Fiji Parrotfinch
Encyclopedia
The Fiji Parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch
endemic to Fiji
that was formerly considered to be a subspecies
of the Red-headed Parrotfinch
. This parrotfinch
is a small, mainly green bird with a red head and tail and a stubby dark grey bill
. It is found in both forested and open habitats, and has adapted well to man-made environments such as grasslands, pasture and gardens. This bird has a courtship display
in which a pair fly above the trees in an undulating flight, calling constantly. Breeding birds build a domed grass nest with a side entrance, and lay a clutch
normally of four white eggs. Newly hatched chicks are naked and pink, with blue balls at the upper and lower corners of the gape
, and black markings inside the mouth; older fledglings resemble the adults, but lack the red head colouring. The Fiji Parrotfinch eats seeds, especially of grasses, but also readily feeds on insects and nectar. It forms small flocks
of up to six birds after the breeding season.
Parrotfinches may be predated
by indigenous birds of prey
such as the endemic Fiji Goshawk
, or by introduced
mammals like the small Asian mongooses, rats and mice, and they may be susceptible to disease. Nevertheless, the Fiji species, despite being both uncommon and endemic to one island group, appears to be stable in numbers. It is therefore classified as Least Concern
on the IUCN Red List
, and it is protected under Fijian law.
es found in Southeast Asia and Australasia. They are small birds with short rounded wings and tails. Most species have green bodies, and all but one have the red tail that gives the genus its scientific name Erythrura, which is derived from the Ancient Greek
ερυθρός erythros, "red", and ουρά oura, "tail". The English name of Fijian Fire-tail Finch was used in early writings.
The Fiji Parrotfinch was initially described by American naturalist
and entomologist
Titian Peale
. As chief naturalist for the United States Exploring Expedition
of 1838–1842 led by Charles Wilkes
, Peale collected and preserved many specimens, including the Red-throated Parrotfinch
from Samoa
and the Fiji Parrotfinch from Vanua Levu
. Peale named the latter species as Geospiza prasina. Peale's birds were reviewed by German physician and ornithologist
Gustav Hartlaub
. Hartlaub moved the Fiji species to the genus Erythrura, and then had to change the specific name
, since another bird, the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
already had the binomial
E. prasina. He renamed the Fiji bird as E. pealii in honour of its finder. The Fijian common names kulakula and qiqikula are derived from "kula", red.
The Fiji Parrotfinch and the Royal Parrotfinch
of northern Vanuatu
are now again usually considered to be distinct species, but they were formerly frequently treated as subspecies of the Samoa
n Red-headed Parrotfinch, E. cyaneovirens.
is achieved at about 20 months. Some rare individuals of this parrotfinch have the entire head and face blue, apparently due to a natural mutation.
The flight of the Fiji Parrotfinch is fast and undulating with rapid wingbeats, and frequent calling. It tends to fly fairly high, landing in the tree tops, then descending to seek food. Its call is a high, thin seep or peep, similar to those of other parrotfinches such as Blue-faced
and Red-throated, and is often repeated in bursts of varying length. The song is a long whistled double note similar to, but less urgent, than that of the Orange-breasted Myzomela
, a Fijian endemic honeyeater
.
Fiji has another Erythrura species, the rare and endangered Pink-billed Parrotfinch
. This is a larger bird with a green head, blue crown and black face, and a very large pink bill. The Fiji Parrotfinch resembles the closely related Royal and Red-headed Parrotfinches, and the rare blue-headed variant is very like the Blue-faced Parrotfinch
, but these three species do not occur in Fiji.
, Vanua Levu
, Taveuni
and Kadavu) and also in the smaller western islands of the Mamanuca
and the Yasawa groups
. It is uncommon but widespread, found in both forested and open habitats, from sea level to at least 1,200 m (3,900 ft) on Viti Levu. It appears to be less common on Taveuni than the larger island. It has adapted well to man-made habitats, and is seen in grasslands, pasture, rice paddies, parks and gardens. Many parrotfinch species are mainly forest birds, but American ornithologist Jared Diamond
has suggested that in the central Pacific, where there are no seed-eating munias occupying the open habitats, species such as Vanuatu's Blue-faced Parrotfinch
and its Fijian relative have expanded into grassy areas of their islands to exploit the supply of seeds.
flight conducted above the trees. The pair fly on a strongly oscillating path with one bird ascending while the other is descending, both calling constantly. After display, the birds land on a branch for a mating ritual which starts with locking bills, followed by the female hanging upside-down for a variable period of time, and then copulation while the male holds the female's neck. The flight and mating rituals have been recorded for Three-coloured
and Red-throated Parrotfinch
es, and may be typical for the genus. The nest is built with fresh grass blades, and is domed with a side entrance. It is always hidden in thick foliage, but can be at any height from the ground. The normal clutch is four spherical whitish eggs. Chicks are naked and have pinkish skin; the distinctive gape
has blue nodular spots technically termed as papillae or tubercle
s at the upper and lower corners, and the yellow palate has a ring of five black spots. Most young estrildid finches beg for food with their wings held against the side, but juvenile parrotfinches lift the wing on the side away from the feeding parent. This behaviour may restrict competition for food from other nestlings.
