Red-winged parrot

Aprosmictus erythropterus

Photo by David Cook (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-winged parrot (en); papagaio-d'asa-vermelha (pt); perruche érythroptère (fr); papagayo alirrojo (es); rotflügelsittich (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae


Range:
This species is found in northern and north-eastern Australia, in southern New Guinea and Irian Jaya.


Size:
These birds are 30-33 cm long and weigh 120-210 g.


Habitat:
The red-winged parrot is mostly found in open forest, dry woodlands, timber-lined watercourses, arid scrublands and wooded grasslands with Eucalyptus. In some areas they are also found in mangroves and in urban parks and gardens. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 600 m.


Diet:
They feed on the seeds of Acacia and Eucalyptus, mistletoe berries, fruits, flowers, pollen, nectar and adult and larval insects.


Breeding:
Red-winged parrots breed in July-January. They nest in a hollow trunk of a tall tree, up to 11 m above the ground, often near water. The female lays 3-6 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 20-21 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 5-6 weeks after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is reported to be generally common and locally abundant. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, and is also sometimes shot for damaging fruit crops. The young are sometimes taken for pet trade, but overall the red-winged parrot is not threatened at present.