- Golden Conure
Taxobox | name = Golden Conure
image_caption =
image_width = 300px
status = EN | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Psittaciformes
familia = Psittacidae
subfamilia =Psittacinae
tribus = Arini
genus = Guaruba
species = "G. guarouba"
binomial = "Guaruba guarouba"
binomial_authority = Gmelin,1788 The Golden Conure, "Guaruba guarouba", formerly classified as "Aratinga guarouba", [http://www.conure.org/aratinga_guarouba.htm Aratinga guarouba] URL accessed
January 26 2007 .] is also known as the Golden Parakeet [http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/G/Guaruba_guarouba.asp Zipcode Zoo] URL accessedJanuary 24 ,2007 .] or the Queen of Bavaria Conure. It belongs to a group commonly referred to asconure s inaviculture . Itsplumage is bright yellow, hence itscommon name , but it also possesses greenremiges . [http://www.goldenpalms.org/golden_conure.html Golden Palms - Golden Conure] URL accessedJanuary 26 2007 .] It lives in the drier, uplandrainforest s in AmazonianBrazil , and is threatened bydeforestation ,flood ing and the capture of wild individuals for aviculture. [http://www.honoluluzoo.org/golden_conure.htm Honolulu Zoo] URL accessedJanuary 24 2007 .]Behavior
Golden Conures are playful and sociable, and may even adopt unrelated birds. This behavior is less common with conures in captivity, who often abandon their young after three weeks. They eat fruits, flowers, buds, seeds, and cultured
maize in the wild, but prefer certain types of foods. These include the seed of "Croton matouensis", which is related to the castor bean plant;Muruci fruit ("Byrsonima crispa");mango es; andAçaí fruits. [ [http://goldenconure.org/natural_diet.html Natural Diet] URL accessedJanuary 24 2007 .]Reproduction
After the Conure reaches sexual maturity at the age of three years, the breeding season starts in November and runs through February. They nest in a high tree, and lay an average of four 37.1 x 29.9 millimeter eggs, which they aggressively guard. The incubation period is about 30 days, in which the male and female take turns incubating. In the first few years of sexual maturity, golden conures tend to lay infertile clutches until the age of six to eight. In captivity, golden conures will resume breeding when their chicks are taken from them. [http://goldenconure.org/breeding.html Golden Conure - Breeding] URL accessed
January 26 2007 .]At birth, Golden Conures are covered in white down that eventually turns darker within a week. By the end of the third week, wing feathers start to develop. Juveniles are playful, but may turn abusive against their peers.
Conservation
The Golden Conure is listed on the
IUCN Red List as endangered. [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/40446/summ Guaruba guarouba] URL accessedJanuary 26 2007 .] This is largely due todeforestation and the capture of wild birds for aviculure, where in high demand due to the attractiveness of its plumage. Locally, they are considered as pests for feeding on crops, and are hunted for food or sport.An example of the displacement of Golden Conures by habitat loss comes from the building of the
Turucuí Dam from 1975-1984. More than 35,000 forest dwellers were forced from what had been a habitat that was considered to be "among the richest and most diversified in the world." In addition, 2,875 square kilometers of rainforest were flooded, and 1600 islands were produced by the flooding, all of which were heavily deforested. [ [http://goldenconure.org/threats.html Deforestation] URL accessedJanuary 26 2007 .]Gallery
See also
*
Conure
*Sun Conure References
External links
* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=9847&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet.]
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