When not breeding, the Fiji Parrotfinch is gregarious, and is usually found in small flocks of up to six birds. It feeds on seeds, usually at the "milk" (watery ripe) stage. A favourite is the Guinea grass, Megathyrsus maximus
. The finch will also take seed from from rice ears
, and its spread into gardens has been aided by another preferred food plant, carpet grass, Axonopus compressus
, which is a common lawn grass in Fiji. This finch readily takes insects, often extracted from under loose bark or tree crevices. It also feeds on nectar and small berries. In some areas, this finch's diet may bring it into conflict with rice growers, but there is no evidence that this protected species is seen as a serious agricultural threat either in Fiji, or in Australia, where it is kept in captivity in small numbers.
The common endemic Fiji Goshawk
is a specialist predator of small and medium-sized birds, and the Swamp Harrier
is also a widespread predator, often taking fledglings. The local subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon
, Falco peregrinus nesiotes will hunt finches, but is itself rare and declining. Barn Owl
s eat mainly rats, but sometimes take small birds. Rats and mice use Fiji Parrotfinch nests, and may be significant predators of the species, and the small Asian mongoose will prey on birds feeding on the ground. The Fan-tailed Cuckoo
, which has an endemic Fijian subspecies, is a brood parasite
, but the parrotfinch does not appear to be a host of this large cuckoo.
No specific parasites of Fiji Parrotfinch have been recorded, but microsporidiosis
and avian malaria
, both spread by parasites, have been found in captive populations of other parrotfinch species.
on the IUCN Red List
. It is protected under Schedule 2 of Fiji's Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002, which regulates the import and trade of species that are not thought to be at a high risk of extinction, but may be threatened if trade in those species is not regulated. In the early 1900s, Europeans in Fiji kept these finches as cagebirds, calling them croton finches because of their liking for the croton bush
, but the pet trade
appears not to be a significant factor at the present time.
Fiji's native birdlife has been badly affected by agriculture, deforestation and introduced pests like rats and mongoose
s. Although Important Bird Area
s have been established on Taveuni
and the forest east of Vanua Levu
, conservation problems persist. The Fiji Parrotfinch has adapted well to man-made landscapes; it is neither a ground nor hole nester, so it avoids predation from the mongoose and competition for nest sites with introduced Common
and Jungle Myna
s. However, introduced rodents are able to access the nests and may affect breeding productivity. The potential introduction of other species, such as snakes, or diseases like avian malaria could lead to major losses among bird species.
Estrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
endemic to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
that was formerly considered to be a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Red-headed Parrotfinch
Red-headed Parrotfinch
The Red-headed Parrotfinch Erythrura cyaneovirens is a common species of estrildid finch found in the Samoan Islands. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km²....
. This parrotfinch
Parrotfinch
Parrotfinches are small, colourful passerine birds belonging to the genus Erythrura in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finches. They occur from South-east Asia to New Guinea, northern Australia and many Pacific Islands. They inhabit forest, bamboo thickets and grassland and some can be found...
is a small, mainly green bird with a red head and tail and a stubby dark grey bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
. It is found in both forested and open habitats, and has adapted well to man-made environments such as grasslands, pasture and gardens. This bird has a courtship display
Courtship display
Courtship display is a special, sometimes ritualised, set of behaviours which some animals perform as part of courtship. Courtship behaviours can include special calls, postures, and movements, and may involve special plumage, bright colours or other ornamentation. A good example is the 'dancing'...
in which a pair fly above the trees in an undulating flight, calling constantly. Breeding birds build a domed grass nest with a side entrance, and lay a clutch
Clutch (eggs)
A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
normally of four white eggs. Newly hatched chicks are naked and pink, with blue balls at the upper and lower corners of the gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
, and black markings inside the mouth; older fledglings resemble the adults, but lack the red head colouring. The Fiji Parrotfinch eats seeds, especially of grasses, but also readily feeds on insects and nectar. It forms small flocks
Flock (birds)
A flock is a group of birds conducting flocking behavior in flight, or while foraging. The term is akin to the herd amongst mammals. The benefits of aggregating in flocks are varied and flocks will form explicitly for specific purposes...
of up to six birds after the breeding season.
