Salvadori's Fig-Parrot

Cyclopsitta salvadorii

A medium-sized, chunky parrot of lowland and foothill forest. Green body and crown, yellow-green streaked cheek and a blue patch behind the eye. Male has a red patch on the chest. Tail usually held to a point. Courtship behaviour includes head-bobbing and presenting pieces of peeled off bark. Similar to Edward’s Fig-Parrot and ranges may meet. Salvadori’s lacks the red streaked face and purple breast band. Call, a very shrill high-pitch note, sometimes followed by a high-pitch rough note “tsiik!-krrrk!”.

Identification

These birds are sexually dimorphic. The male of the species has an orange breast patch and yellow cheeks, while the female has a pale blue breast patch and greenish-yellow cheeks. The juveniles of the species all resemble females until adult plumage begins to grow in.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Cyclopsitta salvadorii
Authority
(Oustalet, 1880)
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Cyclopsitta

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

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