Scientific Name:
Myiopsitta monachus
Distribution
South America
Diet:
Mainly herbivorous. i.e., seeds , herbs and parts of trees. Also fruits, berries, leaf buds, blossoms and insects.
Facts
Habitat: Dry semi-open lowland, savannah woodland, palm groves and orchards
Incubation: 24 days, eggs 1–11 (usually 5-7)
Social Structure: Very social, spending their whole lives living in colonies of dozens of individuals. These long-lived birds form socially monogamous pairs
Weight: 90–140g
Dimensions: 28–29cm
Population: Not quantified
Lifespan: 20-30 years
Threats: International pet trade, persecuted as agricultural pest
Status IUCN: Least Concern
Did you know that:
- The Monk Parakeet is the only parrot that builds a stick nest rather than using a hole in a tree.
- Monk parakeets often breed colonially and build a single large nest with multiple entrances for each pair.
- In the wild these colonies can become quite large, with nests that can reach the size of a small car.