Species Description

This long-tailed species is generally green in color (blue mutations are rare, but do exist in captivity) with a gray-brown head, a blue-tipped tail and remiges that are dark gray from below, mainly blue from above. The bill is black, and it has a broad bare white (sometimes yellow-tinged) eye-ring. With an average length of 25-28 cm (10-11 in) and a weight of about 100 grams, it is slightly smaller than the Sun Conure.

It is social, and usually found in pairs or small groups. When food is plentiful, it may form flocks of up to 100 members. It eats fruit, seeds, and flowers, and will search decaying wood for insect larvae. It also ingests mineral-rich soil, e.g. from a clay lick, as a supplement. The pair raise their offspring together, nesting in woodpecker holes in trees or arboreal termite nests.

With macaws and amazons at a clay lick in Ecuador. Consuming clay is believed to provide a mineral supplement and neutralise toxins in their diet.They do well in captivity. They are fairly easy to breed if provided with a durable nest box, and will lay up to three clutches per year.

Habitat

It inhabits rainforest, marshes, forest remnants and regrowth in cleared areas, and sometimes coffee plantations. It is a common avian species across its range.

Distribution

The bird is found in the wild along the Amazon River and its tributaries in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil.