Bird Thought - Don't take your "common" bird for granted.

I always thought sun conures were one of the rats of the avian world.  I mean, they're so common . . . aren't they?

I just learned yesterday that the sun conure is common in US aviculture, but upgraded to endangered status in 2008 in the wild.
Endangered Species List - Sun Conures: http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/142601/0
Estimated Wild Population

And the cape parrot is uncommon in US aviculture, but not considered endangered in the wild.
Endangered Species List - Cape Parrot:  http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/142531/0
Estimated Wild Population

Makes me curious to search other species that we think of as "common" and how common they truly are in the wild.

Just soze y'all know - wild caught parrots have not been legally imported into the United States since 1992.  So, don't feel bad about getting a sun conure!  Cherish your little baby for the special creature it is. US captive breeding does not negatively impact the wild population.  I feel privileged to be breeding the endangered sun conure.

Learn something new every day.