Painted Tiger-Parrot
Psittacella picta
A fairly small parrot of high elevation cloud forest. Green with mustard-brown crown, barred back and rump, and red in the base of the tail. Males have a yellow collar and females a barred chest. Visually distinctive races are sometimes treated as separate species. Western birds have a bluish throat, whereas eastern males have a brown cheek and blue chest, and females have a blue cheek. Similar to Brehm’s but Painted is smaller, with red rump in the east and green cheek in the west. Call, a nasal “coo-wee!” which can be given upslurred or downslurred.
Identification
The painted tiger parrot has green wings and tail, red cap, yellow eye, red rump and tiger stripes on its back and belly.
Taxonomy
Genus: Psittacella; Family: Psittaculidae; Order: Psittaciformes.
- Scientific name
- Psittacella picta
- Authority
- Rothschild, 1896
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Psittacella
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
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