Wallace's Hanging-Parrot

Loriculus flosculus

A tiny, short-tailed bright green parrot with a gaudy red rump. Male shows a red throat patch that is absent in females. Inhabits foothills forests, where singles and pairs frequent the canopy. Inhabits a limited range on the island of Flores, where no other miniature stump-tailed parrots occur. Gives extremely high-pitched, repeated “tseet” notes that can also be jumbled together into a rapid twittering phrase.

Identification

Wallace's hanging parrot (Loriculus flosculus) also known as the Flores hanging parrot, is a small (length: 11–12 cm) parrot endemic to the island of Flores. This is an arboreal parrot. The male is predominantly green, with a red bill, a red spot on the throat, orange legs and dark red nape, bright red rump and uppertail-coverts. The female has the red on the throat reduced or absent. This parrot qualifies as Endangered as it has a very small range and population. The main threat is habitat destruction. The current population is estimated at between 2,500 and 10,000. It is named after Alfred Russel Wallace, a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, and biologist.

Taxonomy

Genus: Loriculus; Family: Psittaculidae; Order: Psittaciformes.

Scientific name
Loriculus flosculus
Authority
Wallace, 1864
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Loriculus

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Behavior

Migration pattern: Resident species.

Conservation

Population trend: declining.

Population trend
declining

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Seychelles Scops-Owl

Seychelles Scops-Owl

Otus insularis

Small compact owl with very small ear tufts that are often invisible. Buff on the underparts and rufous-brown on the back. Found in remnant rainforest and secondary forest on the island of Mahe, in the Seychelles. The odd vocalization is a low, raspy “grrrrr” that is given at a rate of about one note every two seconds, sometimes for several minutes at a stretch. The sound could easily be dismissed as a frog. Visually the species is easily identified, as the only other owl on Mahe is the much larger Barn Owl. 

White-collared Kite

White-collared Kite

Leptodon forbesi

Rather large raptor, mostly black above and white below. Note the mostly white tail with a broad dark band, and the black-and-white bars on the flight feathers. A range-restricted species of the northeast Atlantic forest. Often attracts attention by its call, a series of repetitive “kua-kua-kua-kua” notes given in a spectacular display flight. Adults of the similar Gray-headed Kite have a gray throat, dark gray back of neck, barred black-and-white underwing, and two dark bars on the tail. Immatures have a different underwing and tail pattern.

Chestnut-backed Thrush

Chestnut-backed Thrush

Geokichla dohertyi

A striking thrush with a black-and-white head pattern, a chestnut back, prominent white wing markings, a black chest, large black splotching down the flanks, and a white belly. Juveniles show chestnut spots above, black-spotted buffy underparts, and buff wingbars. Found in forests in the lowlands and foothills, foraging singly on the ground. Restricted to the Lesser Sundas. Separated from Chestnut-capped Thrush by chestnut back, black cap, and small white throat. Song consists of rich cadences, typical of thrushes. Call is a quiet, thin rasping note.

Start Your Bird Watching Journey

Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.