Red-bellied Parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris)

The red-bellied parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris) is a small African parrot about 23 cm (9 in) long of the Poicephalus genus.  Some guidebooks call this the “African Orange-bellied Parrot” so be sure you check the scientific name.  It is a mostly greenish and grey parrot. Males have a bright orange belly and females have a greenish belly.

I saw them in two different locations at Tarangire, one in the small Serengeti plain and one near the campground.  Here’s a close-up of the male & female respectively, then some photos showing their environment.

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IMG_6472 IMG_6475 IMG_6470 IMG_6478 IMG_6476 IMG_6479 IMG_6482 IMG_6505 IMG_6508They have a decent sized range in East Africa but the easiest places to find them would be Tarangire NP, Arusha NP and possibly Amboseli in Kenya.  The red dot is Tarangire NP location.

RBP rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT RED-BELLIED PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

HBW

 

VIDEO

It was a challenge to find a video of these birds in the wild but here’s one.

 

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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!