Timneh parrot

Psittacus timneh

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
timneh parrot (en); papagaio-cinzento-ocidental (pt); perroquet timneh (fr); loro timneh (es); timneh-graupapagei (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Range:
This species is only found in West Africa, from Guinea-Bissau and southern Mali to Liberia and the Ivory Coast.

Size:
These medium-sized parrots are 28-33 cm long and weigh 275-275 g.

Habitat:
Timneh parrots is found in moist tropical forests and neighbouring savannas, also using forets clearings, gallery forests, mangroves, cultivated areas and even gardens. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on seeds, nuts, berries and fruits, including oil-palm fruits.

Breeding:
The timneh parrot breeds in January-July. They nest in a tree hollow, typically high up on a tall tree, where the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 28-30 days and the chicks fledge 11-12 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a large breeding range but the global population is estimated at just 100.000-500.000 individuals. The population is estimated to decline by 30-50% over the next 5 decades, mostly due to the massive level of capture for the illegal bird trade and high levels of forest loss in parts of the range. Despite international efforts to prohibit trade, thousands of birds are likely being illegally exported every year. Deforestation is still a very serious problem within the timneh parrot range, with 77% of the original forest cover already being lost.