The Santarém Tui Parakeet is endemic to Northern Brazil, Eastern Amazonas. Their preferred habitat includes rain forest and tall secondary forest areas, as well as open areas, agricultural land and wooded marshland. Although they are common throughout most of their range, some decline has been noted in localities due to deforestation.
They are usually seen in pairs or small groups of 4 to 12 birds. On occasion, large flocks of them can be found in favorite foraging sites. Their plumage camouflages them well in the foliage, but their loud calls draws attention to them. Their calls range from shrill screeching to chattering. Their flight is swift and direct.
Description:
The Santarém Tui Parakeets is a little smaller than the nominate Tui Parakeet, averaging 6 inches (16 cm) in length. Although other than small difference in size, they look like the nominate species, but they have a variably marked stripe behind eye, and the yellow patch to the forehead is often more extensive (please refer to above image).
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Diet:
In their natural habitat, these parakeets may feed on the following:
- Seeds (including sprouted seeds)
- Fruits (including berries and figs)
- Flowers. Nectar, Greens and Plant Matter
- Minerals and Grit: They are often seen visiting barreiros (areas where mineral-rich soil is readily available) and river banks to feed on soil.
- Algae
- Insects and their larvae
Captive Diet:
They should be provided a varied diet that includes any of the below:
- A high-quality dry parrot mix (cockatiel dry food mix is fine). Dr. Harvey’s Bird Food Mixes or Lafeber are convenient options that lack many of the harmful additives that are commonly found in commercial mixes and have a great variety of quality ingredients (including dried fruits, veggies, herbs / greens and even superfoods, such as bee pollen!) – in short: myriad nourishing ingredients that are not found in other commercially available bird mixes. However, our biggest grievance with their products is that they use sulphurated dried produce (a process which also requires chemicals), but it is very difficult to find mixes with unsulphurated fruits and veggies. You could just buy the seeds, nuts and grain mix and buy human-grade unsulphurated dried produce / greens as well as bee pollen and mix them in. Even organic trail mixes (WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!) work great. With a little creativity you can put a mix together that offers superior nutrition without the chemicals typically found in commercial brands.
- Sprouted Seeds: sprouted sunflower; sprouted millet spray. Sprouted or germinated seeds are usually more easily accepted by “seed addicts” than fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Fresh fruit (such as bananas, berries, figs, rose hips)Edible flowers
- Nectar: Lory food; porridge of oat flakes; or wheatgerm and honey
- Vegetables (one favorite is half-ripe corn)
- Green foods / plant material, such as dandelion, clover, chickweed, rowanberries, etc.. In the wild, they like to chew rotten stumps and search for larvaeBranches with buds and flowers
- Animal protein (such as dried shrimp)
- Vitamin and mineral supplements (especially important if nutritional variety and quality hasn’t been maintained)
Feeding your pet bird for good health and longevity
These parakeets are messy eaters and scatter any soft food over their cages (as is typical of most parrots). Carefully planning the set up will facilitate the daily clean-up.
Taxonomy:
Class: Aves — Birds, oiseaux
Order: Psittaciformes — Parrots, perroquets
Family: Psittacidae — aras, cacatoès, Cockatoos, Lories, Macaws, Parrots, perroquets … Subfamily: Psittacinae
Species: Scientific: Brotogeris sanctithomae takatsukasae … English: Santarém Tui Parakeet, Taka-Tsukasa Parakeet … Dutch: Geelstrepen Tui Parkiet … German: Gelbstreifen Tuisittich … French: Perruche Tui Neumann
