Grey Cheek Tidbits

_{photo by Susie Kidder}

Brotogeris pyrrhopterus is the Latin name of the Grey-cheeked Parakeet.

Definitions

Brotogeris refers to this genus' talking ability and means "with the voice of a man."

Pyrrhopterus means "red" or "flame" therefore the term "fire-wing" applies to grey cheeks for their bright orange underwing coverts.

Grey cheeks are often called "pericos" by Ecuadorians which is Spanish for "little parrot."

Pronunciations

Brotogeris - Most common pronunciation heard has been: broh-toh-JERR-iss with a long "o" sound and the "g" sounding like that of Geritol or Jerry. Have also heard it pronounced broh-TOJJ-uh-riss (accent on the second syllable) and an Americanized version, broh-toh-GAIR-iss (soft "g" sound like in Gary).

pyrrhopterus - Have heard it pronounced pirr-HOPP-turr-uhs (with long "i" sound, "Pie-ur") and also as purr-HOPP-turr-oos.

Grey cheeks are also known as orange-flanked parakeets or orange-winged parakeets (due to their orange underwing coverts) and pocket parrots ("pocket" due to the fact that they like to snuggle, hide and sleep in pockets, under shirts, collars or anywhere they can find that is warm, dark, quiet, and snug, preferably somewhere on their owner's person).
A special note of warning: Although the snuggling aspect of this bird is extremely inviting, I cannot stress more strongly that you should NOT allow your bird to sleep with you! I have heard a number of horror stories by e-mail and otherwise from people who have awakened only to discover a crushed or smothered grey cheek in the folds of their bedding. Please do not encourage this behavior!!! It only takes a few seconds to lose a valued pet!!!

Grey cheeks are 8 inches (20 cm) long and weigh 54 - 65 grams.

Several sources indicate that Grey-cheeked parakeets originate west of the Andes in parts of southwestern Ecuador (Manabi, Los Rios, Guayaquil or the Chone River District) and northwestern Peru (Tumbes and Piura) and eat a diet mainly of seeds--both dry and green, fruits (they especially like the banana plantations), and flowers, and nest in termite mounds in trees or in tree hollows. There are conflicting reports about their habitat; some indicate they live in wetlands or in lowland, deciduous forests, and others say they inhabit arid areas.

Grey-cheeked parakeets, from sources read, are flock birds in their natural habitat and congregate and fly in large flocks in areas where they are more prevalant. To avoid capture by predators, they will break their close formation flight and scatter to avoid capture.

Although they are no longer being imported into the U.S., according to Robbie Harris, grey cheeks were once imported in great numbers and sold for as little as $25.00 - $30.00.

A conservationist in Ecuador told me that grey cheeks are considered "near-threatened" in the wild. The export of these little birds from their natural habitat over a long period of time has severely depleted the wild population. Deforestation is also playing a major part in lessening their natural range. Not on the endangered list yet, these members of the Brotogeris family are closer to extinction than others in their genus.

From sources read, the exact breeding season in the wild is not known, but the domestic grey cheek's breeding season appears to be March to September. Clutch sizes are approximately 4-6 eggs with an incubation period of 24-26 days.

Personal pages:

Grey Cheek Parakeet Web page
Arienne's grey cheek page
Juliet's page

Avian Tuberculosis, Acid Fast Stain - Spleen, Grey-Cheek Parakeet (photo).

A former grey cheek breeder in Connecticut stopped breeding grey cheeks in 1992 as a number of her imported breeder pairs died. Her vet told her that the necropsy revealed that these birds had tumors in their livers and kidneys. It is believed that these birds were given a macaw-sized dose of antibiotics in their drinking water while at the quarantine station. Although no symptoms appeared at the time of the dosage, the damage was done, and over a period of years, these tumors developed. The breeder was so devastated by the lost of her birds that she decided not to continue breeding them. (Please note that, although I am not a certified avian vet or an expert, the tumors which were reportedly found in the necropsy sure sound more like those described in articles that I've read about Avian Tuberculosis to me than what her vet speculated. It is also unknown how the vet got his information about the quarantine station dosage either).