Edwards's Fig-parrot
Encyclopedia
The Edwards's Fig Parrot (Psittaculirostris edwardsii), also known as the Scarlet-cheeked Fig Parrot, is a species of parrot
in the Psittacidae family. It is found in humid lowland forests in north-eastern New Guinea
. The adult male is predominantly green with red breast and cheeks, yellow ear converts and yellowish crown.
in 1885, and named in honour of French naturalist Alphonse Milne-Edwards
. It is one of three species in the genus Psittaculirostris
.
Calls include a high-pitched screett or zseet, and a short sharp ks, described as "coins dropping on concrete".
east to the Huon Gulf
. Common within its range, it is found in lowland forests and cleared areas.
s, fruit pigeons (Ptilinopus
), honeyeaters and starlings. They consume fruit including figs. Nesting takes place in small hollows high up in large trees, although little is known about this aspect of their behaviour.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
in the Psittacidae family. It is found in humid lowland forests in north-eastern New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. The adult male is predominantly green with red breast and cheeks, yellow ear converts and yellowish crown.
Taxonomy
Edwards's Fig Parrot was first described by French zoologist Émile OustaletÉmile Oustalet
Jean-Frédéric Émile Oustalet was a French zoologist.Oustalet was born at Montbéliard, in the department of Doubs. He studied at the Ecole des Hautes-Etudes and his first scientific work was on the respiratory organs of dragonfly larvae...
in 1885, and named in honour of French naturalist Alphonse Milne-Edwards
Alphonse Milne-Edwards
Alphonse Milne-Edwards was a French mammalologist, ornithologist and carcinologist. He was English in origin, the son of Henri Milne-Edwards and grandson of Bryan Edwards, a Jamaican planter who settled at Bruges .Milne-Edwards obtained a medical degree in 1859 and became assistant to his father...
. It is one of three species in the genus Psittaculirostris
Psittaculirostris
Psittaculirostris is a genus of parrot in the Psittacidae family found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.It contains the following species:* Large Fig Parrot * Edwards's Fig Parrot...
.
Description
A medium-sized parrot with a stocky build and short tail, it measures 18 cm (7.1 in) in length. The adult male has bright green wings, back and tail. The feathers of the cheeks and ear coverts are long and narrow, giving the face a ruffed appearance. The cheek feathers are red and the ear coverts golden-yellow. The throat and breast are red with a dark blue-black band on the upper breast. The bill is a dark grey-black and the eye (iris) red. The feet are dark grey. The adult female is similar but has a wider blue-black band on the otherwise green-yellow breast. Immature birds resemble the female.Calls include a high-pitched screett or zseet, and a short sharp ks, described as "coins dropping on concrete".
Distribution and habitat
The Edwards's Fig Parrot is restricted to northeastern New Guinea, where it is found from Yos Sudarso Bay and VanimoVanimo
Vanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. It is located on a peninsula close to the border with Indonesia.Vanimo is a small township with an economy based around the timber industry. Logging company Vanimo Forest Products, which is owned by Malaysian company Rimbunan Hijau, is...
east to the Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf is a large gulf in eastern Papua New Guinea, at . It is bordered by Huon Peninsula in the north. Both are named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. Huon Gulf is a part of the Solomon Sea. Lae, capital of the Morobe Province is located on the northern coast of the...
. Common within its range, it is found in lowland forests and cleared areas.
Behaviour
Birds are found in ones or twos, although groups of up to 35 individuals may gather at fruit trees. Their predominantly green plumage makes them hard to spot against foliage. They have been recorded feeding with Double-eyed Fig ParrotDouble-eyed Fig Parrot
The Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma, also known as the Blue-faced Fig Parrot, Red-faced Fig Parrot, Dwarf Fig Parrot, and the Two-eyed Fig Parrot, primarily inhabits forests on New Guinea and nearby islands, but is also found in isolated communities along the tropical Australian...
s, fruit pigeons (Ptilinopus
Fruit-dove
The fruit doves are a genus in the pigeon and dove family . These colourful, frugivorous doves are found in forests and woodlands in Southeast Asia and Oceania...
), honeyeaters and starlings. They consume fruit including figs. Nesting takes place in small hollows high up in large trees, although little is known about this aspect of their behaviour.
External links
- World Parrot Trust Parrot Encyclopedia - Species Profiles