Double-eyed fig parrot

Last updated

Double-eyed fig parrot
Double-eyed Fig Parrot 0A2A9574.jpg
C. d. macleayana, Queensland, Australia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Genus: Cyclopsitta
Species:
C. diophthalma
Binomial name
Cyclopsitta diophthalma
(Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841)

The double-eyed fig parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma), also known as the blue-faced fig parrot, red-faced fig parrot, dwarf fig parrot, and the two-eyed fig parrot, primarily inhabits forests on New Guinea and nearby islands, but is also found in isolated communities along the tropical Australian coast, east of the Great Dividing Range. With an average total length of about 14 cm (5+12 in), it is the smallest parrot in Australia.

Contents

Most subspecies of the double-eyed fig parrot are sexually dimorphic, with males having more red (less silvery and blue) to the face than the females. It is predominantly green with a very short tail, a disproportionately large head and bill, and red and blue facial markings. Its name is derived from a blue spot on the lores, which in New Guinean birds is roughly the same size as the eyes. [2]

Although assessed as of Least Concern by the IUCN, certain subspecies are under threat. Coxen's fig parrot (C. d. coxeni) is of one Australia's rarest and least known birds, having been recorded on fewer than 200 occasions since being described by Gould in 1866. It is classified as Endangered in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992), New South Wales (New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995), and also nationally in Australia (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) as it has declined due, at least in part, to the clearing of lowland subtropical rainforest over its range.

Behaviour

The double-eyed fig parrot generally forages for figs, berries, seeds, nectar, and the grubs of wood-boring insects. This foraging is done in pairs or in a flock of only a few individuals. It tends to fly in a quick and direct manner. It produces a short and shrill call. Unlike many other parrots which generally use existing holes in trees for nests, double-eyed fig parrots excavate their own nest cavities, usually in a rotten tree.

Double-eyed fig parrots utter high-pitched, clipped, two or three note zzzt-zzzt or zeet-zeet calls, unlike the rolling or trilling screeches typical of lorikeets. These calls are mostly made in flight, but sometimes when perched. When engrossed in feeding, it may also make a variety of softer, chattering noises.

Eight subspecies of the double-eyed fig parrot are described. Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni, C. d. macleayana, and C. d. marshalli are restricted to Australia, and the other five are restricted to New Guinea and associated islands.

Subspecies

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loriinae</span> Subfamily of birds

Loriinae is a subfamily of psittacine birds, one of the six subfamilies that make up the family Psittaculidae. It consists of three tribes, the lories and lorikeets (Loriini), the budgerigar (Melopsittacini) and the fig parrots (Cyclopsittini), which are small birds, mostly of bright colors and inhabitants of Oceania and the islands of Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moluccan eclectus</span> Species of bird

The Moluccan eclectus is a parrot native to the Maluku Islands (Moluccas). It is unusual in the parrot family for its extreme sexual dimorphism of the colours of the plumage; the male having a mostly bright emerald green plumage and the female a mostly bright red and purple/blue plumage. Joseph Forshaw, in his book Parrots of the World, noted that the first European ornithologists to see eclectus parrots thought they were of two distinct species. Large populations of this parrot remain, and they are sometimes considered pests for eating fruit off trees. Some populations restricted to relatively small islands are comparably rare. Their bright feathers are also used by native tribespeople in New Guinea as decorations.

<i>Eclectus</i> Genus of birds

Eclectus is a genus of parrot, the Psittaciformes, which consists of four known extant species known as eclectus parrots and the extinct Eclectus infectus, the oceanic eclectus parrot. The extant eclectus parrots are medium-sized parrots native to regions of Oceania, particularly New Guinea and Australia. Males are mostly bright green, females are predominantly bright red. The male and female eclectus were once thought to be different species. The conservation status of the remaining species is least concern. Eclectus parrots do well in captivity, and are a very popular pet across the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Threatened fauna of Australia</span> Animals at risk of becoming extinct

Threatened fauna of Australia are those species and subspecies of birds, fish, frogs, insects, mammals, molluscs, crustaceans, and reptiles to be found in Australia that are in danger of becoming extinct. This article lists species classified as threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sooty oystercatcher</span> Species of bird

The sooty oystercatcher is a species of oystercatcher. It is a wading bird endemic to Australia and commonly found on its coastline. It prefers rocky coastlines, but will occasionally live in estuaries. All of its feathers are black. It has a red eye, eye ring and bill, and pink legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian masked owl</span> Species of owl

The Australian masked owl is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.

