- Charmosyna papou
Identification
36-42 cm.
- Head and nape mostly red
- Mid-crown blue, becoming black towards the rear
- Mid nape is a black band
- Underside from chin to lower breast red
- Belly and thighs show broad black band
- Side of breast and flank behind thigh are yellow
- Wings and mantle dark green
- Lower back and sides of rump red, central rump blue shading to green on uppertail-coverts
- Dark green tail with very long central tail streamers (25 cm), with yellow tips
- Underwing-coverts red bordered in green
- Undertail coverts red
- Blackish underside of flight-feathers
- Bill and legs orange to dark red
Sexes similar, females may have more extensive yellow on breast sides and flanks. Immatures are duller and have a shorter tail.
Variation
Some birds have the upper wing paler green with some blue.
Distribution
Indonesia: western New Guinea (montane forests of Vogelkop Peninsula).
Fairly common, however the skins of Lorikeets are used as head decorations by local tribes and are much traded.
Taxonomy
West Papuan Lorikeet and Stella's Lorikeet were formerly considered a single species under the name of Papuan Lorikeet.
Subspecies
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Found in montane forest, including disturbed Nothofagus-Podocarpus forest.
Occurs from 1600 to 3500 m, sometimes down to 1400m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on blossoms, flower buds, pollen, soft fruit and small seeds. Also seen consuming insects. Usually in pairs or singly. Rather aggressive towards other species like Yellow-billed Lorikeet.
Breeding
A pair with enlarged gonads recorded in August, young birds seen from October to November. Lays two eggs in captivity.
No other information.
Movements
Some local nomadism reported.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Collar, N., J. del Hoyo, and G. M. Kirwan (2023). West Papuan Lorikeet (Charmosyna papou), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (M. A. Bridwell and S. M. Billerman, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.paplor1.01.1
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) West Papuan Lorikeet. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/West_Papuan_Lorikeet
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
