Mitred Parakeet or Blue-Crowned Parakeet?

General appearance

The Mitred Parakeet stands at 15-inches in length with a pointed, tapered wing shape and a long, pointed tail. Its most distinguishing marks being its green body color that complements the red forehead. It has scattered red feathers on the face and another touch of red on the leading edge of the wing. Comparatively, it's about the size of a Crow.

Male vs female

There is little to no variation in the physical appearance between male and female Mitred Parakeets. They share a similar color pattern of green body, red forehead, and scattered red feathers. Therefore, their genders are known to be monomorphic, making it difficult to distinguish between males and females.

Juvenile

Juvenile Mitred Parakeets feature more subdued coloration as compared to adults. While they still retain the green body, their red markings are considerably less vibrant and fewer in number, providing a practical way of distinguishing juveniles from adults in the wild.

Primary habitat

Mitred parakeets prefer subtropical or tropical, moist, lowland or high-altitude forests in South America, predominantly in Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru.

Additional range

Mitred parakeets have been introduced and adapted to urban and suburban areas in California, Florida, and Hawaii in the United States.

Natural diet

The mitred parakeet primarily feeds on seeds, fruits, flowers, and occasionally insects. It enjoys a variety of seeds from wild grasses and plants, along with fruits such as berries, figs, and other tropical fruits. The bird is also known to consume the nectar of flowers, which provides essential sugars and nutrients.

Bird feeders

At bird feeders, mitred parakeets are often attracted to sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and nuts. They may also consume birdseed mixes that include millet, safflower seeds, and small pieces of dried fruits. Mitred parakeets are adaptable and may be seen visiting feeders that offer fruits and seed varieties similar to their natural diet.