Birds · Psittaciformes · Psittacidae

Burrowing Parrot

Cyanoliseus patagonus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The burrowing parrot, or Patagonian conure, is a psittaciform bird of the parrot family that lives on the Patagonian plateau and on the slopes of the Andes in Argentina and Chile. It is the only living species of the genus Cyanoliseus. It is known by a number of regional names in South America.

Weight

250 g – 310 g

Size

42 cm – 47 cm

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Desert Grassland

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Fun facts

The colony at El Cóndor, on the coast of Río Negro, is the largest parrot colony in the world: more than 35,000 nests dug along twelve kilometres of sandstone cliff.
It digs its own tunnels with bill and feet, some of them more than three metres deep, and pairs return to the same burrow year after year, extending it gradually.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Patagonian steppe and arid scrub with sandstone or limestone cliffs in which to dig nest burrows
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 25 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoliseus_patagonus