Names: Grey-cheeked Parakeet, Fire-winged Parakeet, Orange-flanked Parakeet Scientific name: Brotogeris pyrrhoptera Conservation status: Endangered Info: The Grey-cheeked Parakeet is mostly green in colour with characteristic grey cheeks and a grey-blue crown. The underside of the wings bears a bright orange swath between the lesser coverts and the mantle and the primary flight feathers are normally blue or bluish green in colour. The wingspan is about 11 cm, the length about 20 cm, and it weighs about 50 g. The average lifespan in captivity is approximately 23 years. Grey-cheeked parakeets vocalize quite loudly despite their size. The sound could be described as a quick, sharp screech, and vocalizations may involve many monotone screeches in succession. The Grey-cheeked Parakeet is indigenous to northwestern Peru and western Ecuador, living in subtropical or tropical regions encompassing dry forests, moist lowland forests, shrubland, and arable land. Grey-cheeked parakeets do not build their nests in the canopies of trees. Rather, they prefer to build their nests in protected areas such as active termite mounds or tree hollows. It is unknown why termites tolerate their presence. The eggs are laid in clutches of four to six eggs in a nest padded with moss. The female will incubate the eggs for about 25–26 days while the male stands guard outside the nest. Even in its native home, the parakeet is widely kept as a pet. With patience, these birds may be taught to mimic human sounds, though without the clarity of larger parrots.