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

The rock parrot is a species of grass parrot native to Australia. Described by John Gould in 1841, it is a small parrot 22 to 24 cm long and weighing 50–60 g with predominantly olive-brown upperparts and more yellowish underparts. Its head is olive with light blue forecheeks and lores, and a dark blue frontal band line across the crown with lighter blue above and below. The sexes are similar in appearance, although the female tends to have a duller frontal band and less blue on the face. Two subspecies are recognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-faced parrotfinch</span> Species of bird

The blue-faced parrotfinch is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France (introduced), New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2.

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

The blue-fronted fig parrot is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is found in Salawati and the Bird's Head Peninsula in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

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

The red-cheeked parrot is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the tip of northern Australia. There are 17 subspecies currently recognized. It is a stocky short-tailed parrot with predominantly green plumage. It exhibits sexual dimorphism; the adult male has red cheeks and a mauve nape and top of head, while the female is duller with a brown head.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papuan mountain pigeon</span> Species of bird native to New Guinea and eastern Indonesia

The Papuan mountain pigeon is a species of bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is found in the Bacan Islands, New Guinea, the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago, where it inhabits primary forest, montane forest, and lowlands. It is a medium-sized species of pigeon, being 33–36 cm (13–14 in) long and weighing 259 g (9.1 oz) on average. Adult males have slate-grey upperparts, chestnut-maroon throats and bellies, whitish breasts, and a pale grey terminal tail band. The lores and orbital region are bright red. Females are similar, but have grayish breasts and grey edges to the throat feathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fig parrot</span> Tribe of birds

Fig parrots (Cyclopsittini) are a small tribe of Australasian parrots in the family Psittaculidae, made up of seven species in two genera. Fig parrots are found on and around the island of New Guinea, within the territories of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and tropical Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coxen's fig parrot</span> Subspecies of bird

Coxen's fig parrot, also known as the blue-browed, red-faced or southern fig parrot or lorilet, is one of the smallest and least known Australian parrots. It is a highly endangered subspecies of the double-eyed fig parrot. It was named by John Gould after his brother-in-law Charles Coxen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Coxen</span> Australian politician

Charles Coxen was a naturalist and politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He was a brother-in-law of John Gould who had married his sister Elizabeth.

The blue-browed fig parrot, also referred to as the blue-fronted fig parrot, is a putative undescribed fig parrot said to inhabit the rugged rainforest-covered border ranges of subtropical south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. It was announced in November 2006 as the discovery of a new species or subspecies. However, the existence of the parrot has not been confirmed and the claimed discovery has been questioned.

Noosa Biosphere Reserve is an internationally protected area covering the region of Noosa in Queensland, Australia. It is formally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program for its highly diverse ecosystem over a relatively small space. It was the first Biosphere Reserve for the state of Queensland, established in September 2007. The reserve is bound by the Noosa Shire Council boundaries, extending offshore by 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), covering 150,000 hectares in total. It is governed by Noosa Biosphere Limited (NBL), a not-for-profit company, which mainly consists of members from the local community who fulfil roles in the governance board, sector boards, and partnerships. Community plays a significant role in the implementation of the Biosphere Reserve guidelines.


The red-browed fig parrot or Macleay's fig parrot, is a subspecies of double-eyed fig parrot. It is one of the smaller subspecies. Its range extends from Cooktown to Paluma in northern Queensland.

Marshall's fig parrot is a subspecies of double-eyed fig parrot from the Cape York Peninsula.


Hartert's double-eyed fig parrot is a subspecies of the double-eyed fig parrot. It is native to the Fergusson and Goodenough islands.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Cyclopsitta diophthalma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22727581A94953288. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22727581A94953288.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Hombron, Jacques Bernard; Jacquinot, Honoré (1841). "Description de plusieurs Oiseaux nouveaux ou peu connus, provenant de l'expédition autour du monde faite sur les corvettes l'Astrolabe et la Zélée". Ann.Sci.Nat.Zool. (in French). 2 (16): 318 via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Queensland website <https://web.archive.org/web/20071105125307/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/native_animals/doubleeyed_figparrot_coxens/>

Further reading