Guaruba or Golden Parakeet
Guaruba guarouba
Guaruba or Golden Parakeet
Guaruba guarouba
Introduction
The guaruba, also known as golden conure and golden parakeet, is one of the most striking birds of the Amazon, thanks to the intense yellow colour of its plumage. Endemic to Brazil, this species lives in the Amazon basin, where it moves mainly through the canopy of tropical rainforests — the upper layer formed by the crowns of the trees.
Although it was long grouped with conures because of its size, its social behaviour and feeding habits actually place it closer to macaws. For this reason, in some educational contexts, it is also referred to as the guaruba macaw.
WEIGHT
194 – 225 g
DIET
Herbivorous
ORIGIN
Brazil (endemic)
INCUBATION
30 days
PESO
Entre 194 y 225 g
ALIMENTACIÓN
Herbívora
ORIGEN
Brasil (endémica)
INCUBACIÓN
30 días
Facts about the guaruba
Guaruba guarouba is a medium-sized psittacine that reaches around 34 cm in length and weighs between 194 g and 255 g. Its plumage is almost entirely yellow, except for some green feathers on the wings, which contrast with the rest of the body.
This parakeey has a white orbital ring and pink legs. Besides, younger Guaruba guarouba individuals have a less robust beak and may also show pale green tones on the head and wing coverts.
Diet
Its diet is varied and flexible, as it is not specialised in one particular type of food. It consumes fruit, seeds, pulp, buds, nectar, flowers and bark, adapting to the availability of resources throughout the year. Its diet changes according to the season and the area in which it is found.
This variety allows the species to make use of many different resources in its environment. At times, this also includes nearby crops, such as maize or fruit trees. Despite its flexibility, in certain areas it has been seen to show an affinity for some fruits, such as açaí and murici, as well as for specific plant species.
Lifestyle
The guaruba is a clearly gregarious species. These highly social birds usually form flocks of between 4 and 20 individuals, although groups of almost 50 have been observed in feeding areas. In resting areas, they spend a great deal of time playing and social preening, with frequent interactions between individuals.
They move mainly through the forest canopy and may spend the whole day in feeding areas. In addition, they have been observed using similar routes over several days between resting and feeding sites, foraging on the same trees until the food is exhausted. While most of the flock feeds, one or two individuals remain alert and take on a lookout role.
Reproduction
One of the most distinctive aspects of the guaruba is its reproductive behaviour. Unlike many other psittacine species, such as the blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) or the military macaw (Ara militaris), it remains in large flocks during the breeding season. This behaviour has been linked to the possibility that breeding pairs may have “breeding helpers”.
As this is a highly social species, observations in nesting areas show that preening between a pair often involves other individuals. Even so, during this season, pairs have been seen leaving the flock and separating to copulate.
The incubation period has been estimated at 30 days in birds kept in human care, while adult body mass is reached at around 60 days. In the wild, they nest in cavities in tall trees in open areas close to forest, showing a preference for dead trees, as these are easier to occupy and hollow out.
Successful breeding in human care is uncommon and is generally limited to specialised centres, as the species requires very specific conditions for reproduction to take place.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The guaruba is endemic to Brazil and is native to the Brazilian Amazon. Its distribution area does not exceed 300,000 km², occurring along the edge of the Brazilian Shield, east of the Madeira River and south of the Amazon River.
This species appears to prefer primary forest below 300 metres in altitude within the Amazon basin. However, it can also be found feeding in secondary forests and flooded forests, an ecosystem known as igapó.
For nesting and resting, guarubas often use trees in disturbed areas close to forested zones. This may help reduce the risk of predation by monkeys or snakes. The species avoids the humid areas of central Amazonia, as well as the colder regions of the south.
Threats to the population
- Conservation status (IUCN): Vulnerable (VU)
- Population trend: decreasing
Golden parakeet photos
Interesting facts about the guaruba
Predation by other birds
The main predators of this bird’s eggs and chicks are toucans. It is also commonly preyed upon by certain birds of prey.
Shared care
During the post-breeding stage, first-year individuals are still dependent in some ways and beg adults for food. Different members of the flock have been observed spending time feeding them.
Queen of Bavaria
In aviculture, this species has also been known as the “Queen of Bavaria’s conure”, a historic name that reflects the fascination these birds inspired in Europe.
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