Austral Parakeet

This is a medium-sized psittacid measuring approximately 31 to 37 centimeters in total length. Its plumage is predominantly a dull olive-green, characterized by a distinctive scaly pattern formed by dark brown or blackish margins on individual feathers. On the forehead and lores, it displays a striking brick-red or rusty band. A diagnostic, variable brownish-red patch is also located on the center of the abdomen, which may be reduced or absent in northern populations. The tail is long, slender, and colored in a dull reddish-brown hue. The beak is dark gray to blackish, hooked, robust, and lacks the significantly elongated upper mandible seen in its sister species, Enicognathus leptorhynchus. The irises are reddish-orange and the legs are a dull gray.

Geographical distribution: This bird holds the title of the southernmost parrot species in the world. It is widely distributed across the southern cone of South America, spanning parts of Chile and Argentina. In Chile, its range extends from the Valparaíso Region southwards to the Brunswick Peninsula and the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. In Argentina, it is found from the western parts of Neuquén and Río Negro provinces, continuing south along the eastern slopes of the Andean-Patagonian region to the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego.

Habitat: It primarily inhabits temperate Andean-Patagonian forests, characterized by the dominance of southern beeches of the genus Nothofagus, such as the lenga (Nothofagus pumilio), coihue (Nothofagus dombeyi), and roble (Nothofagus obliqua). It is also highly associated with pehuén (Araucaria araucana) forests. The species is frequently observed in forest edges, dense shrublands, wooded valleys, and occasionally in agricultural lands, suburban orchards, and urban parks in southern cities, ranging from sea level up to 2000 meters in altitude.

Feeding: Its diet is predominantly phytophagous, characterized by an opportunistic consumption of forest resources. It feeds actively on seeds, with the highly nutritious seeds of Araucaria araucana representing a crucial food source during the fruiting season. It also consumes seeds of various Nothofagus species, tender buds, young leaves, flowers, berries, and fleshy fruits of native shrubs like the calafate (Berberis microphylla) and maqui (Aristotelia chilensis). Occasionally, it descends to the ground to dig up delicate roots, bulbs, and tubers using its specialized beak.

Behavior: It is a highly gregarious and social species that typically travels in noisy flocks consisting of a dozen individuals to massive aggregations of hundreds of birds outside the breeding season. It displays a fast, direct, and slightly undulating flight pattern, characterized by rhythmic wingbeats accompanied by constant, harsh, high-pitched vocalizations that serve to maintain flock cohesion. During the day, they split their time between foraging in the forest canopy or on the forest floor, and resting on high branches where their green plumage offers excellent crypsis against aerial predators. Seasonal altitudinal and latitudinal movements are common, with flocks migrating to lower elevations or northern areas during harsh austral winters.

Nesting: Breeding begins in the late austral spring, typically during November and December. It is a cavity-nester that selects deep, natural hollows in the trunks of mature or decaying native trees, particularly Nothofagus and Araucaria, though it occasionally nests in rocky crevices on steep cliffs. The female lays a clutch of 4 to 6 dull white eggs. The incubation period lasts approximately 21 to 26 days and is performed almost exclusively by the female, while the male provides food. Both parents actively participate in feeding the chicks via regurgitation until the young fledge at about seven weeks of age.

Conservation status: It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. While the global population is considered stable and the species remains common throughout its extensive range, it faces localized threats that warrant close monitoring. The primary anthropogenic threats include habitat loss and fragmentation caused by the logging of native temperate forests, forest fires, competition for nesting hollows with invasive exotic species, and to a lesser degree, illegal capture for the domestic pet trade.