White-eyed Parakeet
White-eyed Conure
Conservation status

Least Concern [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Aratinga
Species: A. leucophthalmus
Binomial name
Aratinga leucophthalmus
(Statius Muller, 1776)

The White-eyed Conure (Aratinga leucophthalmus) is a parrot native to South America. Though not as popular as some of the more colorful conures, it can become a sweet, loving and talkative pet. They are seldom destructive and are generally not screamers, often choosing to mimic speech instead.
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Description

The White-eyed Conure is an overall green bird approximately 12½ inches (cm) long with red on the shoulders with some random flecks of red on the head and neck. The ventral coverts and minor ventral wing coverts are red. The major ventral wing coverts are yellow. A prominent white eye ring gives this species its name. There are two recognized sub-species in addition to the nominate group.

Distribution and habitat

White-eyed Conures are found over much of northern South America, from eastern Venezuela, Colombia and the Guianas in the north across Brazil to northern Argentina and Uruguay in forests and mangroves.[2]

Aviculture

Although many breeders ignore this species, those that do breed them appreciate their good parenting skills. Breeding requirements for White-eye Conures are much the same as for other conure species.

They will usually start to go to nest in March or April, sometimes breeding throughout the year and having four to six clutches. The clutch size is usually four eggs. Chicks will sometimes start to talk by the time they are weaned and generally will talk by six months of age.

White-eyed conures are sometimes confused with Finsch's Conures because both have the red and yellow epaulets under their wings. The White-eye Conures lack the red triangle on the forehead as adults.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Aratinga solstitialis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
2. ^ Forshaw, Joseph M. & Cooper, William T. (1978): Parrots of the World (2nd ed). Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne Australia ISBN 0-7018-0690-7