Cape parrot

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Cape parrot
Poicephalus robustus 104453705.jpg
Near East London, Eastern Cape
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittacidae
Genus: Poicephalus
Species:
P. robustus
Binomial name
Poicephalus robustus
(Gmelin, JF, 1788)
Cape parrot range.png
  P. robustus range

The Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or Levaillant's parrot is a large, temperate forest dwelling parrot of the genus Poicephalus endemic to South Africa. It was formerly grouped as a subspecies along with the savanna-dwelling brown-necked parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis) and grey-headed parrot (P. f. suahelicus), but is now considered a distinct species.

Contents

Taxonomy

The Cape parrot was described in 1781 by the English ornithologist John Latham under the English name, the "robust parrot". [2] When in 1788 the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin revised and expanded Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae , he included the Cape parrot with a short description, coined the binomial name Psittacus robustus and cited Latham's work. [3] The type locality is South Africa. [4] The Cape parrot is now placed with nine other species in the genus Poicephalus that was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1837. [5] [6] The genus name is from the Ancient Greek phaios "grey" and -kephalos "headed". The specific epithet rubustus is Latin for "strong" or "robust". [7] The species in monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [6]

The Cape parrot was formerly considered to be one of the three subspecies of the brown-necked parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis). The Cape parrot is smaller than the other two taxa and has an olive-yellow rather than a silvery-grey head. [8] A detailed genetic analysis of the three taxa published in 2015 confirmed the distinctness of brown-necked and cape parrots, and suggested that ancestors of the two had diverged between 2.13 and 2.67 million years ago in the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene epoch. This period was a period of changes in climate, where grassland and forest were expanding and contracting, which presumably led to isolation and eventually speciation of separate populations. [9]

Description

The Cape parrot is a short-tailed moderately large bird with a very large beak used to crack all sorts of hard nuts and fruit kernels, especially those of African yellowwood trees (Podocarpus spp.). This contrasts with the closely related savanna species (Poicephalus fuscicollis) which feeds on a wide variety of tropical woodland trees such as marula, Commiphora spp. and Terminalia spp. These species are sexually dimorphic, with females typically sporting an orange frontal patch on the forehead. Juveniles also show a larger orange - pink patch on the forehead but lack the red on shoulders and legs of adults. [10] These plumage characteristics vary among individuals and among the three recognized forms. [11]

Distribution and habitat

At Benvie, Karkloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Poicephalus robustus -South Africa-6a.jpg
At Benvie, Karkloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The Cape parrot is endemic to South Africa. It occurs in Afromontane forests at moderate altitudes in eastern South Africa from the coastal escarpment near sea-level to the midlands at around 1000m. These forests occur as a series of small patches around the south and east of South Africa and are dominated by yellowwood trees ( Podocarpus latifolius , Podocarpus falcatus and Podocarpus henkelii ). Cape parrots have a disjunct distribution with the largest population around in the Amathole mountains of the Eastern Cape Province and extending east, with several large gaps, through the Mthatha escarpment and Pondoland in the Eastern Cape and the southern midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province to Karkloof, near Pietermaritzburg. A very small population, of around 30 individuals occurs over 600 km to the north in the Magoebaskloof area of Limpopo Province. Cape parrots are absent from large areas of afromontane forests such as those along the southern coast of South Africa, near Knysna, the higher altitude Afromontane forests in the Drakensberg mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, or the moderate-altitude forests of northern KwaZulu-Natal province and Eswatini, which separate the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and Limpopo escarpment populations. [12] All of these areas are within the dispersal range of the parrots and there are old records of Cape parrots from northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Aviculture

Over one hundred P. robustus parrots are kept as cage birds, most of which are wild-caught birds[ citation needed ] although they do breed reasonably well in captivity. To date there have not been any successful releases of captive birds and the survival of this species is dependent on habitat conservation to maintain wild populations. Trade and export of wild-caught Cape parrots from South Africa has been made illegal by the international CITES agreement (appendix list II) and by South African law. They are rare as pets, despite low-levels of ongoing illegal collection and trade. Those that are kept have demonstrated wonderful personalities, and a talking ability that rivals their larger cousin the grey parrot. A small trade still persists in the related Grey-headed and brown-necked parrots.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List, which uses the Birdlife International checklist, formerly lumped the common and widespread grey-headed parrot with Cape parrots and brown-necked parrots, each of which are more narrowly distributed and more threatened, leading to an assessment of least concern. [13] This contrasts with alternative assessments of the South African endemic P. robustus, as threatened [14] and possible threatened status of the brown-headed parrot of West Africa.

Hundreds of volunteers participate on the first weekend each May in the "Cape Parrot Big Birding Day" which is an annual count of the population throughout its distribution. The parrots are relatively easy to count at any forest patch due to their distinctive silhouettes, slow, 'rowing' flight and raucous calls. Counts are made in the evening as parrots arrive at roost patches and in the following morning as the parrots leave. A complete census of the population is difficult to achieve, however, as these forests are naturally fragmented and there are insufficient volunteers to count the more remote patches. There are also difficulties in achieving a precise count because the birds fly long distances for food and may be 'double-counted' at both feeding and roosting sites. Counts increased from about 500 specimens in May 2000 to over 1000 in recent years, although this may be largely explained by an increase in the particular sites that were counted. The parrots are particularly threatened by the fatal Psittacine beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), and there have been suggestions that a diet heavy in yellowwood fruits greatly reduces the symptoms, although this has not been empirically investigated. Their habitat is being reduced by logging and modification of African yellowwood trees, in particular the loss of old trees and dead snags with suitable nesting hollows. The provision of nesting boxes has had some success and offers some hope for increasing the proportion of breeding individuals.

Related Research Articles

<i>Podocarpus latifolius</i> Species of conifer

Podocarpus latifolius is a large evergreen tree up to 35 m high and 3 m trunk diameter, in the conifer family Podocarpaceae; it is the type species of the genus Podocarpus.

<i>Poicephalus</i> Genus of birds

The genus Poicephalus belongs to the subfamily Psittacinae of the true parrots (Psittacidae) and comprises ten species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropical realm, which encompasses Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal in the west, Ethiopia in the east, and to South Africa in the south. Like lovebirds (Agapornis) and vasa parrots (Coracopsis), the latter being endemic to Madagascar, the Poicephalus parrots are typical specimens of Afrotropical zoogeography. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms, or subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knysna–Amatole montane forests</span> Ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome in South Africa

The Knysna–Amatole montane forests ecoregion, of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, is in South Africa. It covers an Afromontane area of 3,100 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afromontane</span> Subregion of the Afrotropical realm

The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions of Africa are discontinuous, separated from each other by lower-lying areas, and are sometimes referred to as the Afromontane archipelago, as their distribution is analogous to a series of sky islands.

<i>Afrocarpus falcatus</i> Species of conifer

Afrocarpus falcatus is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is native to the montane forests of southern Africa, where it is distributed in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. Common names include common yellowwood, bastard yellowwood, outeniqua yellowwood, African pine tree, weeping yew, Afrikaans: outeniekwageelhout, kalander, Sotho: mogôbagôba, Xhosa: umkhoba and Zulu: umsonti. It is widespread, in some areas abundant, and not considered threatened, but it is a protected tree in South Africa. It is grown as an ornamental tree, especially in South Africa, and occasionally abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-fronted parrot</span> Species of bird

The red-fronted parrot, also known as Jardine's parrot, is a medium-sized mainly green parrot distributed across wide areas of Africa. It has three subspecies. The extent and shade of the red or orange plumage on its head, thighs, and bend of wings vary depending on the subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-headed parrot</span> Species of bird

The brown-headed parrot is a south-eastern African parrot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-fronted parrot</span> Species of bird

The yellow-fronted parrot is a parrot endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is a mostly green with a yellow head. Relatively little is known about this bird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niam-Niam parrot</span>

The Niam-Niam parrot (Poicephalus crassus) is a parrot nearly endemic to the Central African Republic, of the genus Poicephalus. It is a mostly green parrot with a grey-brown head and orange irises. The Niam Niam is one of the world's most poorly-known parrots, with little known of its conservation status, and was one of the last unphotographed birds in Africa until 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-necked parrot</span> Species of bird

The brown-necked parrot, sometimes known in aviculture as the uncape parrot, is a large Poicephalus parrot species endemic to Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape batis</span> Species of bird

The Cape batis is a small, stout insect-eating passerine bird in the wattle-eye family. It is endemic to the Afromontane forests of southern Africa.

