Pesquet's parrot | |
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At Miami MetroZoo, USA | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Psittaciformes |
Family: | Psittaculidae |
Subfamily: | Psittrichasinae |
Genus: | Psittrichas Lesson, 1831 |
Species: | P. fulgidus |
Binomial name | |
Psittrichas fulgidus (Lesson, 1830) | |
Pesquet's parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), also known as the Dracula parrot [2] or as the vulturine parrot (leading to easy confusion with Pyrilia vulturina from Brazil), is a member of the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. It is the only member of the genus Psittrichas. It is endemic to hill and montane rainforests in New Guinea.
Pesquet's parrot is a large parrot with a total length of approximately 46 cm (18 in) and a weight of 680–800 g (24–28 oz). Its plumage is black, with greyish scaling to the chest, and a red belly, uppertail coverts and wing-panels. The adult male has a red spot behind the eye, which is not seen in the adult female. [3] Compared to most other parrots it appears unusually small-headed, in part due to the bare black facial skin and the relatively long, hooked bill, an adaptation for its fruit-based diet. This rather vulture-like profile is the reason behind its alternative common name. [4]
Pesquet's parrot is a highly specialised frugivore, feeding almost exclusively on a few species of figs. Flowers and nectar have also been reported. In parts of its range, it is seasonally nomadic in response to the availability of fruits. The bare part of the head is presumably an adaptation to avoid feather-matting from sticky fruits.
Little is known about its breeding habits in the wild. Typically it lays two eggs in a nest in a large, hollow tree.
It is typically seen in pairs or groups up to 20 individuals. In flight, it alternates between rapid flapping and short glides. [5]
Its feathers are highly prized. This, combined with high prices in aviculture, has resulted in overhunting. Habitat loss also presents an ongoing problem. For these reasons, it is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. [1] Pesquet's parrot is listed on Appendix II of CITES.
The scarlet macaw is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from southeastern Mexico to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela and Brazil in lowlands of 500 m (1,600 ft) up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft), the Caribbean island of Trinidad, as well as the Pacific island of Coiba. Formerly, the northern extent of its range included southern Tamaulipas. In some areas, it has suffered local extinction because of habitat destruction, or capture for the parrot trade, but in other areas, it remains fairly common. It is the national bird of Honduras. Like its relative the blue-and-yellow macaw, the scarlet macaw is a popular bird in aviculture as a result of its striking plumage.
The red-and-green macaw, also known as the green-winged macaw, is a large, mostly-red macaw of the genus Ara.
The blue-and-yellow macaw, also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large Neotropical parrot with a mostly blue dorsum, light yellow/orange venter, and gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It inhabits forest, woodland and savannah of tropical Central and South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans.
The white-fronted amazon also known as the white-fronted parrot, or spectacled amazon parrot, is a Central American species of parrot. They can imitate a range from 30 to 40 different sounds. Like other large parrots, the white-fronted parrot has a long potential life span, usually around 40 years.
Lord Derby's parakeet, also known as Derbyan parakeet, is a parrot species, which is confined to a small pocket of moist evergreen forest in the hills and mountains of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and adjoining parts of Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan in China. The species suffers from cutting of old trees and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. In 2011, its status was updated from least concern to near threatened on the IUCN Red List. The adult male and female are easily distinguished because they have different beak colours and slightly different plumage.
The red-shouldered macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis) is a small green South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. The species is named for the red coverts on its wings. It is the smallest macaw, being 30–35 cm (12–14 in) in length - similar in size to the Aratinga parakeets. It is native to the tropical lowlands, savannah, and swamplands of Brazil, the Guianas, Bolivia, Venezuela, and far south-eastern Peru. There are three subspecies: The noble macaw(Diopsittaca nobilis cumanensis), Hahn's macaw(Diopsittaca nobilis nobilis), and the long-winged macaw(Diopsittaca nobilis longipennis). The long-winged macaw is a poorly distinct third subspecies that has longer wings, but is otherwise similar to the noble macaw. The Hahn's subspecies is named for German zoologist Carl-Wilhelm Hahn, who in 1834 began compiling Ornithologischer Atlas oder naturgetreue Abbildung und Beschreibung der aussereuropäischen Vögel (Engl: Ornithological Atlas or natural depiction and description of birds from outside Europe).
The golden-collared macaw or yellow-collared macaw is a small mostly green Central South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It has a bright yellow patch on the back of its neck/upper shoulders that gives the species its name. In aviculture, it is one of a number of smaller macaws often called "mini-macaws".
The superb parrot, also known as Barraband's parrot, Barraband's parakeet, or green leek parrot, is a parrot native to south-eastern Australia. It is a dimorphic species and one of three species in the genus Polytelis.
The red-bellied parrot is a small African parrot about 23 cm (9 in) long of the genus Poicephalus. The genus Poicephalus has the greatest quantity of species and is widely spread in Africa. It is a mostly greenish and grey parrot. Males have a bright orange belly and females have a greenish belly.
The black-winged lovebird also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The adult male is easily identified by its red forehead, and the adult female by its all-green head. They are native to Eritrea and Ethiopia, and they are uncommon as pets.
The blue-cheeked amazon, also known as blue-cheeked parrot or Dufresne's amazon, is a Near Threatened species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Brazil, the Guianas, and Venezuela.
The vulturine parrot is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is endemic to Brazil.
The bronze-winged parrot is a medium-sized pionus parrot 28 cm (11 in) long. It is a short-tailed stocky parrot found in forest and woodland in north-western South America.
The Yucatan amazon, also known as the yellow-lored amazon, Yucatan parrot or yellow-lored parrot is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
The Buru racket-tail, is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to the forest on the island of Buru, one of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia.
The golden-mantled racket-tail is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest up to an altitude of about 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
The white-tipped quetzal is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae found in Venezuela, Colombia, and Guyana. Two subspecies have been described. Pharomachrus fulgidus fulgidus is found in the mountains of northern Venezuela and Pharomachrus fulgidus festatus ranges through the Santa Marta mountains of northeast Colombia. Quetzals are iridescent and colourful birds found in forests, woodlands and humid highlands. The white-tipped quetzal has been a limited subject of research. Pharomachrus nests have been studied to analyse the effects of rainfall on breeding, however conclusions are based on single observations. On the IUCN Red list of threatened species, the white-tipped quetzal is listed as a species of least concern.
Pfrimer's parakeet is a non-migratory species within the parrot family Psittacidae. It also is known as Pfrimer's conure, Goias parakeet, and maroon-faced conure. The Pfrimer's parakeet has been qualified as endangered by the IUCN and BirdLife International since 2007. It is endemic to the Goiás and Tocantins regions of Brazil. It is mainly found within a belt of dry deciduous and semi-deciduous areas of the Caatinga forest.
The diademed amazon is a parrot in the family Psittacidae formerly considered conspecific with the red-lored amazon. Amazona diadema is restricted to the state of Amazonas in north-western Brazil.
The riparian parrotlet or large-billed parrotlet is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae.