Aratinga nenday - Nanday Parakeet
Photo: Copyright © by Sergio Gregorio via Instagram @sergiogregoriophoto
Nanday Parakeet – Aratinga nenday (Vieillot, 1823) – was previously categorized as Nandayus nenday; however, recent research, has reclassified it to the Aratinga genus. It is closely related to the Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis).
They can become good domestic birds and are common as pets. Some birds learn to talk while others never learn it. Their call is loud and they are therefore not suitable for having in an apartment.
They are very intelligent and can easily figure out how to open the door of the cage so a good lock is required. They require a large cage of at least 60 x 60 x 75 cm as they want to climb and bask with their wings. When kept in a cage they should be taken out of the cage as much as possible – otherwise an aviary with a minimum length of 3 meters is recommended.
With good care the average lifespan is 35-45 years.
They are very sociable and often congregates when feeding; when roosting several hundreds of birds may gather. They can also be seen drinking at waterholes with other species.
Their habitat covers a large range and as such they are not threatened.
Nanday Parakeet is listed on CITES Appendix II and EU Annex B.
Description
Overall green plumage with black facial mask and black bill. The tail is long with a blue tip. The throat and upper chest is bluish green, the lower chest is a paler green. Orange-red thighs. Brown eyes with bare pink eye ring.
Juveniles have similar colors as the adults but with less blue on the throat and upper chest; they also have a shorter tail.
Size: 30 cm
Weight: 140 gram
Hybrids are known to occur between Nanday Parakeet and
- Jandaya Parakeet (Aratinga jandaya)
- Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis)
- Blue-crowned Parakeet (Thectocercus acuticaudatus)
Subspecies
None.
Habitat
Native habitat ranges from south-western Brazil and Pantanal of south-eastern Bolivia to Paraguay and northern Argentina.
They occurs in lowlands up to 800 m (2624 ft).
Diet
Wild birds feen on seeds, fruit, palm nuts, berries, flowers and flower buds. In some places they are considered pests as they may also feed on crops.
It is recommended to base the diet on a pellets combined with a mix of fruit, vegetables and nuts – give a small amount of high quality seed mix as supplement.
Aviculture
Nanday Parakeet use tree hollows for nesting.
The nest box should be about 30 x 30 x 45 cm
The clutch contains 3-5 eggs that are incubated for 24 days. The chicks reach fledging age after 8 weeks.
Photo Credits
All photos on this page are Copyright © Sergio Gregorio @sergiogregoriophoto
Taxonomy
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Psittacidae
- Genus: Aratinga
Synonyms
- Danish: Nandayparakit
- English: Nanday Parakeett, Nanday Conure, Black-headed Parakeet, Black-hooded Parakeet, Black-hooded Conure, Black-masked Parakeet
- French: Conure nanday, Perriche nanday, Perruche à tête noire, Perruche nanday
- German: Nandaysittich
- Portuguese: Jandaia-de-cabeça-negra, Maracanã, Nendai, Periquito-de-cabeça-preta, Periquito-nandaí, Principe-negro, Príncipe-negro
- Spanish: Ñanday, Ñenday, Cotorra de Cabeza Negra, Loro Cabeza Negra, Perico Ñanday
- Scientific: Aratinga nenday, Nandayus nenday
IUCN Red List
BirdLife International 2018. Aratinga nenday. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22685752A131917909.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22685752A131917909.en
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