Popularly known as the "Nanday Conure," this species occurs naturally in pantanal, savannas and settled areas from southwestern Brazil to northern Argentina. Hardy (1973) mentioned only a small population in Loma Linda, western San Bernardino County that became established in the late 1960s; nesting there was suspected by Fisk and Crabtree (1974).
A population of Black-hooded Parakeets has been observed in residential areas and adjacent sycamore-dominated canyon bottoms from the Brentwood district of western Los Angeles to Pacific Palisades, with additional populations farther up the coast from central Malibu to lower Zuma Canyon. Elsewhere, small numbers occur in Culver City and the Rancho Park district of West Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley, and in Huntington Beach, Orange County. (Garrett 1997)
The San Gabriel Valley population has remained relatively constant. Their numbers have increased in the north coast (Malibu). (Mabb 2002)
Distribution in California: Coastal Los Angeles and Orange Counties, especially from Brentwood and Pacific Palisades to Malibu and Point Mugu; a few in the San Gabriel Valley (Garrett 1997). Also noted in Sacramento (Garrett 1997) and formerly in Loma Linda area of San Bernardino County (Hardy 1973; Fisk and Crabtree 1974).
Habitat in California: Suburban residental areas, often in or near coastal canyon mouths (Garrett 1997).
Other Naturalized Locations: Other populations have been reported in Florida, Hawaii, Texas, New York, and Puerto Rico (van Doorn 1997, Long 1981)
|
Click an image below to view at a larger scale. |
Black-hooded Parakeet (Nandayus nenday) |
|
Native Range and Habitat: Southeastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina. Inhabits open country, pantanal (seasonally flooded grasslands), savannas, croplands, palm groves (Forshaw 1989).
STATUS: Lower Risk/Least Concern -- IUCN RedList of Threatened Species. CITES Appendix II.
Global population trends have not been quantified, but there is evidence of a population increase (del Hoyo et al . 1997), and so the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern. (BirdLife International)
Description: General color green. Black head and chin. Blue wash on throat and breast. Deep blue outer webs of flight feathers and tips of tail feathers. Grey underside of flight and tail feathers. Pale yellowish green underwing linings and cheeks. Crimson feathers on ankle. Feet pink. Beak black. Iris dark brown.
Immatures as adults except less blue on throat and breast with shorter tail.
Average Length: 12 inches
|
