Pesquet's parrot

Psittrichas fulgidus

Photo by Doug Janson (Wikipedia)

Common name:

Pesquet's parrot (en); papagaio-de-Pesquet (pt); psittrichas de Pesquet (fr); loro aguileño (es); borstenkopf (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae

Range:

This species is patchily distributed across New Guinea, both in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Size:

These birds are 46 cm long and weigh 600-800 g.

Habitat:

Pesquet's parrots are restricted to hill and lower mountain moist forests, being found at altitudes of 600-1.800 m.

Diet:

These birds are very specialised frugivores, only eating very few species of fig Ficus, mangoes Mangifera indica and large flowers of Freycinetia.

Breeding:

Pesquet's parrots breed in February-May. They nest in large hollow trees and the female lays 2 eggs which are incubated for 27-31 days. The chicks fledge 12 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

This species has a relatively large breeding range and a global population estimated at 42.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be undergoing a rapid and on-going population reduction, mostly caused by severe hunting pressure for feathers, and to a lesser extent for trade and meat. Deforestation is a less important threat to the species since loggers usually leave fig trees standing.