Patagonian Conure

The Patagonian Conure, also known as the Burrowing Parrot, is a large, long-tailed parrot of the open, arid landscapes of Argentina and Chile. Unlike most parrots, it nests in tunnels excavated into earthen or sandstone cliffs, often in enormous colonies.

Appearance

• Upperparts: olive-brown to grayish-brown across the head, back, and wings
• Underparts: pale yellow to yellowish-white throat and breast, with an orange-yellow belly
• Flight feathers: blue-tipped primaries, visible as a flash of blue in flight
• Vent area: often washed with red or orange
• Bill: dark gray to blackish
• Eyes: pale yellow to orange in adults, surrounded by a bare whitish eye-ring

Sexes look alike, and the species is notably larger and more muted in color than most other conures.

Key field marks

• Large size with a long, pointed tail
• Overall brownish-olive body contrasting with a pale whitish throat and yellow-orange belly
• Blue flight feathers flashing in flight
• Found in open, arid steppe and canyon habitat, often near nesting cliffs

Similar species

• Its combination of drab brown upperparts and yellow-orange belly, plus its restricted arid Patagonian range, makes confusion with other South American parrots unlikely.
• Smaller Aratinga-type conures elsewhere in South America are typically green-bodied, lacking the Patagonian Conure's brown tones.

The species' habit of flying in tight, fast flocks low over open steppe, combined with its coloring, is a strong identification clue.

Range

The Patagonian Conure is found across central and southern Argentina and parts of Chile, ranging from semi-arid Monte and Patagonian steppe habitats to coastal cliffs.

Habitat

It occupies open, arid to semi-arid country, including steppe, scrubland, and agricultural areas, but is especially tied to eroded earthen, sandstone, or clay cliffs and riverbanks used for nesting.

Movements

Some southern populations are partially migratory, moving north to milder areas outside the breeding season, while others remain resident year-round near their nesting cliffs.

Social behavior

This species is highly colonial, with some cliff nesting sites hosting many thousands of burrows and among the largest known parrot breeding colonies in the world.

Voice

Calls are loud, harsh, and far-carrying, including raucous screeches given in flight and at the colony, helping to coordinate the movements of large flocks.

Feeding

Flocks forage on the ground and in low vegetation across open steppe and farmland, eating seeds, grains, fruits, and berries, sometimes traveling considerable distances between roosting cliffs and feeding grounds.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs excavate long tunnel burrows, sometimes several meters deep, into soft cliff faces, nesting in dense colonies. A clutch of two to three eggs is typical, and the burrowing habit offers protection from many predators and the elements in the exposed steppe environment.