Are you on the lookout for pets to cure you of boredom or stress? Well, we present to you the perfect, wild animal that can easily be tamed into a pet that'll brighten your stressful day easily!
The Nanday parakeet, as it's called, is a member of the conure family that resembles parrots in many ways. The populations of these birds are abundant throughout the world.
Recognized by its black head, the Nanday parakeet is all about its silly, energetic, and quirky tricks since it's the most family-friendly bird you could ever find! Did you know, the name Nanday is derived from the indigenous name given to them?
Flocks of these feral birds are pretty self-sustaining in terms of their food habits. Surviving on just nuts and berries, you won't have trouble arranging their food if you plan to keep them with you.
Besides all that, we guarantee you will quickly fall in love with your new cute green friend, and if you still want more reasons, then continue scrolling down and reading about this beautiful bird. Before you go do check out our articles on the green parakeet and Alexandrine parakeet facts as well!
Nanday Parakeet Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Nanday parakeet?
The Nanday parakeets are a type of bird found in North America and Northern Argentina.
What class of animal does a Nanday parakeet belong to?
The Nanday parakeet, also known as Nanday conures, belongs to the Aves class.
How many Nanday parakeets are there in the world?
Although the exact number of Nanday conure is unknown, studies show their population to be stably increasing throughout the world.
Where does a Nanday parakeet live?
You could go bird watching from Southern Brazil to Northern Argentina and North America and spot the Nanday parakeets in good numbers. These parakeets have been popular in the cage bird trade and have also escaped captivity from regions of Los Angeles and Florida. The Nanday conure is also native to the regions of Canada.
What is a Nanday parakeet's habitat?
The Nanday conure bird is often found in the tropical wetlands of several countries.
Who do Nanday parakeets live with?
Look up in the sky, and you would spot the Nanday conure in its flocks of at least 10 birds. A sight for sore eyes indeed!
How long does a Nanday parakeet live?
The Nanday conure is known to live for 20 years when kept in captivity, but otherwise, the Nanday parakeets live up to 25 years.
How do they reproduce?
The Nanday conures sexually mature when they are three years old. These Psittaciformes breed in November, during which the male tries his best to impress the female Nanday conure, and since they are monogamous, they have got just one shot at mating.
The pair of birds then find holes in trees to build their nest and defend it by all means. The female lays around three to four eggs and incubates them for another 21-23 days.
You'd be surprised to know that baby chicks are born blind and thus helpless. The parent parakeet bird has to provide support in their initial days.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of the blue-tailed parakeet species is Least Concern, and their populations are increasing worldwide.
Nanday Parakeet Fun Facts
What do Nanday parakeets look like?
This feral species is known for its beak, face mask, blue-edged tail, and its black hooded head, which is why it is also called the Black-hooded parakeet. Its green with black trailing feathers have a blue-edged tail. You'll also find red color on them on their chest and feathers.
How cute are they?
This native parakeet to South America, Argentina, and Brazil is a tiny bird that's primarily green with a cute little black hooded head that will make you go 'awww.'
They are found in such vibrant colors that they will immediately catch your attention as soon as you see them.
Another very adorable aspect of this species belonging to the Psittacidae family is its peculiar habit of falling asleep on its back with feet up in the air as though the bird is tricking you into thinking it is playing dead.
How do they communicate?
The black-hooded Nanday conure constantly communicates with each other through their shrill chatter, so these birds are also termed as loud. They also send each other calls through 'kriie-kriie, kree-ah' sounds. Next time you hear these, make sure to get your camera and snap a picture of the vibrant green Nanday parakeets.
How big is a Nanday parakeet?
The Nanday parakeets are about 11 -12 in (27-30 cm) long and are as big as a parrot. Their green demeanor is quite similar to that of a parrot.
How fast can a Nanday parakeet fly?
The exact speed of Nanday parakeets is unknown. The parakeets' flying capabilities can be determined by various factors like the flight feathers on their wings, their overall body weight, or if their flight feathers have ever been used.
The last case arises when they are trapped in a cage while being kept as pets and haven't been exposed enough to flying. However, if you spot them in their natural wild habitat, then chances are they are excellent flying birds having speedy flight.
How much does a Nanday parakeet weigh?
The adorable parrot-like bird weighs a mere 0.3 lb (140 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
Nanday parakeets have no specific name for their male and female counterparts but guess what? The two kinds of birds do have some contrasting features to look out for if you are confused with the gender of parakeets.
Both the black-hooded species of parakeets will sound the same way; don't let that deceive you. Instead, observe the Nanday conure sitting on the nest - that's the mother. The male plays the role of security guard for the nest and never sits on the eggs.
What would you call a baby Nanday parakeet?
They do not have any specific name and can be called baby conures. You could give the baby Nanday parakeet any name you want, based on its color, for instance. The baby Nanday birds tend to have paler green when young and have less blue on their breast along with a shorter tail.
What do they eat?
The Nanday parakeet (Aratinga nenday) is a herbivore whose diet comprises vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries. If you keep them as pets, make sure to enrich their daily diet with various pellets and seeds.
They also like palm nuts, so feed these Psittaciformes species birds with plenty of that. In short, ensure a fulfilling diet compassing all the nutrition the Nanday parakeet birds need.
Are they dangerous?
Although there is no direct threat from these birds from North America, you must take care of keeping hygiene around and inside their cage as breathing dust particles from dried bird feces have acute chances of transmitting certain diseases.
Would they make a good pet?
The Nanday conure is an extremely playful and affectionate bird. Their behavior is loving and caring towards kids and their owners, and they can also answer your calls once they become comfortable with you!
Quite an intelligent species, aren't they? As a pet, the Nanday parakeet would also require a fair share of your attention amidst your busy schedule. Remember to keep their diet filled with nuts.
They love playing, and in fact, you should keep small toys in their cage to keep them busy. If you want a warm cuddly pet for you and your kids, then consider keeping this Florida native at your place.
Did you know...
Interestingly, you can tell the age of the young ones through the color of their hood. If the edges are brown and rough, the baby Parakeet is over a year old.
Another fun fact, these intelligent wild birds love anything from electronic trance music to sappy beats and even dance to them!
Can Nanday Conures talk?
You're alone and have no one to chit-chat with? Problem solved, the Nanday parakeet is an intelligent pet you could have to talk to! Believe it or not, this black hooded parakeet has quite impressive talking abilities.
These birds can build their vocabulary by learning some phrases, including 20 words approximately when they are only two months old! They can instantly light up your mood after a stressful day with their cartoon-like sound. So go ahead and keep the Nandayus nenday as your pet!
Should conures be covered at night?
Whether or not to cover conures is solely your decision upon observing the reaction of your pet bird when you cover its cage. As long as the Nandayus nenday bird feels safe and sleeps soundly, irrespective of whether the bird should be or shouldn't be covered, you need not worry much about covering the conures at night.
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 Shikra fun facts and Swan goose surprising facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Nanday parakeet coloring pages.