Green Parakeet
A Green Parakeet is a fun bird to see while bird watching. Below are some tips to help you identify Green Parakeets. We have also put together a list of fun Green Parakeet t-shirts, Green Parakeet bird patches, bird houses, bird feeders, binoculars, stickers and other fun bird watching items.
About Green Parakeets
It is a medium-sized parrot found in its native habitat in Central America. They reside in areas between southern Texas and northern Mexico. It resides in a variety of wooded habitats. Its main danger comes from habitat loss due to sheep and predator cats.
Description and Identification
Green Parakeets are about 12 inches long with elongated pointed tails and are mostly green
with light yellow or orange bills. They may show scattered patches of orange and red on their
breasts. The underside of their flight feathers may also be metallic yellow. Their wing
movements are rapid and swift and are suitable for flying in higher altitudes. Males and
females are mainly differentiated on the basis of the colours of their ceres – a raised fleshy
band above their nostrils. Males generally have bright coloured ceres like pink, blue, or
purplish-blue, whereas females have muted colours like tan, white, or light blue.
Green Parakeet Color Pattern
It is mostly green as its name suggests with a yellow-orange beak.
Green Parakeet Size
The Green Parakeet is fairly strong with a long-pointed tail which is fairly narrow and pointed wings. They have large heads and hooked bills. Adults have a relative size measurement of:
- Length 45-53 cm
- Weight 90 – 120 g
Green Parakeet Behavior
They social birds forming flocks of hundreds of birds flying over residential areas. The flocks may include wild birds which have strayed away across the Mexico border.
What Green Parakeet Eat
The bird eats mostly seeds, various fruits, and corn. In some farmlands, it is considered a crop pest. They are native to tropical and subtropical woodlands and plantations.
They are omnivores and can thus feed on both plant-based materials as well as meat. Their
hard beaks allow them to tear through meat with ease. When there are sufficient food
sources in the surrounding environment, they generally follow plant-based diets. Scarce
resources can lead them to scavenge from carcasses or flock towards urban settlements in
search for food. The urban areas with food generally involve farms and plantations where
they primarily feed on seeds, various fruits, and corn. As a result, they can sometimes be
considered as crop pests.
Where Green Parakeets Live
Green parakeets can survive in suburban and urban areas around parks and only very few can survive through the cold winter. In their native South American ranges, they live in savanna with scattered woods.
These birds are versatile in the variety of habitats they can be found in. However, native
populations are generally found in arid and sub-tropical plains, grasslands, woodlands,
plantations, and farmlands. When compared to other species in their genus (Aratinga), they
are relatively the northern most. They thrive in warm and dry climates and tend to remain in
similar areas, thus explaining how multiple Green Parakeet colonies maintain self-sustaining
lifestyles with little need for migration. They can inhabit most forested lands but tend to stay
away from rainforests.
Range and Migration
Green Parakeets are medium-sized parrots found along North and Central America. They
are native to areas that range from the southern tip of Texas to northern Nicaragua. They
are considered to be one of the last remaining native parrot species in the United States of
America and have maintained self-sustaining lifestyles in southern Texas. However, it
remains unclear if these populations are native to Texas or are feral escapees from Mexico.
Recent ecological studies have begun to regard the populations at Rio Grande Valley as
naturally occurring due to their proximity to confirmed native populations. Green Parakeets
are usually non-migratory birds but will travel sometimes to take advantage of food supplies
in other areas.
Green Parakeet Lifecycle
They build nests around evergreen trees and man-made structures like fire escapes. The female lays about 5 to 8 eggs in a single breeding season. Not much is known about their incubation and nestling period.
Nesting
Green Parakeets usually find holes within trees to make nests in. These holes were often
previously used by owls, woodpeckers, and jackdaws before being abandoned. The
assumption that the holes were abandoned rests on the little evidence being found of the
previous owners being forced out by the Green Parakeets. Their nests can also be found in
the crevices of large surfaces like cliffs. Wild parakeets reside within woodlands and forested
areas, while urban parakeets make use of clusters of palm groves that can be found within
cities. They begin nesting early in the year, often by January as it secures less competition
for holes within trees. Eggs are laid much later, by May and June with an incubation period
of 3 weeks. The females lay an average of 3 – 4 eggs in those nests.
Ornithology
Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes
At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.
Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Green Parakeets
The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Green Parakeets are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.
Green Parakeet T-shirts
If you love the Green Parakeet you should purchase a Bird Watching Academy & Camp T-shirt. To help support bird conservation we donate 10 percent to bird conservation activities.
Green Parakeet Iron On Patches
Kids, Youth, and Adults love to collect our Bird Watching Academy & Camp iron on patches. Our bird watching patches help you keep track of the birds you have seen an identified. You can also display the patches on our Bird Watching Academy & Camp banners.
The Green Parakeet is a great iron on patch to start your collection with. The patches are durable and can be sewn on or ironed on to just about anything.
Green Parakeet Stickers
Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Green Parakeet. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.
Bird Feeders For Green Parakeet
There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.
Best Bird Houses for Green Parakeet
There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 bird houses have become our favorites. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these bird houses but they have been worth the higher price and look great.
