Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Tara

The Senegal parrot (Poicephalus senegalus) is a Poicephalus parrot which is a resident breeder across a wide range of west Africa. It makes migrations within west Africa, according to the availability of the fruit, seeds and blossoms which make up its diet. It is considered a farm pest in Africa, often feeding on maize or millet.

I took these photos in Shai Hills, Ghana.

Original shots show how far away the bird was.

There are three subspecies.They do not differ in behaviour, but only in the colour of the “vest”. In the pet trade, the nominate subspecies is the most common though all three are raised and sold as pets.

P. s. senegalus (the nominate subspecies): this subspecies has a yellow vest; its native range includes Senegal, southern Mauritania, southern Mali to Guinea and Lobos Island.
P. s. mesotypus: this subspecies has an orange vest; its range is from eastern and northeastern Nigeria and Cameroon into southwest Chad.
P. s. versteri: this subspecies has a deep-orange/red vest; its range is from the Ivory Coast and Ghana east to western Nigeria.

The photos above are of the Ghanaian subspecies P.s. versteri. For comparison, here are some photos I took of the nominate subspecies in Birds of Eden, South Africa.

Senegal Parrots have a very large range throughout West Africa but the majority of sightings come from Ghana such as mine in Shai Hills, the Gambia and Senegal.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SENEGAL PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Xeno-Canto (all 3 Subspecies)

Birds of Eden

National Geographic – A heartbreaking look at the abuse of these beautiful birds by wildlife poachers.

VIDEOS

It was hard to find wild Sennies amongst the hundreds of pet bird videos but here’s a couple from YouTube and IBC.

This guy starts out with birds flying overhead at a distance but he gets lucky and finds a perched parrot!

African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Tara

Seeing wild African Grey Parrots is a holy grail for many people. They are not only popular as pets worldwide but famous for their intelligence due to Dr Irene Pepperberg’s work with Alex. I had such high hopes for Kakum as they are commonly reported being seen there and Ghana is a very easy country to get to and travel in. Many people see them from the Canopy Walkway but we didn’t. I was really disappointed as they were the main reason to visit Ghana. In the evening, back at the lodge, I spoke with the guide of the organized group who were staying there and he said they saw them around 7am-ish from the car park at Kakum.

The next day, we went back and staked out the car park. At first we saw lots of hornbills flying past but no Grey Parrots. Our guides from the previous day showed up for work and sat with us while waiting for their clients to arrive. Around 7:30, I was ready to give up and go back to the lodge when one of the guys said “There”! He was pointing at a clearing through the trees over the park. Two Grey Parrots in flight! I grabbed my camera, said a quick Hail Mary and took aim.

I missed! They were flying towards the left side of the photo and had cleared the tall tree in the middle and were heading behind the thick clump of trees on the left. A blink of an eye, they were gone! That was all I was going to get for African Grey Parrots after traveling all this way. That’s how birding is, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. In a way I was lucky, at least I DID see them for a split second, but I had wanted more time to enjoy watching them and their behaviour.

The best I can do are these photos I took at Birds of Eden, South Africa. Many more African Grey photos can be found in the links below.

For birders, seeing wild African Grey Parrots has the same problem as most African birds. A potentially large range but many areas difficult to get to or unsafe to travel in. Independent birders should try Kakum but expect the sighting to be brief and far away. Uganda has better possibilities now that World Parrot Trust has released some Grey Parrots who were rescued from a poacher, rehabilitated and released at Ngamba Island, a chimpanzee sanctuary located in Lake Victoria. Kibale National Forest in Uganda is also a good place to see them.

LEARN MORE ABOUT AFRICAN GREY PARROTS

African Geographic Magazine – This is a must read article about the tragedy of wild African Grey Parrots being captured by poachers and the horrible fate they suffer. Eco-tourism encourages locals to leave the birds in the wild!

VIDEOS

There is no shortage of videos showing wild African Grey Parrots! Many are filmed by researchers who can access areas that independent travelers would have trouble with.

These first two are what I was hoping to see in Kakum. The videographer doesn’t say where he filmed them but this may be because he is protecting them from poachers.

