Carolina Parakeet

Quick Take

• Eating the Carolina parakeet could be deadly, a fact that has everything to do with its favorite food. Its toxic favorite food →
• This species has been extinct for over 80 years, but scientists may not let it stay that way. De-extinction candidacy →
• The Carolina parakeet's tight social bonds were one of its most remarkable traits, and they may also have been one of the reasons it vanished. Social flock behavior →
• Historians have long disagreed about where this bird actually lived, but a 2017 map rewrote the answer. Its true historical range →

Carolina parakeet sightings were once fairly common in the eastern United States, but population numbers dwindled rapidly over the centuries from a combination of factors. Some of these factors were human-induced, while others were natural. The last known captive specimen, a male named Incas, died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918 before the species was declared officially extinct in 1939. Much of what we know about this species is based on anecdotes or the study of captive or dead specimens.

5 Amazing Carolina Parakeet Facts

• There were two distinct subspecies with very little overlapping territories.
• They were expert climbers who used their beaks as a kind of third limb to navigate the branches and trunks of trees.
• They were incredibly noisy; entire flocks were sometimes heard from miles away.
• Since they ate toxic seeds of the cocklebur, they may have been poisonous to eat; John J. Audubon himself noted that some cats apparently died after eating this parakeet.
• The Carolina parakeet is considered to be a potential candidate for de-extinction.

Where to Find the Carolina Parakeet

The Carolina parakeet was once found across parts of the eastern United States. Woodlands next to swamps or rivers were its preferred habitat. There is still some debate about its true range, however. It was once believed that the fringes of its natural habitat extended as far west as Colorado and as far north or east as New York. This was based upon only a few known historical sightings in certain states. A reconstructed map from 2017 suggests a more constricted range. One subspecies probably inhabited Florida and the surrounding coasts, while the other subspecies was shifted toward the interior of the United States, from Kansas to Ohio.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the Carolina parakeet is Conuropsis carolinensis. Carolinensis is obviously a Latin version of Carolina. The genus name Conuropsis, of which this species was the last living member, appears to derive from the term conure, which describes several species of small to medium-sized parrots. Some use conure and parakeet interchangeably, but conure is a bird-keeping term more than an actual scientific term. This species belonged to the family of true parrots, Psittacidae, which also includes the iconic Scarlet macaw.

Size, Appearance, and Behavior

When it was still alive, the Carolina parakeet could claim to be one of the most colorful native birds in all of the United States. They had bright green or blue plumage on the body, yellow around the neck, and red or orange around the face. Males were slightly larger than females, potentially measuring around 12 to 13 inches from head to tail, but otherwise, their plumage was the same. This species also had a big, sharp beak, well-adapted for cracking open nuts and seeds.

Carolina parakeets traveled in flocks of 200 to 300 birds at a time. They were not known to be migratory over long distances, since they mostly stayed within 30 miles of their home range, but some populations may have moved around slightly to cope with the harsh winter. Social cohesion was an important aspect of their behavior. They were known to engage in mutual preening and scratching to reinforce their bonds with each other and keep clean. Foraging for food occurred around sunrise and sunset, while most of the daylight hours were spent resting, roosting, and bathing.

The Carolina parakeet was known to emit a harsh, shrill call as a warning in the presence of nearby predators. It was mostly silent while roosting, but it did produce quite a loud cacophony while in flight.

Diet

The Carolina parakeet was an omnivorous species. It held food in place with its claws and tore it apart with its beak.

What did the Carolina parakeet eat?

The Carolina parakeet consumed the fruits and seeds of many different plants and trees, including the beech, elm, sycamore, maple, oak, and pine. It supplemented its diet with insects for additional protein, but the cocklebur appeared to be its favorite food. Carolina parakeets also apparently consumed salt licks and possibly saline water to add salt to their diet.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

This parakeet is completely extinct in the wild. Deforestation and hunting are blamed as the primary culprits, and the arrival of European settlers marked the beginning of the end for them. However, the spread of diseases and other natural problems may have played a secondary role as numbers declined and the species became more susceptible to negative shocks.

However, the species is a candidate for de-extinction. This is the process of bringing back an extinct species from pieces of DNA. The bird’s genome was sequenced in 2019.

What ate the Carolina parakeet?

This parakeet was preyed upon by hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey. Eggs and chicks were often the targets of raccoons, skunks, squirrels, and snakes.

Reproduction, Young, and Molting

Many facts about the bird’s reproductive habits were poorly documented at the time. Some contemporary sources claimed this species was monogamous, but there were also reports that multiple birds shared nests, which were built in small tree hollows out of basic plant materials. What we do know is that the Carolina parakeet mated in the spring and produced between two and five eggs at a time.

The chicks were born with entirely green plumage and pale underparts. After about 20 days, the young parakeets would gain their full flight feathers and be ready to fly. Both parents are believed to have played an important role in raising and feeding the young. After a year, the young parakeet would develop its adult plumage and become sexually mature. The species was relatively long-lived. It could survive up to 30 years in captivity.