Parrotfinches may be predated
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
by indigenous birds of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
such as the endemic Fiji Goshawk
Fiji Goshawk
The Fiji Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It was once considered to be the same species as the Brown Goshawk of Australia and New Caledonia. It is endemic to Fiji, where it occurs on the larger islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Gau and Ovalau...
, or by introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
mammals like the small Asian mongooses, rats and mice, and they may be susceptible to disease. Nevertheless, the Fiji species, despite being both uncommon and endemic to one island group, appears to be stable in numbers. It is therefore classified as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, and it is protected under Fijian law.
Taxonomy
The parrotfinches are a genus of estrildid finchEstrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
es found in Southeast Asia and Australasia. They are small birds with short rounded wings and tails. Most species have green bodies, and all but one have the red tail that gives the genus its scientific name Erythrura, which is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
ερυθρός erythros, "red", and ουρά oura, "tail". The English name of Fijian Fire-tail Finch was used in early writings.
The Fiji Parrotfinch was initially described by American naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
Titian Peale
Titian Peale
Titian Ramsay Peale was a noted American artist, naturalist, entomologist and photographer. He was the sixteenth child and youngest son of noted American naturalist Charles Willson Peale.-Biography:...
. As chief naturalist for the United States Exploring Expedition
United States Exploring Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...
of 1838–1842 led by Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
, Peale collected and preserved many specimens, including the Red-throated Parrotfinch
Red-throated Parrotfinch
The Red-throated Parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea, is a species of estrildid finch found in New Caledonia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km²....
from Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and the Fiji Parrotfinch from Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
. Peale named the latter species as Geospiza prasina. Peale's birds were reviewed by German physician and ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
Gustav Hartlaub
Gustav Hartlaub
Karel Johan Gustav Hartlaub was a German physician and ornithologist.Hartlaub was born in Bremen, and studied at Bonn and Berlin before graduating in medicine at Göttingen. In 1840, he began to study and collect exotic birds, which he donated to the Bremen Natural History Museum. He described some...
. Hartlaub moved the Fiji species to the genus Erythrura, and then had to change the specific name
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, since another bird, the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
The Pin-tailed Parrotfinch is a common species of estrildid finch found in Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand...
already had the binomial
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
E. prasina. He renamed the Fiji bird as E. pealii in honour of its finder. The Fijian common names kulakula and qiqikula are derived from "kula", red.
The Fiji Parrotfinch and the Royal Parrotfinch
Royal Parrotfinch
The Royal Parrotfinch Erythrura regia is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Vanuatu. It is found commonly at mid-altitudes on the larger islands such as Espiritu Santo, above 300 m. But it also can be found at sea-level small islands in fruiting figs in forest edge in Emae and Tongoa...
of northern Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
are now again usually considered to be distinct species, but they were formerly frequently treated as subspecies of the Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n Red-headed Parrotfinch, E. cyaneovirens.
Description
The Fiji Parrotfinch is a small finch, 10 cm (4 in) in length. The adult male has a bright green body and wings, red head, and scarlet rump and tail. The blackish feathering of the chin becomes dark blue on the lower throat and turquoise on the upper breast before fading into the green of the underparts. The stubby bill is blackish-grey, the eyes are reddish-brown and the legs and feet are pinkish-brown. The female is very similar to the male, but possibly slightly duller and with paler flanks. Young birds have a dark-tipped yellow bill and a bluish face which gradually turns red, but the rest of the plumage is like the adult. Full mature plumagePlumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is achieved at about 20 months. Some rare individuals of this parrotfinch have the entire head and face blue, apparently due to a natural mutation.
The flight of the Fiji Parrotfinch is fast and undulating with rapid wingbeats, and frequent calling. It tends to fly fairly high, landing in the tree tops, then descending to seek food. Its call is a high, thin seep or peep, similar to those of other parrotfinches such as Blue-faced
Blue-faced Parrotfinch
The Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France , New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu...
and Red-throated, and is often repeated in bursts of varying length. The song is a long whistled double note similar to, but less urgent, than that of the Orange-breasted Myzomela
Orange-breasted Myzomela
The Sulphur-breasted Myzomela , also known as the Orange-breasted Myzomela or Orange-breasted Honeyeater, is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.-Description:...
, a Fijian endemic honeyeater
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
.
