Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Orange-fronted Parakeets

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Orange-fronted Parakeeet
Earlier this month I visited Acapulco, MX.  I wasn't there for birding, but I had several opportunities to look for birds around me .  There was a small flock of Orange-fronted Parakeets that could be seen throughout the day.  It seemed like every morning I got up around 7:15 am to find them flying from where they were roosting, and then I'd see them at least once throughout the day.

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Orange-fronted Parakeeet
We have several species of parakeets in Florida, all escaped pets.  To my knowledge the only place where this species can be found in the U.S. is in the Miami area. So it was nice to see some of Mexico's resident wild population. Orange-fronted Parakeets are found in lowlands and foothills of western Mexico down to Costa Rica.  They can be seen in forest canopy and edges, open woodlands, and even in trees along city streets. They feed on seeds, flowers, fruits and invertebrates.

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Orange-fronted Parakeeet
These birds were pure delight to watch.  Their noisy interactions, particularly in the morning, I found delightful.  Their playful and social behavior was also fun to observe.  At times they seemed genuinely affectionate with each other.

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Orange-fronted Parakeeet
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Orange-fronted Parakeeet
Scott Simmons

5 comments:

  1. They are cute birds, great shots!

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  2. The mutual preening is typical parrot/cockatoo behaviour, and one that seems to give them more personality as we watch. Most Australian ones do it.

    Seeing your photos has made them seem much more real. I'm studying a field guide to learn some of the birds in Costa Rica for a visit early next year, and photos really add to my retained impressions. It's interesting that they eat invertebrates too. I'm not sure if any of our smaller ones do that, so will try to check. Thanks for a post that was specially interesting to me.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, I hope you have a great time in Costa Rica!

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  3. I enjoyed reading this wonderful post, Scott. Fantastic photographs of these beautiful parakeets! Their feather colors are stunning.

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