Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot - BirdForum Opus

Probably a juvenile
Photo by mehdhalaouate
Taja, Papua New Guinea, September 2007

Micropsitta pusio

Identification

World's smallest parrot
8-10cm

• Buff forehead and sides of head
• Dark blue centre crown
• Yellow-brown underwing coverts
• Yellow undertail coverts
• Dark blue centre tail feathers
• Brown iris
• Grey bill

Distribution

Australasia: found in northern and south-eastern New Guinea.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are 4 subspecies:

• M. p. beccarii:

• Northern New Guinea, Manam, Karkar, Bagabag and Rook islands

• M. p. pusio:

• South-eastern New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago

• M. p. harterti:

• Fergusson Island (D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago)

• M. p. stresemanni:

• Louisiade Archipelago (Misima and Tagula)

Habitat

Moist lowland forests.

Behaviour

It feeds upside down.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. World Parrot Trust

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Buff-faced_Pygmy_Parrot

External Links

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