World Parrot Trust Documentary – shows actual poaching technique which is horrible to see!

The journey to freedom of rescued African Grey Parrots. They start out in such heartbreaking condition, the trapping methods and transportation by poachers is extremely cruel.

Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis vasa)

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Tara

The Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis vasa) is one of two species of vasa parrot, the other being the lesser vasa parrot C. nigra. The greater vasa parrot can be found throughout Madagascar and the Comoros. In Madagascar it is more common in portions of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests, compared with the lesser vasa parrot which is more common in the humid forests of the east coast.

I took these photos in Ankarafantsika NP.

This pair was clearly in a romantic mood!

They can be found in various places around Madagascar except in the interior. Their population is decreasing so if you want to be sure of seeing them, head to Ankarafantsika where there is a good sized flock.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREATER VASA PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

VIDEO

I can’t find many videos of them in the wild, at least not that I can embed here so head over to IBC for a brief clip.

And here’s a clip of a breeder describing the characteristics of a Greater Vasa Parrot.

Lesser Vasa Parrot AKA Black Parrot (Coracopsis nigra)

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Tara

The Lesser Vasa Parrot or Black Parrot (Coracopsis nigra) is a black coloured parrot native to Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, and Seychelles. The genus has recently been split into 3 similar species:

Black Parrot Coracopsis nigra is being split into C. nigra, C. barklyi and C.sibilans, following the application of criteria set out by Tobias et al. (2010), as well as consultation of genetic evidence and associated comments (Kundu et al. 2012, Joseph et al. 2012, N. Bunbury in litt. 2014).

I got several sightings of Black Parrots at Ankarafantsika but not very good photos as they were pretty high up. I also got a fleeting glimpse of one flying away at Andasibe and I didn’t get any photos at all. Both these parks as well as Ranomafana are good if you want to try your luck. Lesser Vasa Parrots have a wider range than Greater Vasa Parrots.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LESSER (BLACK) VASA PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

VIDEO

I’m not having much luck finding videos of these birds in the wild. There are a couple brief clips on IBC.

Here’s a YT clip of a Black Parrot in an aviary.

And here is the recently split species – the Seychelles Parrot

Grey-headed Lovebird (Agapornis canus)

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Tara

The Grey-headed Lovebird or Madagascar lovebird (Agapornis canus) is a small species of parrot of the lovebird genus. It is a mainly green parrot. The species is sexually dimorphic and only the adult male has grey on its upper body. They are native on the island of Madagascar and are the only lovebird species which are not native on the African continent. They are the smallest of the lovebird species.

In the first of these photos I took at Ankarafantsika NP, you can see a pair of lovebirds and the distinctive grey head on the male.

Grey-headed Lovebirds’ range is all around Madagascar except for the interior. The easiest place to see them is Ankarafantsika NP where they are all over the trees surrounding the car park. You don’t even have to enter the park! This turned out well as we couldn’t enter anyways until the office opened and we bought tickets and hired a guide. The lovebirds are there all day, you can see them even during lunch time although they are much quieter then.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREY-HEADED LOVEBIRDS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

VIDEO

Echo Parakeet (Psittacula eques)

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Tara

The Echo Parakeet (Psittacula eques), also known as Mauritius parakeet, is the only extant parrot endemic to the Mascarene Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. Its local name is katover.

In the early 1980s, this parakeet was almost extinct. The roughly 10 birds that were left had hardly ever bred successfully since the early 1970s due to lack of suitable trees, nest predation, disturbance by humans and feral pigs and deer, and competition with more plentiful bird species including the introduced rose-ringed parakeet. The Mauritius parakeet seemed doomed to extinction.

But with the team of Carl Jones (of Mauritius kestrel and Last Chance to See fame) taking over, a dedicated research and conservation effort was launched to save the birds. By the late 1980s, the situation had stabilized – though at a precariously low level – and more young birds were being hatched. By the mid-1990s, some 50–60 individuals were known altogether (including young birds) and an intensive management of the wild population by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation could begin. These efforts paid off handsomely; by January 2000, the population had exceeded 100 birds total. Since then, the rapid recovery has continued. The total wild population is presently some 280-300 individuals of which some 200 are adult, half of which being breeding pairs and most of the other half single males.

