, but ranges up to 2000m at the northern end of its range. Flock size is usually only 10-15 individuals, though flocks over 100 are known. It eats grass and bamboo seeds, nuts and small fruit, and nests in tree cavities.