Abstract
Have you had your heart set on a miniature macaw but thought they were a little beyond your budget? If so, why don't you give some thought to a "look alike"? I'm thinking of the Blue-crowned Conure Aratinga acuticaudata. For a number of years, I've enjoyed these friendly parrots and, indeed, many folks think of them as very similar in appearance to the miniature macaws. They have nearly the same size and conformation and, with their long tail and general overall conformation, they may just fit your needs.As for appearance, they are green parrots and, at first, may seem a little ordinary compared to some of their flashier "cousins'.' They have a rather dull blue forehead, crown, lores and ear coverts, a horn colored upper mandible with grayish tip and the lower mandible is black. The creamy peri-ophthalmic ring and pale red iris gives a distinctive touch. The undersurface of the tail has a pleasing reddish-brown, olive-bronze coloration; this same color extends to the under wing coverts. The under surface of the flight feathers is olive-bronze. Their length is 37 cm.
Blue-crowneds come from South America. They range from eastern Columbia, northern Venezuela, southward through Brazil, Paraguay, Uru- mandible with grayish tip and the lower mandible is black. The creamy peri-ophthalmic ring and pale red iris gives a distinctive touch. The undersurface of the tail has a pleasing reddish-brown, olive-bronze coloration; this same color extends to the under wing coverts. The under surface of the flight feathers is olive-bronze. Their length is 37 cm.