Fiji has another Erythrura species, the rare and endangered Pink-billed Parrotfinch
Pink-billed Parrotfinch
The Pink-billed Parrotfinch is a species of estrildid finch found in island of Viti Levu, Fiji. Commonly found at undisturbed mature forest in the centre and east of Viti Levu, e.g. Joske's Thumb near Suva...
. This is a larger bird with a green head, blue crown and black face, and a very large pink bill. The Fiji Parrotfinch resembles the closely related Royal and Red-headed Parrotfinches, and the rare blue-headed variant is very like the Blue-faced Parrotfinch
Blue-faced Parrotfinch
The Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France , New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu...
, but these three species do not occur in Fiji.
Distribution and habitat
The Fiji Parrotfinch is endemic to Fiji, where it is found on the four largest islands (Viti LevuViti Levu
Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.- Geography and economy :...
, Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, Taveuni
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
and Kadavu) and also in the smaller western islands of the Mamanuca
Mamanuca Islands
The Mamanuca Islands of Fiji are a volcanic archipelago lying to the west of Nadi and to the south of the Yasawa Islands. The group, a popular tourist destination, consists of about 20 islands, but about seven of these are covered by the Pacific Ocean at high tide.Malololailai is the centre of the...
and the Yasawa groups
Yasawa Islands
The Yasawa Group is an archipelago of about 20 volcanic islands in the Western Division of Fiji, with an approximate total area of 135 square kilometers.- Geography :The Yasawa volcanic group consists of six main islands and numerous smaller islets...
. It is uncommon but widespread, found in both forested and open habitats, from sea level to at least 1,200 m (3,900 ft) on Viti Levu. It appears to be less common on Taveuni than the larger island. It has adapted well to man-made habitats, and is seen in grasslands, pasture, rice paddies, parks and gardens. Many parrotfinch species are mainly forest birds, but American ornithologist Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
Jared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and author whose work draws from a variety of fields. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA...
has suggested that in the central Pacific, where there are no seed-eating munias occupying the open habitats, species such as Vanuatu's Blue-faced Parrotfinch
Blue-faced Parrotfinch
The Blue-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura trichroa is a locally common species of estrildid finch found in north-eastern Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Federated States of Micronesia, France , New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands & Vanuatu...
and its Fijian relative have expanded into grassy areas of their islands to exploit the supply of seeds.
Behaviour
This species has a courtshipCourtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
flight conducted above the trees. The pair fly on a strongly oscillating path with one bird ascending while the other is descending, both calling constantly. After display, the birds land on a branch for a mating ritual which starts with locking bills, followed by the female hanging upside-down for a variable period of time, and then copulation while the male holds the female's neck. The flight and mating rituals have been recorded for Three-coloured
Tricolored Parrotfinch
The Tricoloured Parrotfinch Erythrura tricolor is a species of estrildid finch found in Indonesia and East Timor. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km².It is found in subtropical/ tropical dry forest and dry savanna...
and Red-throated Parrotfinch
Red-throated Parrotfinch
The Red-throated Parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea, is a species of estrildid finch found in New Caledonia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km²....
es, and may be typical for the genus. The nest is built with fresh grass blades, and is domed with a side entrance. It is always hidden in thick foliage, but can be at any height from the ground. The normal clutch is four spherical whitish eggs. Chicks are naked and have pinkish skin; the distinctive gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
has blue nodular spots technically termed as papillae or tubercle
Tubercle
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, but it has slightly different meaning depending on which family of plants or animals it is used to refer to....
s at the upper and lower corners, and the yellow palate has a ring of five black spots. Most young estrildid finches beg for food with their wings held against the side, but juvenile parrotfinches lift the wing on the side away from the feeding parent. This behaviour may restrict competition for food from other nestlings.
When not breeding, the Fiji Parrotfinch is gregarious, and is usually found in small flocks of up to six birds. It feeds on seeds, usually at the "milk" (watery ripe) stage. A favourite is the Guinea grass, Megathyrsus maximus
Megathyrsus maximus
Megathyrsus maximus, known as Guinea Grass or Green Panic Grass in English, is a large perennial bunch grass that is native to Africa Palestine, and Yemen. It has been introduced in the tropics around the world. Due to its wide distribution, it has common names in a large number of languages and...
. The finch will also take seed from from rice ears
Ear (botany)
An ear is the grain-bearing tip part of the stem of a cereal plant, such as wheat or maize. It can also refer to "a prominent lobe in some leaves".The ear is a spike, consisting of a central stem on which grows tightly packed rows of flowers...
