Green-fronted Hanging-Parrot
Loriculus tener
A very small, thick-set, stub-tailed parrot. Entirely green with a small red throat patch. Female has a light blue facial crescent. In flight, bright blue underwing is diagnostic. Resident in lowland forest, most often seen in flight. Similar to Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot but much brighter, with vibrant green coloration and, in flight, a stronger blue underwing. Commonly gives a very high-pitched repeated “tse-tse-tse” on the wing.
Identification
Both genders feature a mainly green body with a bright red patch on its throat, a black beak, and yellow eyes. Males have a yellow/green rump with a yellow tail. Females feature green cheeks (along with males) but, have a slight green/blue wash. Juvenile birds have no throat patches, and have a brown beak and eyes.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Loriculus tener
- Authority
- Sclater, PL, 1877
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Loriculus
Range and habitat
The Bismarck hanging parrot can be found on islands in the Bismarck Archipelago. It is present on most coastal and lowland areas of New Britain and New Ireland, as it tends to avoid the central highland areas. It can also be found throughout the Duke of York Islands, New Hanover Island, Manne Island, Selapiu Island, Tsoilaunung Island, Patio Island, and other surrounding smaller islands. It is found in lowland rainforest at altitudes of up to 500 meters, but prefers to live in areas less than 200 meters in elevation.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
It is quite shy and is usually hidden from plain sight. It tends to interact with other species of the Loriculus genus. It is usually found in small groups of 2 to 4 individual birds. Females usually lay a clutch of 3 to 4 eggs. Its diet consists of various wild fruits, flowers, buds, and it will sometimes consume small insect larva (for extra protein sustenance). It has an estimated wild population of approximately 15,000 to 30,000 birds.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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