Laura Erickson’s For the Birds

This exquisite bird, probably the closest genetic relative of our extinct Carolina Parakeet, is itself endangered thanks to the pet trade. Currently found only in a relatively small area of Guyana and Brazil, it was once more widespread. The pet trade calls it the sun conure, but the American Ornithologists’ Union, Clement’s Checklist of Birds of the World, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature all call it the Sun Parakeet.