Burrowing Parakeet Cyanoliseus patagonus Scientific name definitions

The Burrowing Parakeet is a monotypic species found in a variety of open, and often arid, habitats from the Chaco of northern Argentina south to southeast Argentina as well as an isolated population along the central Chilean coast. It is most often seen in large flocks that roam in search of seeds which are taken from the ground. Though all species of parrot nest in cavities, the Burrowing Parakeet is unsurpassed in its industry for cavity excavation. It nests in large colonies constituting zig-zag shaped nests which interconnect and form elaborate labyrinths. These burrows are usually in sand-stone, limestone or earth cliffs, are situated over rivers or the ocean are often placed at considerable height.

39–52 cm; male 253–340 g, female 227–304 g. Head to upper back and mid-belly dull olive, with bare white peri- and postocular patch, and a variable but incomplete dirty whitish pectoral band; belly and thighs variably orange red, flanks, upper thighs, vent, lower back and rump yellow; wing-coverts greenish olive, primaries bluish, secondaries and tail olive. Immature like adult with horn-coloured patch on mandible. Race <em>andinus</em> duller , olive yellow replacing yellow, pectoral band very indistinct; conlara darker on breast; <em>bloxami</em> larger with whitish pectoral band wider and more nearly complete, back darker green, but ventral red variable and not diagnostic.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Arid lowland and montane grassy shrubland , open dry woodland savanna, open Chaco plains along watercourses, thorny scrub or columnar cacti, often with a sandy substrate, commonly near watercourses, up to 2000 m; also pastures and cultivation, and will enter edges of towns, roosting on wires. Dominant tree species in one study area were Geoffroea decorticans, Prosopis caldenia, P. chilensis and P. flexuosa.

Austral migrant in S of range, extending N in winter as far as coastal Uruguay. Downslope movements occur in winter in Chile and NW Argentina, and some nomadism may occur.

Seeds taken from the ground, but also from standing vegetation such as the giant thistle Carduus mariana, these mostly in winter; berries and fruits such as Geoffroea decorticans, Prosopis, Schinus, Empetrum rubrum, Lycium salsum, Discaria and cacti, mostly in summer; also seeds of Nothofagus obliqua and Cordia decandra in the Andean foothills of C Chile (4 Corvalán, P. and Jiménez, J.E. (2010). Consumo de semillas de roble (Nothofagus obliqua) por Tricahues (Cyanoliseus patagonus) en la Precordillera de Curicó. Bol. Chileno Orn.. 16(1): 17–20. Close ). In one study, in terms of percentage of total volume, fruit comprised 2% of crop contents in Nov–Dec, 74% in Jan, 25% in Feb, 35% in Mar, and 8% in Apr.

Flight call is an overslurred screeching “krrrEh!”, often repeated. Flocks are loud and noisy , with many birds calling simultaneously. Also utters a crow-like nasal grating “grraah-grrah-grraah...”.

Season Sept–Feb. Nest in burrow in sandstone, limestone or earth cliff, often by river or sea, sometimes at considerable height, but two records of breeding in cavities in trees, 3·1–5·3 m above ground, both live caldén (Prosopis caldenia) trees, although only was successful (5 Lopez, F.G., Grande, J.M., Berkunsky, I., Santillan, M.A. and Rebollo, M.E. (2018). First report of Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus) nesting in tree cavities. Orn. Neotropical. 29: 71–75. Close ); colonial, with burrows often interconnecting. Eggs 2–5 (6 Masello, J.F. and Quillfeldt, P. (2002). Chick growth and breeding success of the Burrowing Parrot. Condor. 104(3): 574–586. Close ); in captivity, incubation timed at 24–25 days, nestling period eight weeks. In wild, young dependent for several months after leaving nest.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Formerly very common but now only patchily so, and still declining in part owing to increasing persecution as crop pest (officially declared as such under Argentine law in 1984), and related exploitation for pet trade (pest status excluding it from the country's general 1986 ban on wildlife trade); its colonial nesting habit renders it particularly susceptible to intentional human interference. Up to 1991 export quotas were unlimited, but were set at 9000 in 1992 and 7200 in 1993, the race andinus being recommended for exclusion from this exploitation. Race conlara abundant within restricted range. Race bloxami formerly widespread and abundant, now much reduced in numbers, largely owing to hunting as a feast-day delicacy; by 1983 only 12 nesting sites were known, with 2800 birds in 1984. Hydroelectric damming threatened two of these sites, and translocation efforts with supplementary feeding were being attempted.