Also known as: Cherry-headed Conure, Red-masked Conure, Red-headed Conure
The Red-masked parakeet is a medium-sized South American parrot from Ecuador and Peru. Red-masked parakeets are bright green with a mostly red head on which the elongated pale eye-ring is conspicuous. These birds are native to southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru, where they inhabit forest edges and partially cleared areas.
Feral populations, descendents of escaped birds, are found in Florida and California. There is a large the feral population in Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, that was documented in a book (by Mark Bittner) and film (by Judy Irving).
Although these birds reproduce in the wild, the Red-masked Parakeet is not considered established in North America.
From IUCN Red List: The Red-masked Parakeet is listed as Near Threatened
on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2012 by BirdLife International. This species has a moderately small population which has suffered some severe local declines (primarily owing to trapping) but remains common in some other areas. The overall population decline is likely to be moderately rapid. It is consequently classified as Near Threatened.
