Pesquet's Parrot
Psittrichas fulgidus
A large, primitive parrot of lower-montane, foothill and nearby lowland primary forest. Unparrotlike, long, pointy head. Black colour with pale brown edges to the chest feathers. Bright red belly, rump and wing feathers, showing as broad red bars across the wing in flight. Appears nomadic according to fruiting of fig trees and flies in pairs or small groups with a distinctive flight. Palm Cockatoo is a similar size, but lacks the Pesquet’s red in the wing. A raucous and rasping call.
Identification
Pesquet's parrot is a large parrot with a total length of approximately 46 cm (18 in) and a weight of 680–800 g (24–28 oz). Its plumage is black, with greyish scaling to the chest, and a red belly, uppertail coverts and wing-panels. The adult male has a red spot behind the eye, which is not seen in the adult female. Compared to most other parrots it appears unusually small-headed, in part due to the bare black facial skin and the relatively long, hooked bill, an adaptation for its fruit-based diet. This rather vulture-like profile is the reason behind its alternative common name.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Psittrichas fulgidus
- Authority
- (Lesson, RP, 1830)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Psittrichas
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Pesquet's parrot is a highly specialised frugivore, feeding almost exclusively on a few species of figs. Flowers and nectar have also been reported. In parts of its range, it is seasonally nomadic in response to the availability of fruits. The bare part of the head is presumably an adaptation to avoid feather-matting from sticky fruits.<p>Little is known about its breeding habits in the wild. Typically it lays two eggs in a nest in a large, hollow tree.<p>It is typically seen in pairs or groups up to 20 individuals. In flight, it alternates between rapid flapping and short glides.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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