Category Archives: Parrots

Geelvink Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta geelvinkiana)

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The elusive Geelvink Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta geelvinkiana) is easy to find on the island of Biak but hard to see.  Why?  They and the other members of the Pygmy Parrot family are the smallest parrots in the world at 9cm (3.5 in) and 13-17g (0.45-0.6 oz) and they are well-camouflaged in the trees.  My guide found several of them in a tree and did his best to call them out but they stayed deep within the foliage and I could only get glimpses of them through the leaves.

Find the hidden Geelvink Pygmy Parrots!

Find the hidden Geelvink Pygmy Parrots!

 

On a previous trip, Mehd Halaouate from the World Parrot Trust managed to get a nice shot of a nesting pair.   I have to agree with the WPT description. “Usually seen in groups of 4-5 birds. Very shy. Will associate with other birds in low lying shrubbery.”  Thy are endemic to the island of Biak but not rare as they are estimated at over 10,000 birds.

Encounter With Wild Budgies In Outback Australia

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The poster of this video wasn’t there for birding, he was enroute to a gold mine but he couldn’t help but be amazed by this encounter with wild Australian Budgerigars!  It is so hot this time of year, it’s possible the Budgies were attracted to the reflection of the glass and were hoping it was water.  If you will be traveling in the Aussie outback during the hot months, please bring some extra water and a couple of bowls just in case!  If you want to come to Australia and see wild Budgies and other birds, learn how!

 

Black-winged Lory (Eos cyanogenia)

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The Black-winged Lory, Eos cyanogenia also known as Biak Red Lory is an Indonesian endemic, the Black-winged Lory is distributed to forests and coastal habitat of Biak, Numfor, Manim and Mios Num islands in Cenderawasih Bay, Papua. It frequents and roosts in coconut trees.

We saw a few of them flying in pairs or small flocks during our brief visit to Biak but I was unable to get a good pic with my camera.  These guys fly fast!  So I will have to use the one on Wikipedia which appears to have been taken in a bird park to show you what they look like up close.  They are gorgeous birds, I wish they weren’t so camera shy in the wild!

Black-winged Lory (Eos cyanogenia)

The population is estimated to number 2,500-9,999 mature individuals based on an assessment of known records, descriptions of abundance and range size.  Relatively large numbers have been trapped for the domestic and international trade (Nash 1990b, K. D. Bishop in litt. 1994), and this species is commonly observed as a pet on Biak (Bishop 1982). Large areas of forest on Biak have been destroyed or damaged by logging and subsistence farming, particularly the southern plains, and the remainder is under pressure (Bishop 1982, K. D. Bishop in litt. 1996, D. Holmes in litt. 2000). Furthermore, forest does not regenerate easily on areas of raised coralline limestone. Much of Supiori comprises virtually impenetrable, forested limestone mountains, which is likely to be safe from habitat degradation.

BirdLife International 2012. Eos cyanogenia. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 27 March 2013

Chattering Lory (Lorius garrulus)

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The Chattering Lory, Lorius garrulus is a forest-dwelling parrot endemic to North Maluku, Indonesia. It is considered vulnerable, the main threat being from trapping for the cage-bird trade.

Chattering Lory (Lorius garrulus)

There aren’t any pics of them in the wild that I could find but there are a few good shots of them in bird parks.

 

Chattering Lories

Chattering Lories

One of the reasons they are so hard to find is because they inhabit a remote area of Northern Sulawesi near Halmahera.  You can get to South East Asia and get a domestic flight to Halmahera.

Chattering Lory Habitat

This little guy seemed happy to leave the chattering to his neighbors the Rainbow Lorikeets!

 

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

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Just about every morning, I have the pleasure of listening to various cockatoo species flying over my house enroute to the city parks where they can find gum nuts and other delicacies.  The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is one of Australia‘s most famous birds and very easy to see in the wild…………and sometimes you don’t have to get any more “wild” than your backyard!

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

In Australia, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos can be found widely in the north and east, ranging as far south as Tasmania, but avoiding arid inland areas with few trees. They are numerous in suburban habitats in cities such as Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Except for highland areas, they occur throughout most of New Guinea and on nearby smaller islands such as Waigeo, Misool and Aru, and various islands in the Cenderawasih Bay and Milne Bay.  Why not plan a trip to Australia and see them for yourself?

