Burrowing Parakeet Cyanoliseus patagonus Scientific name definitions

“I obtained specimens of this bird at Bahia Blanca in Northern Patagonia, where there is not a single tree, and the country is dry and very sterile. I did not meet with this species in the southern parts of Patagonia, but it is common near Concepcion in Chile, in nearly the same latitude. They build their nests in holes in cliffs of earth or gravel, together with the Hirundo cyanoleuca [Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca)]. In September, at Bahia Blanca, they were laying: their eggs are quite white, and, small in proportion to the bird. Several usually rush forth from their holes at the same instant, and utter a noisy scream” Charles Darwin (1 Gould, J. (1839). The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, Under the Command of Capt. Fitzroy, R. N., During the Years 1832 to 1836. Part III: Birds. Smith, Elder and Co., London, UK. Close : 113).

The Burrowing Parakeet is the sole member of the genus Cyanoliseus, and is one of the three southernmost neotropical parrots, with only the two Enicognathus species occurring further south. It occurs in a variety of open, and often arid, habitats, from northern Argentina, as far as Salta, and marginally into southeastern Uruguay, and south to southeastern Argentina, in northern Santa Cruz and Chubut, and with isolated populations on the central Chilean coast. It is most frequently seen in large flocks that roam in search of seeds, which are themselves foraged for on the ground. Although all species of parrot nest in cavities, the Burrowing Parakeet is unsurpassed in its capacities for cavity excavation. The species nests in large colonies of zigzag-shaped burrows, with some colonies numbering in the thousands. These burrows are usually sited in sandstone, limestone, or earth cliffs, situated close to rivers or even the ocean, and they are often placed at considerable height above ground. In the past there were large flocks of this species, especially in southern Argentina, but the advance of agricultural production in Patagonia and trapping for the pet trade have significantly reduced populations.