Gold Capped Conure
Aratinga auricapilla
| This
beautiful conure is mainly green in color, with the
cheeks, ear coverts and throat a yellowish green or
slightly yellowish. The areas around the eyes and the
forehead are red to orangish red. The crown is yellowish
and the breast and abdomen are a reddish brick.. The
lower back and rump have green feathers with red edges.
The primary feathers, wing coverts, and under-wing
coverts are blue. The tail is olive green with a bluish
tip. Adults have a brown iris and the naked eye ring is
whitish. The A. a. auricapilla
is about 30 cm in length and weighs about 150 grams.
Juvenile birds have more yellow in the plumage and some
red on the flanks and lower belly. The iris is dark
blackish. The yellowish tinge in the under-wing covert s
and cheeks is not as apparent. There is not as much red
on the back and rump. They sexually mature at about two
years of age. Aratinga auricapilla auricapilla The more common sub-species of the Gold Cap is found mainly in Northeastern Brazil in the northern and central parts of Bahia. It inhabits the open woodland, savannahs, and the forests. In South Bahia there seem to be some birds that are an intermediate representation of the auricapilla and the aurifrons Aratinga auricapilla aurifrons This sub-species is native to Southeastern Brazil and can be found in the states of Sao Paulo, Parana, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Not much is known about its habits but it is likely to be similar to the nominate species. A. a. aurifrons has plumage l ike the nominate species but has more yellow on the crown and forehead. The throat, cheeks, and ear coverts are a dark green rather than the yellowish green. The wide orange-red band extends to the crown and the rump feathers are green rather than the reddish brown border rump feathers of the nominate form. The eye ring is grayish white. They too are approximately 30 cm in length and about 150 grams. This bird seems to have somewhat of a larger head. Juvenile birds have a blackish iris and are reddish on the crown and forehead. It is quite common to confuse the aurifrons with the auricapilla,, especially as juveniles. Both forms are in captivity but have been hybridized extensively. There were not many imported however they have bred well. They generally lay 2-4 eggs with an incubation period of 22-24 days. The male pictured below is a pet. He only acts this way while with his mate. Hand reared Gold Capped Conures can be so sweet that they truely earn the nickname "feathered puppies". |
