Lesser Vasa Parrot
Coracopsis nigra
Fairly large, black parrot that is found in and around all types of forest. Often seen in flight, sometimes in small, loose flocks. Incredibly loud calls consist mainly of musical whistles. Can be very hard to separate from Greater Vasa Parrot, but smaller and smaller-billed, with a curving edge to the skin at the back of the bill. Vocalizations are higher-pitched and more musical than those of Greater Vasa Parrot. Can easily be mistaken for a raptor in flight, but has all-black plumage unlike any raptor in range.
分类信息
In 1743 the English naturalist George Edwards included a picture and a description of the lesser vasa parrot in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "Black Parrot from Madagascar". His drawing was made from a live bird owned by the Duke of Richmond. When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the lesser vasa parrot with all the other parrots in the genus Psittacus. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Psittacus niger and cited Edwards's work. The specific epithet niger is Latin meaning "black". The lesser vasa parrot is now placed in the genus Coracopsis that was introduced in 1832 by the German ornithologist Johann Georg Wagler.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:<p>The Seychelles black parrot (C. barklyi) and Comoros black parrot (C. sibilans) were formerly considered subspecies, but were later split as distinct species.<p>A 2011 genetic study found the Mascarene parrot from Réunion to be nested among the subspecies of the lesser vasa parrot from Madagascar and nearby islands, and therefore not related to the Psittacula parrots. It also found that the Mascarene parrot line diverged 4.6 to 9 million years ago, prior to the formation of Réunion, indicating this must have happened elsewhere. The cladogram accompanying the study is shown below:<p>Another group of scientists later acknowledged the finding, but pointed out that the sample might have been damaged, and that further testing was needed before the issue could be fully resolved. They also noted that if Mascarinus was confirmed to be embedded within the genus Coracopsis, the latter would become a junior synonym, since the former name is older. Hume has expressed surprise by these findings, due to the anatomical similarities between the Mascarene parrot and other parrots from the islands that are believed to be psittaculines. However, a later study found that the placement of Mascarinus within Coracopsis was likely a result of cross-contamination of genetic material from the lesser vasa parrot during the study, debunking this placement, and supporting them as being two distinct, unrelated genera within different subfamilies.
- 学名
- Coracopsis nigra
- 命名信息
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- 目
- Psittaciformes
- 科
- Psittaculidae
- 属
- Coracopsis
分布与栖息地
- 迁徙
- Resident species
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Socotra Bunting
Emberiza socotrana
Brownish bunting with boldly striped black-and-white head, bright chestnut wings and buffy wash on the breast that fades towards the vent. Endemic to Socotra, where it prefers rocky areas in shrubland and grassland. Typically encountered hopping on the ground searching for food. Pairs breed between 600–1200m, but move to the coastal plain after breeding, where they form small flocks. Song is typically a series of three or four short strident notes, “tseet-tee-too” or “steet-tsoo-steet-tsoo.”
Zanzibar Boubou
Laniarius sublacteus
A heavily built black-and-white bushshrike. The upperparts are cleanly black and the underparts are white with a pinkish tinge. Uses habitats with a dense understory, including riparian thickets, coastal scrub, forest, and gardens. Found in pairs, which usually skulk but sometimes hop about in the open. Similar to Tropical Boubou, but barely overlaps in range and lacks a white shoulder patch. Also similar to the smaller Black-backed Puffback, but separated by the lack of white on the upperparts. Has a diverse range of vocalizations, including a hollow rising whistle, up-and-down “laser gun” notes, rasps, and croaks, often delivered in a duet by a pair.
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cetti
Dumpy and broad-tailed warbler, warm brown above and pale grayish below, with a narrow eyebrow. Can be quite inconspicuous in dense vegetation. On breeding grounds, favors tangled vegetation near water, including reedy marshes with bushes and scrub. Often heard but rarely seen. Explosive, rich staccato song often draws attention: oftentimes, a bird sings once from cover, then moves to another concealed spot and sings once again, not the persistent singing from a single perch that typifies many warblers. Winters in a range of habitats with dense vegetation, including drier areas. Calls include a sharp “pik!”, a lower “chup”, and a dry rattle comparable to that of a sparrow.
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