There are four recognised subspecies;

  1. C. g. triton (Temminck, 1849) is found in New Guinea and the surrounding islands,
  2. C. g. elenora (Finsch, 1867) is restricted to the Aru Islands between Australia and New Guinea,
  3. C. g. fitzroyi (Mathews, 1912) in northern Australia from West Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria
  4. and the nominate subspecies C. g. galerita which is found from Cape York to Tasmania.

C. g. fitzroyi (Mathews, 1912) in northern Australia from West Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria
and the nominate subspecies C. g. galerita which is found from Cape York to Tasmania.

Here, a flock of wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoos forages in a park, unafraid of the filming humans!

 Let’s just say that some of them like to live dangerously!

Cape Parrots (Poicephalus robustus) Of South Africa

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The Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or Levaillant’s Parrot is a large, temperate forest dwelling Poicephalus parrot endemic to South Africa. It has 2 subspecies which may be considered distinct species, the savanna dwelling Brown-necked Parrot (ssp. fuscicollis) and Grey-headed Parrot (ssp. suahelicus).One of the most endangered parrots species in the world, the Cape Parrot can be seen in a few places with the help of local guides.

Cape Parrot

You will have to look closely to find the green shading that represents their natural habitat.

Cape Parrot Range

I was lucky enough to see them in 2009.  I wrote an article for my main website, Feathered and Free.  The Magoebaskloof region in the Limpopo region which is an easy half day’s drive from Johannesburg.  I will be going into greater detail on this area later.

Let’s learn more about them with this video.  I found it originally on this article about Cape Parrots which has lots of information and more videos.

Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)

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The Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri) is native to tropical South America south of the Amazon River basin from central Brazil to southern Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina.

Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)

Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)

This map shows their range.  They are very easily found in the Pantanal.  The photo above was taken in the grounds of Pousada Piuval last September.  Yellow-chevroned Parakeets usually find holes in trees to nest in. They will also form nesting tunnels in dead palm fronds. It lays 4-5 eggs. After raising its young, all birds will form rather large communal roosts until the next breeding season.

Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet Range

This video shows what a pleasant chirp they have!

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

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Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

The Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is endemic to eastern Australia. It is found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest. They feed on fruits, seeds or small insects.  If you would like to see them in the wild, check out my series on how to get to Australia.  With their brilliant red-orange and green colouring, they are easily spotted and there are several places such as O’Reilly’s in Queensland where they come in close and even land on people to get some free food.

Australian King Parrot Range

 

Here’s a nice video of them in their native habitat.

Double-eyed Fig-parrot (Cyclopsitta diopthalma)

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Double-eyed Fig-parrot (Cyclopsitta diopthalma)

The Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma), also known as the Blue-faced Fig Parrot, Red-faced Fig Parrot, Dwarf Fig Parrot, and the Two-eyed Fig Parrot, primarily inhabits forests on New Guinea and nearby islands, but is also found in isolated communities along the tropical Australian coast, east of the Great Dividing Range. With an average total length of about 14 cm (5½ in.), it is the smallest parrot in Australia.  The easiest place to see them will be in West Papua, Indonesia or Papua New Guinea.

Double-eyed Fig-parrot Range

There are several subspecies found throughout this tiny parrot’s range.  The Coxen’s subspecies is very rare.

C.d. diophthalma: W Papuan islands, NW New Guinea.
C.d. coccineifrons: SE New Guinea- Astrolabe Bay to Fly River.
C.d. aruensis: S New Guinea (Fly River to Aru Islands).
C.d. virago: Fergusson and Goodenough Islands.
C.d. inseparabilis: Tagula Island.
C.d. marshalli: North tip of Cape York Peninsula, Queenland, Australia.
C.d. macleayana: NE Queenland from Cooktown to Townsville.
C.d. coxeni: formely SE Queensland and NE South Wales, range now limited.

Coxen’s Fig parrot Range

A hungry Double-eyed Fig-parrot live and in action!