Sun Conure

(Aratinga solstitialis)

Live:: Southern Guianas, north-eastern Brazil, south-eastern Venezuela.

Habitat: Small flocks in open forests and scrubland. Mainly found in natural savannahs. Large flocks where bushes and trees have fruit.

Diet: In the wild: Seeds, fruits, nuts, berries and blossoms. Occasionally the fruits of cacti.
Zoo diet: Seed mix, fruit, vegetables and browse.
Enclosure cleaned twice weekly.

Breeding: February.
Nest: In a hollow tree.
Eggs: 4, incubated by the female for 30 days.

General: Size to 30cm.
Adults: General plumage yellow, tinged orange on forehead, abdomen, rump and lower back.
Yellow wings, marked with green, tips blue. Upper tail olive tipped with blue, olive-greyunderside.
Grey beak. Dark brown eyes. Grey legs.
Juveniles: Green crown. Uupper back green edged with yellow , rump tinged with red.
Green wings edged with yellow. Green tail tipped with paler green.

Call: Series of repeated shrill screeches. Chuckling sounds when perching.

Habits: Make so much noise during flight they are often heard before they are seen.
Feed quietly and are hard to see when in shrubby bushes.

Chicks: Young birds leave the nest 8 weeks after hatching.