Names: Golden Conure, Golden Parakeet Scientific name: Guaruba guarouba Conservation status: Vulnerable Info: The Golden Conure is 34 cm long and mainly yellow with green in the outer wings and with an all-yellow tail. It has a large horn-colored beak, pale-pink bare eye rings, brown irises, and pink legs. Males and females have identical external appearance. Juveniles are duller and have less yellow and more green plumage than the adults. The juvenile's head and neck are mostly green, the back is green and yellow, the upper side of tail is mostly green, the breast is greenish, the eye rings are pale-gray, and the legs are brown. They are a social species, living, feeding, sleeping, and even breeding together. They eat fruits, flowers, buds, seeds, and maize in the wild. The conure's breeding system is almost unique amongst parrots, as pairs are aided by a number of helpers which aid in the raising of the young. This behavior is less common with parakeets in captivity, which often abandon their young after three weeks. At birth, Golden Conures are covered in white down that eventually turns darker within a week. By the end of the third week, wing feathers start to develop. Juveniles are playful, but may turn abusive against their peers. Nestlings are preyed upon by toucans, which may explain their social behavior. Nests are vigorously defended from toucans by several members of the group.
