THE BROWN-THROATED CONURE
THE BROWN-THROATED CONURE having spent the last few years breeding many different species of Pyrrhura conures, Mick and Andrea Nye from Kent, decided it was time to expand, and move into the world of Aratinga conures.
Mick told me, “Knowing their reputation for being loud and noisy, we couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive. But, after speaking to a number of breeders who had specialised in Aratingas for a number of years, we decided to take the plunge and bought our first pair of Brown-throated Conures. They were acquire from a friend of a friend, who had keep them in an outside aviary for a year or two. But, it was thought that they had originate from the wild.”
Throated Conure
The Brown-throated Conure, along with their close relatives the Aztec and Half-moon Conures, are different from all the other species of conures in that they generally go to nest in the wild, in an arboreal termite nest, or in the case of the Aztec, sometimes in a rock crevice. They first of all burrow at an angle, upwards, and then horizontally, deep into the mound to excavate and form their nesting cavity. For this reason, these conures often show a strong reluctance to enter a traditional nest-box in captivity. .
Eupsittula pertinax aeruginosa
Much like arubensis in appearance, but with a buff-colore crown instead. It can be between northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the state of western Zulia.
Eupsittula pertinax arubensis
The face is yellowish brown with slightly stronger golden-yellow on the crown and around the eyes. The crown then followed by a patch of pale blue. The breast is a slightly lighter shade of brown than the face. It can be on the island of Aruba within the Leeward Antilles hence the scientific name arubensis.
Eupsittula pertinax chrysogenys
The plumage of this subspecies is the darkest of all 14 brown-throated parakeet varieties. The crown is dark green potentially with a blue wash. The face and breast is brown. Though this lightens slightly near the belly. It can be in northwestern Brazil at the Rio Negro’s middle basin. The scientific name chrysogenys means “born with gold color” in Latin.
Eupsittula pertinax chrysophrys
Very similar to margaritensis, but with a richer brown face. It can be see from the state of Bolivar in southwestern Venezuela to southwestern Guiana and northern Brazil in Roraima. Its scientific name means “with gold eyebrows”, referring to its facial markings.
Eupsittula pertinax griseipecta
It is similar to the subspecies aeruginosa, but with the breast and cheeks being a stronger olive-gray. This is directly reference by the scientific name griseipecta, meaning “gray-chest. It may be extinct though it was once found in the Sinu Valley of northeastern Colombia.