, and its spread into gardens has been aided by another preferred food plant, carpet grass, Axonopus compressus
Axonopus compressus
Axonopus compressus Axonopus compressus Axonopus compressus (Blanket grass, Broadleaf carpet grass, Lawn grass, Louisiana grass, Tropical carpet grass; syn. Axonopus compressus (Sw.) P.Beauv. var. australis G.A.Black, Milium compressum Sw., Paspalum compressum (Sw.) Nees, Paspalum platycaule Willd...
, which is a common lawn grass in Fiji. This finch readily takes insects, often extracted from under loose bark or tree crevices. It also feeds on nectar and small berries. In some areas, this finch's diet may bring it into conflict with rice growers, but there is no evidence that this protected species is seen as a serious agricultural threat either in Fiji, or in Australia, where it is kept in captivity in small numbers.
Predators and parasites
Fiji Goshawk
The Fiji Goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It was once considered to be the same species as the Brown Goshawk of Australia and New Caledonia. It is endemic to Fiji, where it occurs on the larger islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Kadavu, Gau and Ovalau...
is a specialist predator of small and medium-sized birds, and the Swamp Harrier
Swamp Harrier
The Swamp Harrier also known as the Marsh Harrier, Australasian Harrier, Kāhu, Swamp-hawk or New Zealand Hawk is a large, slim bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.-Description:...
is also a widespread predator, often taking fledglings. The local subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
, Falco peregrinus nesiotes will hunt finches, but is itself rare and declining. Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s eat mainly rats, but sometimes take small birds. Rats and mice use Fiji Parrotfinch nests, and may be significant predators of the species, and the small Asian mongoose will prey on birds feeding on the ground. The Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
The Fan-tailed Cuckoo is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.It is found in Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.-Habitat:...
, which has an endemic Fijian subspecies, is a brood parasite
Brood parasite
Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood parasitism, a kind of kleptoparasitism found among birds, fish or insects, involving the manipulation and use of host individuals either of the same or different species to raise the young of the brood-parasite...
, but the parrotfinch does not appear to be a host of this large cuckoo.
No specific parasites of Fiji Parrotfinch have been recorded, but microsporidiosis
Microsporidiosis
Microspridiosis is an opportunistic intestinal infection that causes diarrhea and wasting in immunocompromised individuals . It results from different species of microsporidia, a group of microbial fungi....
and avian malaria
Avian malaria
Avian malaria is a parasitic disease of birds.-Etiology:Avian malaria is most notably caused by Plasmodium relictum, a protist that infects birds in tropical regions...
, both spread by parasites, have been found in captive populations of other parrotfinch species.
Status
The Fijian Parrotfinch is endemic to a single country; although its population is unknown, it is described as uncommon or locally common. In the absence of evidence for any decline in numbers, its population is believed to be stable, and it is therefore classed as Least ConcernLeast Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. It is protected under Schedule 2 of Fiji's Endangered and Protected Species Act 2002, which regulates the import and trade of species that are not thought to be at a high risk of extinction, but may be threatened if trade in those species is not regulated. In the early 1900s, Europeans in Fiji kept these finches as cagebirds, calling them croton finches because of their liking for the croton bush
Codiaeum variegatum
Codiaeum variegatum is a species of plant in the genus Codiaeum, which is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae. It native to southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the western Pacific Ocean islands, growing in open forests and scrub...
, but the pet trade
Wildlife trade
The international wildlife trade is a serious conservation problem, addressed by the United Nations' Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES, which currently has 175 member countries called Parties. The 15th meeting of the Parties took place in Doha,...
appears not to be a significant factor at the present time.
Fiji's native birdlife has been badly affected by agriculture, deforestation and introduced pests like rats and mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
s. Although Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
s have been established on Taveuni
Taveuni
Taveuni is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with a total land area of 435 square kilometers . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the...
and the forest east of Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, conservation problems persist. The Fiji Parrotfinch has adapted well to man-made landscapes; it is neither a ground nor hole nester, so it avoids predation from the mongoose and competition for nest sites with introduced Common
Common Myna
The Common Myna or Indian Myna also sometimes spelled Mynah, is a member of family Sturnidae native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments...
and Jungle Myna
Jungle Myna
The Jungle Myna, Acridotheres fuscus, is a myna, a member of the starling family.- Range :This bird is a common resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Burma east to Indonesia.- Habitat :...
s. However, introduced rodents are able to access the nests and may affect breeding productivity. The potential introduction of other species, such as snakes, or diseases like avian malaria could lead to major losses among bird species.