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Red-masked Parakeet
The Red-masked parakeet, Aratinga erythrogenys, is a medium-sized South American parrot. It is known in the pet trade as the Cherry-headed Conure. Red-masked parakeets average about 33 cm (13 in) long, of which half is the tail. They are bright green with a mostly red head on which the elongated pale eye-ring is conspicuous; the nape is green. Also, the lesser and median underwing coverts are red, and there is some red on the neck, the thighs, and the leading edge of the wings. Breeding starts in May. Clutches average 3 to 4 eggs and incubation is 23 or 24 days. Juvenile birds fledge after 50 days with solid green plumage; their first red feathers appear around the age of 4 months. The call is two-syllabled and harsh. These birds are native to southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru, where they inhabit forest edges and partially cleared areas. Some are sold as cage birds; they are considered good talkers. Escaped cage birds are considered to be introduced in Spain. They are also found in Florida and California, and make up most of the feral population in San Francisco that was documented in the book and film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Nonetheless, this species is not considered established in North America. External links Reference - The Sibley Guide to Birds, David Sibley, 2000, ISBN 0679451226
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