Nanday Parakeet
Aratinga nenday
Nanday Parakeets establish lookouts where one or two sentinels perch on high branches while the rest of the flock feeds silently on the ground.
- Scientific name
- Aratinga nenday
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Psittaciformes › Psittacidae › Aratinga
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Palm savannas, open pastures, scrublands, pantanal marshes, and suburban parks.
- Diet
- Herbivorous; feeds on palm nuts, grass seeds, berries, blossoms, and cultivated crops.
- Range
- Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, United States
- Size
- 27-32 cm long; 120-140 g weight
- Lifespan
- 15-25 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Historical trapping for the wild bird trade, localized agricultural persecution, and habitat clearance.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and non-aggressive, though their flock calls can be intensely loud. Maintain a respectful distance of several meters to observe their feeding behaviors. Avoid attempting to catch or hold them, as their curved beaks can deliver a painful puncture bite; if bitten, wash the area thoroughly with warm water and soap to prevent infection.
The nanday parakeet ( Aratinga nenday ), also known as the black-hooded parakeet or nanday conure , is a medium-small, mostly green, Neotropical parrot. The bird is native to South America from southeast Bolivia to southwest Brazil, central Paraguay, and northern Argentina, from the region known as the Pantanal. Caged birds have been released in some areas, and the birds have established self-sustaining populations in Los Angeles, California, San Antonio, Texas, and several areas of Florida (including Pasco, Pinellas,...
Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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