Horned Parakeet
Eunymphicus cornutus
Spectacular, relatively large mostly green parakeet with blue on the tail and wings, black face, red crown, and thin but prominent “horns” consisting of a crest made up of a pair of black feathers. Found in remnant patches of high-quality forest. Larger than other parrot species on New Caledonia, with a distinctive voice: relatively low-pitched, nasal notes that sound more like some calls of New Caledonian Friarbird than a parakeet.
Identification
Adult birds usually measure approximately 32 cm (or about 14 inches) in length, including the tail. Like many parrots, the horned parakeet is primarily green in color. This parrot has a yellowish nape with a black and red face and bluish wings and tail. Its most striking feature is a two-feather black crest, with the crest feathers tipped in red.<p>It makes a nasal "kho-khoot" contact call, and also makes a wide range of shrieks and chuckles.
Taxonomy
The horned parakeet was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus Psittacus and coined the binomial name Psittacus cornutus. Gmelin based his description on the "horned parrot" that had been described and illustrated in 1781 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham's specimen had been obtained from New Caledonia during Captain James Cook's first voyage to the south Pacific Ocean. The specimen formed part of the collection of Joseph Banks. The horned parakeet is now placed with the Ouvea parakeet in the genus Eunymphicus that was introduced in 1937 by the American ornithologist James L. Peters. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek eu meaning "true" and the genus name Nymphicus that had been introduce in 1832 by Johann Georg Wagler for the cockatiel. The specific epithet cornutus is Latin meaning "horned".<p>In 1998, it was found through DNA studies that Eunymphicus cornutus, the horned parakeet, and Eunymphicus uvaeensis, the Ouvea parakeet, were two separate species.
- Scientific name
- Eunymphicus cornutus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Eunymphicus
Range and habitat
The horned parakeet is endemic to New Caledonia. It preferentially selects rainforest and laurel forest habitat, but will accept scrublands or savannah. It lives in humid pine forests on New Caledonia, especially when Agathis and Araucaria pines are present.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Large Lifou White-eye
Zosterops inornatus
A bizarre, large and heavy-billed white-eye that is notably distinctive among a group of birds famed for being homogeneous. Note gray plumage overall contrasting with olive head and wings. Unusually shy for a white-eye, typically found skulking low in dense growth. Only potential confusion species on Lifou is the resident subspecies of Silverye, which is smaller with a smaller bill, brighter plumage, and contrasting black in the face. Best found via its relatively low-pitched, pleasant song made up of mellow whistled notes.
Chestnut-belted Gnateater
Conopophaga aurita
Plump, short-tailed bird of Amazonian rainforest. Both sexes have a chestnut breast. Male has a black face and throat and a bright white tuft behind the eye. Female lacks black in her plumage, and instead of a tuft she has a pale line through her face. Female is similar to female Ash-throated Gnateater but has plain, unmarked wings. Birds in central Brazil south of the Amazon are now considered a separate species, Black-breasted Gnateater; male Chestnut-belted has less black extending only to upper breast; female looks almost identical. Usually seen on a low perch in the understory and may resemble a small antpitta. Vocalizations include a rattling, metallic trill and a short, soft “chuff”.
Papuan King-Parrot
Alisterus chloropterus
A brightly-colored, long-tailed parrot of forest and clearings from the foothills to the mid-mountains. Males have a red head and underparts, blue rump and back of the neck, dark wings and a pale green shoulder bar. Females in the east have green head and upperparts with a red belly. In the west they more resemble the male. Similar to Moluccan King-Parrot but where the ranges meet, but Papuan King-Parrot has a pale green shoulder bar. Call, a series of clear, high, piping notes given at slightly different pitches.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.