bird of the day: half-moon conure

the half-moon conure, also known as the orange-fronted parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot that is found from mexico to costa rica.

the half-moon conure feeds on various flowers, buds, seeds, vegetation, and fruit. a known favorite of this bird is figs.

outside of the breeding season, half-moon conures live in large flocks, sometimes of over a hundred birds.

this bird has unusual nesting habits. both the male and female work tirelessly to hollow out a termite nest. once the termites create a ‘seal’ around the damage, they use the hollow within the nest to raise their young. they also occasionally use empty woodpecker hollows.

the half-moon conure has also established a breeding population in california. normally, feral parrots cannot sustain a population for a long period of time, but this flock has been recorded since 1998.

this conure is rated ‘least concern’ by the iucn, but they have suffered population declines due to trapping for the pet trade.

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