Echo Parakeets can only be found in Black River Gorges National Park in Mauritius. The best place to see them is about a 5 km walk down a fairly easy trail from the eastern entrance gate.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ECHO PARAKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

VIDEO

The Cape Parrots Of Magoebaskloof

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Tara

I have already blogged about my encounter with the Cape Parrots in King William’s Town. This post will be about the Cape Parrots in the Woodbush Forest in Magoebaskloof.

I should mention that there is another similar species found in savannahs further north called Grey-headed Parrots (Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus). They were once a subspecies of Poicephalus robustus but have now been separated out into their own species. If you look at maps in field guides, it can be very confusing as they aren’t very detailed as to which species is near which town. Scientific taxonomy is not my field of expertise so I’ll refer you to Dr Steve Boyes’ explanation on Safari Talk. There are also a number of researchers and biologists in the Cape Parrot Group on Facebook who can help if anyone needs more information.

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After a good night’s sleep at Kurisa Moya, David Letsoalo picked us up in his jeep. There was no way our little car would be up for the bumpy roads in the Woodbush Forest so we paid extra to hire David’s jeep.

I knew it would be interesting to see the birds at a different time of year as the last time it was so foggy, we could barely see the Cape Parrots. We were lucky this time and the weather was clear.

This time we didn’t have to hunt around for the parrots. It was breeding season and David knew exactly where a Cape Parrot family could be found. He said there were 2 chicks but we only saw one at a time so I can’t say for sure we saw them both, it could have been the same one poking his head out. He wasn’t fledging age, he was actually a few weeks younger than the King William’s Town youngster. We were there on 4 Nov 2014 and I was glad I had brought the trip forward. If we had gone as planned in Sept 2015, the babies would still be in eggs, not nearly as cute as seeing youngsters!

See the little head poking out!

At this point the parents flew off to get more food leaving the chicks in the nest. They were gone around 45 minutes so we looked for other birds while waiting for them to return (will blog this part tomorrow). When the parents returned, the chicks heard them right away and at least one poked his head out in anticipation. One perched as a sentinel while the other went down to the baby.

The parent feeding the chicks in the nest.

I only managed one flight shot.

Now it was getting later and David said the parents might not be back for awhile so we left the area to look for other birds. I’ll post those pics tomorrow.

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Tara

Most other years this would be a top ten, but with 3 major birding trips this year I am struggling to make it a top thirty! If you want to see last year’s birds click here. There is no way I could single out one top bird with so many to choose from so they are being presented in chronological order. I haven’t finished blogging the Queensland road trip or the African Adventure so I have to cheat a bit with the photos. They are my photos but just pasted in.

1. Carnaby’s Cockatoo – seen at several places in Western Australia, Feb 2014.

2. Western Rosella – seen at Dryandra and Stirling Range in Western Australia, Feb 2014

3. Purple-crowned Lorikeet – seen near Fitzgerald National Park, Western Australia, Feb 2014

4. Western Bowerbird – seen at Nallan Station, Western Australia, Feb 2014

5. Splendid Fairy-wren – seen at Yanchep, Western Australia, Feb 2014

6. Orange-bellied Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

7. Eastern Ground Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

8. Swift Parrot – seen on Bruny Island, Tasmania, March 2014

9. Major Mitchell Cockatoo – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

10. Cockatiels – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

11. Satin Bowerbird – seen at Girraween, QLD, March 2014

12. Ultramarine Lorikeet – seen on Ua Huka, Marquesas, French Polynesia, June 2014

13. Rimatara Lorikeet – seen on Rimatara, French Polynesia, June 2014

14. Cape Parrot – seen in King William’s Town and Magoebaskloof, South Africa, Nov 2014

15. Lilac-breasted Roller – seen in Kruger Park, South Africa, Nov 2014

16. Echo Parakeet – seen at Black River Gorges, Mauritius, Nov 2014

17. Vasa Parrots – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

18. Schlegel’s Asity – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

19. Hoopoe – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

20. Paradise Flycatcher – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

21. Red Malimbe – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

22. African Grey Parrot – seen (fleeting glimpse) in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

Didn’t click fast enough!

