Bronze-winged Parrot (Pionus chalcopterus)

Very early in the morning, I heard the joyous chatter of these Bronze-winged Parrots (Pionus chalcopterus) while walking in the coffee fields of Antioquia, in the central mountain range of Colombia. It was still dark, and the mountain was completely covered in mist. So, I could hear them, but I couldn’t see them. After walking among the coffee plantations, I saw this couple standing in a dry shack.

They live in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru. In Colombia, they live between 1400 and 2400 m above sea level and nest in the cavities of dead trees. They travel in pairs or small groups, and they are nomads. It is a rare species. It feeds on fruits. Although it is not considered threatened or in danger of extinction, its habitat has been dramatically diminishing, affecting its chances of survival.

When I wanted to learn more about them, I Google them, and one of the first questions that came up was: How much is a Bronze-winged Parrot worth? How sad it is that people want to buy such a beautiful bird as a pet. They should be flying free over the Andes. I also ask myself: How many birds should they hunt, and how many would die on the way to captivity? We must protect them. They are wild animals and must live free.