Fun Burrowing Parrot Facts For Kids

The burrowing parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus) is a species that belongs to the Cyanoliseus genus of animals. This species is one of the largest parrots of the New World and is also called the Patagonian conure.

With their native land in Argentina and Chile, these parrots might even migrate to the southern parts of Uruguay during the winters. This species of parrots is a popular pet not just in Argentina and Chile but internationally. They can cost anywhere between $500 and $1000 based on the location.

When in the wild, these parrots live in their colonies on the cliffs. The colony is their nesting ground wherein the pairs build their nest at the height of three meters and onwards.

Many of these colonies are easily seen in Rio Negro, Patagonia. As these cliffs are populated with a large number of parrots, they don't feel threatened, and the predation rate gets reduced.

Keep reading to know more about these parakeets; for more information about similar species, check out Pesquet's parrot facts and Pionus parrot facts.

Burrowing Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a burrowing parrot?

This burrowing parakeet, also known as Patagonian conure, belongs to the Psittacidae family of animals.

What class of animal does a burrowing parrot belong to?

The Patagonian conure belongs to the Aves class of animals, like all species of parrots, including the Amazon parrots.

How many burrowing parrots are there in the world?

Even though this bird population is categorized in the not-threatened category of wild birds, the exact number of their population is unknown.

Where does a burrowing parrot live?

This species of Cyanoliseus patagonus is commonly found in the regions of Argentina and Chile. They are endemic to these two regions. However, a few of them might migrate to the south range of Uruguay during the winter season.

What is a burrowing parrot's habitat?

The burrowing parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus) prefers open grasslands and woodland savannahs. Their populations find habitats near the lowlands, grasslands, dry cultivation lands, and pastures favorable for them. They are also known to migrate during the winter to the south parts of Uruguay mainly in search of food and even enter farmlands as well as urban areas.

Who do burrowing parrots live with?

These birds are socially and sexually monogamous. They can be seen living in their colonies with huge populations in the ravine to reduce the predatory risks. They can live with humans as they are easy to tame.

How long does a burrowing parrot live?

This Patagonian conure has a good lifespan of around 19 years. There have been a few cases where the oldest bird lived for 34 years in captivity with favorable habitats.

How do they reproduce?

These burrowing parrots are monogamous in nature and engage in their breeding season between September and December. Their habitat is favorable in the sandstone or limestone ravines during the breeding season.

This is mainly because all these bird pairs live in huge colonies. The major reason they live in their colonies on these cliffs is to reduce the predation rate. They create their burrows at the height of 9 ft (3 m) and higher.

The male and female pairs engage at the nesting grounds, and the females lay around two to five eggs in the nest. The female bird incubates the eggs for 24-25 days, and the male bird provides the female with food and protection.

After the eggs hatch, both the birds take care of the newborn babies until they learn to fledge and leave the nest after eight weeks.

What is their conservation status?

This bird species has been listed under the Least Concern category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Burrowing Parrot Fun Facts

What does a burrowing parrot look like?

Burrowing parrots are physically dimorphic, wherein the human eye might think that the male and female birds look alike. Their distinction is possible with their size as the males are larger than the females.

Here's how one can spot this parrot: starting from the top, these birds have an olive-green and black head with a white eye-ring with yellow-white iris and a downward pointing gray beak. Their neck and chest feathers are usually whitish-gray in color with a dark and olive green-colored back.

Their thighs and lower part have a yellow color with a hint of orange and red near the legs.

The legs are pink, and the tail is long olive green in color. The bright plumage of this breed can help distinguish a breeding partner from a parent.

How cute are they?

These birds are adorable, even though they are somewhat dull in coloration like Meyer's parrots. This is mainly because of their bright colors and the comfort level that this breed shares with humans.

How do they communicate?

This bird species from Patagonia is considered one of the loudest and noisiest conures, even though they are not as smart as kea parrots. Hence, the major way of communication is vocal, and they have different calls that they use to indicate any danger.

When they breed in their colony, the flocks are known to communicate with the sounds of 'krreee' or 'graah-grraah'. This can be observed in the breeding range. They also have flight calls that they use to get attention.

How big is a burrowing parrot?

This conure is four to five times bigger than the buff-faced pygmy parrot with a size range of 15-20 in (38.1–50.8 cm). These conures have an average wingspan of 9-9.8 in (23–25 cm).

How fast can a burrowing parrot fly?

These Patagonian birds have a good wingspan; hence, their flight speed is equally good, and they can fly for 40-50 mph (64.4-80.4 kph).

How much does a burrowing parrot weigh?

These burrowing parrots have a weight range of 0.5-0.7 lb (227-317 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no sex-specific names for burrowing parrots.

What would you call a baby burrowing parrot?

The babies of this species are known as chicks or nestlings.

What do they eat?

This Patagonian species is herbivorous in nature and feeds on different kinds of seeds, berries, and fruits available in the wild. They also eat plants like thistles, pepper trees, and Patagonian oak when roaming in the wild. Although when kept as a pet, they may also indulge in mealworms, chicken, and small pieces of meat if fed.

Are they dangerous?

This species of Patagonian conures do not directly harm humans, nor is it dangerous for other birds as they do not hunt for food. Although, many humans consider the wild species as pests as they feed on the seeds that they find on the cultivated lands.

Would they make a good pet?

The Patagonian conure makes a great pet mainly because of its quick adapting and learning skills. One can train these burrowing parrots to sit, get up, and even speak a few phrases. They are comfortable when engaged in cuddles and hence can be trusted and caring pets.

Did you know...

Even though these Patagonian conures migrate during the winter season, most of the time, they increase their body mass with the help of their feathers to increase the insulation for their survival. They do this by simultaneously decreasing their basal metabolic rate as the other species of birds that live in the southern hemisphere.

These parrots can go anywhere from $100-$1000 including care and maintenance.

Are Patagonian conures good pets?

Yes, indeed. Although these parrots are highly active socially and emotionally, they need affection and attentive time. These conures need a lot of time outside the cage, which helps them to kill boredom. They might need a few toys to play with and kill their time.

How many eggs do burrowing parrots lay?

These burrowing parrots of Argentina and Chile create burrows on cliffs in a colony. They make their nests in the nesting burrows, where they lay around two to five eggs.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our common wood shrike facts and dusky grouse fun facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable three birdhouses coloring pages.

Main image is by Gerza Gallardo.