The monk parrot or gray parrot also called or known as Argentine parrot is considered one of the best known throughout South America, besides being a sociable bird and despite having close relationship with the parrots is the only one that does not build their nests in the cavities of the trees.
They are gregarious birds usually live in colonies and form flocks, are intelligent, peaceful and very affectionate, ideal as a pet as well as the vast majority belonging to its genus, is super talkative when trained, belongs to the family Psittacidae its scientific name is Myiopsitta monachus.
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Characteristics of the Monk Parakeet.
The monk or gray parrot is considered a noisy and destructive bird, to be in captivity as a pet should be well supervised and pay attention to the accessories you have inside your cage, if left free even if only for a short time be careful with the objects that decorate your home.
They are ves not very big they can reach
to measure about 30 centimeters approximately and its weight reaches 150 grams, has a plumage in its body of a bright green tone except for the forehead, cheeks, throat, chest and belly that have a light gray tone, also on the chest has a kind of white markings, as for the wings have a tone in the primary blue and black and in the coverts we find a pale gray and bluish.
The tail of the monk or gray parrot is long and pointed on the inside has a pale green tone with a slight touch of blue, in the part of the thighs we get a bright green color, the legs are gray, its beak is strong slightly curved brown or brown and the iris of his eyes brown. The monk or gray parrot can live up to 20 years.
Sexual dimorphism.
To distinguish the male from the female when it comes to the monk parakeet or gray it can be said that it is complicated because to differentiate them in only noticeable feature is the upper jaw in males should always be wider than in females, plus the head is also larger, should be very well observed to establish this difference that the naked eye can not discover.
Behavior.
The Monk Parakeet is a peaceful, loving, docile, intelligent and easy to domesticate bird, as well as the Australian Parakeet, but they are also very noisy like the Alexandrine Parakeet and tend to be destructive. They can easily adapt to different types of food, they are gregarious birds usually live in communal nests and are the only species that builds its own nests using branches that are usually made in the branches of trees using a very good height. They are able to speak a few words but their sounds are usually squawks and squawks. When these parrots sense danger they emit a cry that is an alarm, one of the main latent threats are snakes.
Feeding.
This parrot is considered a granivore because its diet is based mainly when it is in its habitat on plant seeds, both those it obtains and those that are cultivated, such as thistle seeds, corn, rice, sorghum. It complements its diet by consuming fruits, larvae and insects. When these birds are in captivity as pets you can include in their diet meat, eggs, bread, cookies among others.
Reproduction.
The nest is built in the branches of the tallest trees but also in power lines and many times in artificial structures, it has an elongated shape and a kind of entrance and porch that does the job of protecting the access to the nest. These birds build their nests communally and it is the only one of its species that uses branches.
The female will be in charge of building the nest and lays 4 to 8 eggs that will be incubated by her and this process will last about 26 days, the chicks will be ready to leave the nest and be independent at six weeks and during this time will be cared for and fed by their parents.
Distribution and Habitat.
Widely distributed in America and Europe, Chile, Canada, USA, Mexico, France, Italy, but it is of South American origin and has arrived in Spain in large numbers. This parrot inhabits savannahs, forests, parks and even gardens, they build their own nest and do not use the cavities of the trees but the branches and sleep in it throughout the year. Below you can enjoy this video of a monk parakeet singing.