23. Senegal Parrot – seen in Shai Hills, Ghana Nov 2014

24. Tacazze Sunbird – seen at Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopia, Nov 2014

25. African Red-bellied Parrot – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

26. Cordon Bleu Waxbill – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

27. Meyer’s Parrot (Brown Parrot) – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

28. Red-and-yellow Barbet – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

29. Superb Starling – seen all over Tanzania, Nov 2014

30. Lovebirds – seen in Madagascar (Grey-headed), Tarangire (Yellow-collared) and Ndutu (Fischer’s). Just couldn’t choose between them! Nov 2014

These aren’t necessarily the rarest birds but they were birds that made a major impression on me. Maybe for their rarity, maybe for their beauty or maybe for their behaviour! Apologies for not having profiles up on about half the birds but I still have a lot more to blog about!

Fantastic Documentary On The Cape Parrot Project

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Tara

Although I normally embed YouTube videos, in this case I would prefer you click over to the National Geographic website as there is an excellent article to accompany it. Now I will worry the next 3 months that the poor birds aren’t getting enough to eat!

Click on the image!

Cape Parrot Project

Meet “My” Cape Parrot Family

Posted on December 21, 2014 by Tara

Most of my glimpses of wild birds, especially parrots is a bird flying at the speed of light over my head or hiding in trees. I never imagined that I would get to spend a few quality HOURS with this beautiful little family of Cape Parrots! They are part of the flock who live & breed in Hogsback and fly down to King William’s Town during the day to forage. Much to my surprise, they don’t make a lot of noise. Since my eyesight is terrible and I rely on sound and then movement to find a bird I would have missed them completely without the help of Rodnick Biljon who is part of the Cape Parrot Project and monitors the activities of the local birds.

Rodnick with my husband, Ina

Typical street with fruit trees that attract the parrots

You can see the fruit that they are eating in this tree.

All the photos taken in this tree are of the same 3 birds. The father (adult male) is the one with the red forehead and red shoulders. The mother (adult female) has a dull grey-ish brown head but she still has the red shoulders. The youngster has an orange-ish forehead and no red on the shoulders. If you are particularly “tuned in” to birds, you can also see he has this wide-eyed, innocent look about him but also an air of “wow, what a cool world”! It’s hard to explain, maybe you just need to see them for yourselves. Even before Rodnick explained the colouration of the adult and juvenile birds, I had picked the youngster out by his behaviour. He was a bit more awkward in moving about the tree while the parents are agile and graceful, they know what they are doing. A couple times he went for a branch, missed and had to scramble to get his balance…………then he looked kind of embarrassed that I had witnessed his blooper!

All 3 birds were eating the berries and at times the two adults would snuggle and preen each other or one of them would preen the baby or feed him, though he was quite capable of feeding himself. They tended to stick together, never more than a meter or so apart. I was so touched by the affection shown between the family members!

I think this is the part where we drove around the area after seeing a few other Cape Parrots fly past. We saw other birds foraging alongside the parrots, everyone seemed to get along just fine.

Now we are back to “my” Cape Parrot family again. I couldn’t believe they were still there!

Here’s the youngster trying to fly from one branch to another a bit awkwardly.

They all spent quite a bit of time preening. Guess they wanted to look their best for the blog! I have seen 1000’s of birds all over the world, some of which are rare and endangered like these Cape Parrots. But that isn’t why I remember these guys and treasure the time I spend with them. It’s because they let me in. They didn’t mind sharing their private lives with me for a few hours and somehow they knew they were safe with me. I do hope they realize that not all humans are as well-meaning as people like Rodnick, Ina & myself. Some people would try to harm them or capture them so I hope they learn to keep a safe distance from humans. I was at times close to 4 meters below them. I hope they stay safe and the youngster grows up to be a happy, healthy parent of the next generation!