Pesquet's Parrot

Alternative name: Vulturine Parrot (not to be confused with Pyrilia vulturina )

Female
Photo by mehdhalaouate
Taja, Papua, Indonesia, October 2005

Psittrichas fulgidus

Identification

46 cm (18 in), 690-800 g (24-28 oz).

Male

Female in flight
Photo by mehdhalaouate
Taja, Papua, Indonesia, September 2006

• Beak, facial skin to behind eye, head and upperparts black, with faint red patch behind the eye
• Dull red uppertail coverts
• Red median coverts, greater wing coverts and outer secondaries
• Throat to upper belly black with grey edges to feathers, giving a scaled look
• Red from lower belly to undertail coverts
• Tail black.

Female

• Lacks the faint red patch behind the eye
• Slightly smaller

Juvenile

• The red is duller
• Chick has yellowish white down

Similar Species

• Palm Cockatoo is black with a red face patch and large beak.
• Female Eclectus Parrot has scarlet head and bluish body.
• Crows are black with straighter beaks.

Distribution

Mountains of New Guinea.

Taxonomy

This species is monotypic^[1]

Habitat

Primary and seconday forest from 500m to 1800m. Sometimes down to 30 m and up to nearly 2000 m

Behaviour

Diet

Specialises on mainly eating figs, but also feed on mangos, climbing pandanus, nectar and flowers of Freycinetia mangospandans This species has a low protein diet, thought to be enhanced by the ingestion of fruit eating wasps.

Breeding

Nests in large hollow in trees at 12 m above the ground and lined with wood. The entrance is partially camouflaged by climbing plants. Breeding observed in February, April and May with juveniles fledged during December. 2 eggs laid, both usually successfully fledge. The male provides food for the female.

Vocalisation

A loud guttural screech "aaar" or "caar", which can be heard some distance away. Higher and weaker than the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. Also a double call, first part guttural and rough, the second part rising, nasal and pinched. Pairs stay in contact over distance using harsh rasping calls to defend the fruit trees within their territory.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved November 2015)

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pesquet's Parrot. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pesquet%27s_Parrot

External Links

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