Blue-fronted Lorikeet
Charmosynopsis toxopei
A small, bright green parrot with a short pointed tail, confined to the island of Buru. Note the orange bill and legs and the subtle blue patch on the rear crown, which is brighter in males. In flight, also note the yellow bar in the wings and yellow undertail. Juveniles are darker versions of adults. Pairs or small groups inhabit forested hills. Extremely high-pitched screeches are reported as the voice of this little-known species.
Taxonomy
This species was formerly placed in the genus Charmosyna. It was moved to the resurrected genus Charmosynopsis based on a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2020.
- Scientific name
- Charmosynopsis toxopei
- Authority
- (Siebers, 1930)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Charmosynopsis
Range and habitat
Toxopeus noted that the bird's habitat on Buru is likely restricted to the western part of the Rana plateau in the center of the island (settlements of Wa Temun, Wa Fehat and Nal Besi), as the local name of the bird, utu papua, was not known anywhere else on the island. Two indigenous hunters caught blue-fronted lorikeets for food north-west from the Rana lake, but the bird was not found in the mangroves of the Kayeli Bay at the eastern part of Buru. The locals living at the Rana plateau reported that the bird feeds on nectar and pollen of the flowering trees. Toxopeus found the bird at elevations of 840–1,000 m (2,760–3,280 ft). Four blue-fronted lorikeets were observed in the 1980s, in very different areas at the north-western (Bara settlement) and southern coasts of Buru, at a coconut plantation and in a disturbed lowland forest between the coastal farming fields and the base of the nearby hills. Flocks of several birds were found in another area at elevation of 600 meters (2,000 ft). In November 2014, it was rediscovered and the first photographs were published by birders from BirdQuest in the internet. The analysis of all observations suggested that the blue-fronted lorikeet preferably inhabits forests at the altitude of several hundred meters.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The blue-fronted lorikeets usually live in pairs, but may form groups up to 10 individuals. They grow to about 16 cm (6.3 in). The voice was described by Toxopeus as a ti–ti–ti–ti–tititi shrill, but might be related not to the blue-fronted lorikeet, but to the red-flanked lorikeet (Charmosyna placentis) which was later observed in the same area. In nature the blue-fronted lorikeets feed on flowering trees of the family Myrtaceae, and in captivity they consumed bananas and milk.
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Flame-colored Tanager
Piranga bidentata
Fairly common in oak and pine-evergreen forests in foothills and highlands; a few descend in winter to lowlands of west Mexico. Forages mainly at middle to upper levels where often quiet and overlooked easily. Note the bold white wingbars, big white tertial and tail spots, and dark streaks on back. Male flame-orange in west Mexico and deeper orange-red in east Mexico and Central America. Female told from female Western Tanager by gray bill, bolder white wing markings, and streaked back. Calls and song very like Western Tanager.
Tepui Brushfinch
Atlapetes personatus
Large, colorful sparrow of tepui highland forests. Geographically variable but always shows rufous head, olive-gray upperparts, and yellow breast and belly: a combination that renders it unmistakable in its limited range. Found in understory of humid forests in the tepui region, generally above 800 m. Single birds, pairs, or small family groups stay in dense cover and rummage through leaf litter or over mossy substrates, looking for seeds and insects. May emerge from cover to forage on mossy limbs up to several meters high. Often observed with mixed-species flocks. Quite vocal and will sometimes approach to scold observers; calls include a dry chip and various indistinct contact notes, whereas song is a short, arresting series of whistled notes.
Elegant Pitta
Pitta elegans
A typical pitta: plump, short-tailed, long-legged, and primarily terrestrial (sometimes perches up to call). Bright green above with electric blue shoulder patch and rump and black head with conspicuous pale brow. Underside golden-buff with black and bright red on the belly. Plumage varies geographically, with forms varying in eyebrow, throat color (white or black), and extent of red and black on belly. Juvenile duller, with little blue in wing, an orange-tipped bill, and a pinkish belly. Inhabits woodland, forest, scrub, and plantations in lowlands and hills; some populations migratory. Sometimes arboreal when calling. Voice varies throughout range; generally a variation on “wit-wit-deer” or “werwer-dew!”
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