Brown-hooded Parrot

An image with a story, On my trips to Costa Rica, I often get the privilege of seeing these beautiful Brown-hooded Parrots. Full of energy and personality.

This particular trip was no exception. A parent and two young Parrots landed on a branch nearby. The two young began to tussle over who would be fed next when the parent stepped in and began to console them; as if to apologize, the closest Parrot to its parent lifted a wing, and the second young Parrot leaned in under its wing. The three were comforting each other for just one moment, and I managed to get the shot.

The brown-hooded parrot feeds in pairs or small flocks of up to 15 birds, taking various seeds and fruits, including figs, from trees and epiphytes. It can be difficult to see when feeding since it is slow-moving, usually silent, and keeps in the canopy.

The adult has a brown head and neck, darker on the face, especially in males, and a red ear-patch. The rest of the body is mainly green, with an olive tone to the breast. The wings have blue outer primaries and red linings which show well in flight, and the tail has reddish sides The eye-ring and bill are pale. Young birds are similar to the adults, but paler, duller, and without red on the head.