Parrotfinch
Encyclopedia
Parrotfinches are small, colourful passerine
bird
s belonging to the genus
Erythrura in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finch
es. 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 in man-made habitats such as farmland, parks and gardens. Several species are commonly kept as cagebirds
.
They are 9 to 15 cm long. The plumage
is usually mainly green. Most species have blue or red markings on the head and a red rump and tail. The tail is pointed and often fairly long.
Seed
s, especially those of grass
es, comprise the bulk of the diet. Some parrotfinches also feed on fruit
and small insect
s. Many species forage in flocks, keeping in contact with high-pitched calls.
Three species, the Green-faced
, Royal
and Pink-billed Parrotfinch
es, are classed as vulnerable
to extinction because of habitat loss and degradation.
(Chloebia gouldiae or Erythrura gouldiae) is also often included in this genus.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s belonging to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Erythrura in the family Estrildidae, the estrildid finch
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....
es. They occur from South-east Asia to 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...
, northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and many Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
. They inhabit forest, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
thickets and grassland and some can be found in man-made habitats such as farmland, parks and gardens. Several species are commonly kept as cagebirds
Aviculture
Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds and the culture that forms around it. Aviculture is generally focused on not only the raising and breeding of birds, but also on preserving avian habitat, and public awareness campaigns....
.
They are 9 to 15 cm long. The plumage
Plumage
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 usually mainly green. Most species have blue or red markings on the head and a red rump and tail. The tail is pointed and often fairly long.
Seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, especially those of grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es, comprise the bulk of the diet. Some parrotfinches also feed on fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. Many species forage in flocks, keeping in contact with high-pitched calls.
Three species, the Green-faced
Green-faced Parrotfinch
The Green-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura viridifacies is a species of estrildid finch found in northern Philippines, around Luzon, Negros and Panay.-Identification:...
, Royal
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...
and 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...
es, are classed as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
to extinction because of habitat loss and degradation.
Species list
There are 10-12 species of parrotfinch. The Gouldian FinchGouldian Finch
The Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae , also known as the Lady Gouldian Finch, Gould's Finch or the Rainbow Finch, is a colorful passerine bird endemic to Australia. There is strong evidence of a continuing decline, even at the best-known site near Katherine in the Northern Territory...
(Chloebia gouldiae or Erythrura gouldiae) is also often included in this genus.
- Tawny-breasted ParrotfinchTawny-breasted ParrotfinchThe Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch, Erythrura hyperythra, is a common species of estrildid finch found in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000 - 10,000,000 km²....
or Green-tailed Parrotfinch, Erythrura hyperythra - Pin-tailed ParrotfinchPin-tailed ParrotfinchThe Pin-tailed Parrotfinch is a common species of estrildid finch found in Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand...
, Erythrura prasina - Green-faced ParrotfinchGreen-faced ParrotfinchThe Green-faced Parrotfinch Erythrura viridifacies is a species of estrildid finch found in northern Philippines, around Luzon, Negros and Panay.-Identification:...
, Erythrura viridifacies - Tricolored ParrotfinchTricolored ParrotfinchThe 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...
or Three-coloured Parrotfinch, Erythrura tricolor - Blue-faced ParrotfinchBlue-faced ParrotfinchThe 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...
, Erythrura trichroa - Red-eared ParrotfinchRed-eared ParrotfinchThe Red-eared Parrotfinch Erythrura coloria is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Mindanao in the Philippines.-Habitats:The species inhabits forest understorey and edge, second growth and grassy clearings at altitude over 1,000 m...
or Mount Katanglad Parrotfinch, Erythrura coloria - Papuan ParrotfinchPapuan ParrotfinchThe Papuan Parrotfinch Erythrura papuana is a common species of estrildid finch found in Indonesia's Papua province and Papua New Guinea. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 50,000 to 100,000 km²....
, Erythrura papuana - Red-throated ParrotfinchRed-throated ParrotfinchThe 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....
, Erythrura psittacea - Red-headed ParrotfinchRed-headed ParrotfinchThe 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....
, Erythrura cyaneovirens- Fiji ParrotfinchFiji ParrotfinchThe 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...
, Erythrura (cyaneovirens) pealii - Royal ParrotfinchRoyal ParrotfinchThe 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...
, Erythrura (cyaneovirens) regia
- Fiji Parrotfinch
- Pink-billed ParrotfinchPink-billed ParrotfinchThe 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...
, Erythrura kleinschmidti