<i>Podocarpus henkelii</i> Species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae

Podocarpus henkelii is a South African species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is grown ornamentally in gardens for its strikingly neat, attractive form and its elegant, drooping foliage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barratt's warbler</span> Species of bird

The Barratt's warbler or African scrub warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Locustellidae. It is found in eastern South Africa, Lesotho, eastern Zimbabwe and adjacent western Mozambique. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knysna woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The Knysna woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. It belongs to a species complex that includes the golden-tailed and Mombasa woodpeckers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forests of KwaZulu-Natal</span> Forest vegetation type in South Africa

Areas of forest which grow in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa mostly on south facing slopes in higher rainfall areas, and along the humid coastal areas. Different types of forest can be identified by their species composition which depends mostly on the altitude, latitude and substrate in which they grow. South facing slopes are favourable for the development of forest as they are more shaded, and therefore cooler and retain more moisture than the northern slopes. The extra moisture on the south slopes is not only favoured by forest trees, but also helps to prevent or subdue wildfires. Fires can also be blocked by cliff faces and rocks or boulders on these slopes, and by streams or rivers at the base of the slopes. The coastal regions are conducive to forest formation, because of high rainfall and humidity which are favoured by forest trees and also help to prevent or subdue fires. The rivers of the coastal areas are also broader than further inland, which may often prevent fires from spreading long distances, and fires generally burn uphill and therefore more often away from areas at low altitude.

oNgoye Forest

oNgoye Forest, also known as Ngoye or Ngoya Forest, is an ancient coastal scarp forest, protected by the oNgoye Forest Reserve in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. The forest of almost 4,000 ha covers an extensive granite ridge that rises from 200 to 460 metres above sea level. It is found some 10 km inland, or 16 km by road, from the coastal town of Mtunzini, and adjoins smaller forest reserves on its periphery, namely Impeshulu in the west, Ezigwayini in the north, and Dengweni in the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karkloof Forest</span>

The Karkloof Forest is situated in the Karkloof Nature Reserve, 22 km north of Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The Weza Forest is also known as the Weza-Ngele Forest and is situated near Harding, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This is a large Mistbelt Forest which has long been exploited for timber. The forest has been fragmented and reduced in size over many decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot</span> Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Afrotemperate Forest</span> Main indigenous forest-type in the south-western part of South Africa

Southern Afrotemperate Forest is a kind of tall, shady, multilayered indigenous South African forest. This is the main forest-type in the south-western part of South Africa, naturally extending from the Cape Peninsula in the west, as far as Port Elizabeth in the east. In this range, it usually occurs in small forest pockets, surrounded by fynbos vegetation.

References

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  3. Gmelin, Johann Friedrich (1788). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (13th ed.). Lipsiae [Leipzig]: Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 344.
  4. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1937). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 225.
  5. Swainson, William John (1837). On the Natural History and Classification of Birds. Vol. 1. London: John Taylor. p. 301.
  6. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Parrots, cockatoos". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  7. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  312, 337. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  8. Perrin, MR (2005). "A review of the taxonomic status and biology of the Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus, with reference to the Brown-necked Parrot P. fuscicollis fuscicollis and the Grey-headed Parrot P. f. suahelicus". Ostrich. 76 (3–4): 195–205. doi:10.2989/00306520509485493. S2CID   84397629.
  9. Coetzer, W.G.; Downs, C.T.; Perrin, M.R.; Willows-Munro, S. (2015). "Molecular systematics of the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus): implications for taxonomy and conservation". PLOS ONE. 10 (8): e0133376. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1033376C. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133376 . PMC   4534405 . PMID   26267261.
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  11. Symes, C.T. 2005. Grey-headed Parrot Poicephalus fuscicollis pp. 222-223 in Hockey, P.A.R., Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds) Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town.
  12. "SABAP2 | Cape Parrot | Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011. [South African Bird Atlas Project 2; Accessed 5 May 2011]
  13. BirdLife International (2017). "Poicephalus fuscicollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T22732670A119197072. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22732670A119197072.en .
  14. BirdLife International (2021). "Poicephalus robustus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T119194858A179406641. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T119194858A179406641.en .