Pygmy Parrots
The pygmy parrots of the subfamily Micropsittinae all belong to the genus Micropsitta. They are native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and nearby islands.They are the smallest members of the parrot family.
Pygmy parrots have never been successfully kept in captivity. All attempts to do so have resulted in the quick deaths of these little parrots. It is assumed that stress and dietary deficiencies are to blame. Little is known about their precise dietary needs.
The six major sub-species are Yellow-capped, Buff-faced, Finsch's, Geelvink and the Meek's Pygmy Parrots. Oher sub-species are listed below.
Pygmy parrots are tiny birds: fast-moving, mostly green with bright highlights. At a little over 3" (8 cm) in length, the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot is considerably smaller than a silvereye or a kinglet. They are fast-moving, mostly green with bright highlights. They spend a good deal of time climbing through foliage, using their oversized feet, beaks, and stiffened tail feathers.
Their natural diet is said to consist of lichens, insects, fungi and mosses, but not much is known about their lifestyles.
Sub-species:
Beccari's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio beccarii ... English: Beccari's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Beccaris Spechtpapegaai ... German: Beccaris Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Beccari
Distribution: Northern and Western New Guinea, Manam, Karkar and Rook Island
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.) ... Cornell University - beautiful painting
Biak Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta geelvinkiana misorienses ... English: Biak Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Biak Spechtpapegaai ... German: Biak Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile Biak
Distribution: Biak Island, the largest of the Schouten Islands, off the northern coast of West Papua (the Indonesian part of New Guinea) at the entrance to Cenderawasih (Geelvink) Bay (part of Maluku Islands)
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Bougainville Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii nanina ... English: Bougainville Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bougainville Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bougainville Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée Nanina
Distribution: Bougainville, Choiseul, Ysabel and Bugotu in the Solomon Islands
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Bruijn's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii bruijnii ... English: Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, Bruijn's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bruijns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bruijns Spechtpapagei, Rotkopf Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à gorge rouge
Distribution: Mountains of New Guinea, Vogelkop, Western New Guinea, Papua
Buffed-faced or Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots:
The Buff-faced Pygmy-parrot (Micropsitta pusio) is probably the smallest parrot of all - averaging about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) in length and weighing around 11.5 g (0.41 oz).
Males and females look alike, except the head markings are smaller in females and facial color is paler. The plumage is mostly green with a yellowish tone on the underparts. The cheeks, face, and crown are buff-colored. There is a dark blue patch on the top of the head back to the occiput. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is grey, and legs are greyish with blue or pinkish tints. Immature birds lack the blue crown (replaced with green) and they have a less distinct buff color.
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate:
- pusio - occur on the Bismarck Archipelago and southeastern New Guinea
- harterti - occur on Fergusson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago. They have blue-tinged throats and less distinct markings
- stresemanni - occur on Misima and Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago. They are slightly larger and have more yellowish underparts
- beccarii - occur in western New Guinea from Cenderawasih Bay to the Kumusi River. They have a darker plumage overall.
The are found in the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests in Indonesia and across the northern lowlands of the island of New Guinea from the west to the southeastern tip up to an altitude of around 800 m, as well as in the Bismarck Archipelago. They are usually seen in small groups of up to six birds and are highly active.
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio pusio ... English: Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Sclater's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sclaters Spechtpapegaai, Blauwschedelspechtpapegaai ... German: Sclaters Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à face brunâtre
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Buru Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii pileata ... English: Buru Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Buru Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Buru Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée Buru
Distribution: Mountains of Buru and Seram in the Southern Moluccas, Indonesia
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots(Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Finsch's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii finschii ... English: Finsch's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Finsch' Spechtpapegaai ... German: Finschs Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Finsch
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: viridifrons, finschii, aolae, tristami, nanina
Distribution: They are restricted to New Ireland and Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It has an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 20,000-50,000 km2, and is a fairly common species of lowland forests, occurring to about 1,000 m. Although there are reports that it is poorly tolerant of logged and degraded forest (Buckingham et al. 1995, Schodde 1977) and local extirpations may have occurred (Blaber 1990), it is frequently recorded elsewhere in logged forest (B. Beehler in litt. 2000). However, the lowlands throughout the region are subject to extensive logging. The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'common' in at least parts of its range (del Hoyo et al. 1997). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Geelvink Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta geelvinkiana geelvinkiana ... English: Geelvink Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Geelvink Spechtpapegaai ... German: Schlegels Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile numfor
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: geelvinkiana, misonensis
Distribution: Numfor Island
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots ... Birdlife.org ... Mangoverde
Guadalcanal Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii aolae ... English: Guadalcanal Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Guadalcanal Spechtpapegaai ... German: Guadalcanal Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Aola
Distribution: Guadalcanal, Malaita and the Rusell Islands in the Solomon Islands
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Hartert's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii necopinata ... English: Hartert's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Harterts Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Harterts Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée l'archipel Bismarck
Distribution: New Britain, New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
Mayr's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio harterti ... English: Mayr's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Mayrs Spechtpapegaai ... German: Mayrs Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Hartert
Distribution: Ferguson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Meek's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta meeki meeki ... English: Meek's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Meeks Spechtpapegaai ... German: Meeks Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Meek
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: meeki, proxima
Distribution: Admiralty Island
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
New Ireland Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii viridifrons ... English: New Ireland Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: New Ireland Spechtpapegaai ... German: Neu-Irland Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à front vert
Distribution: Lihir Islands, New Hanover, New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - click on link to view photo.)
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrots:
The Red-breasted Pygmy-parrot (Micropsitta bruijnii) is found in the boreal forests, subtropical or tropical forest areas of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands. They occur at higher altitudes than other pygmy parrots, and use trees rather than arboreal termite nests as breeding sites. Red breasted Pygmy parrots only average 8 cm or 3 inches in length. They have jerky movements and cling close to the bark as they search for lichens growing in the trees, which form the majority of their diet.
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii bruijnii ... English: Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, Bruijn's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bruijns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bruijns Spechtpapagei, Rotkopf Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à gorge rouge
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: pileata, bruijnii, necopinata, rosea
Distribution: Mountains of New Guinea, Vogelkop, Western New Guinea, Papua
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Red-crowned Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii rosea aka Micropsitta bruijnii brevis ... English: Red-crowned Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Rotscheitel Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule à crète rouge
Distribution: Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Kulambangra in the Solomon Islands
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Saint Matthias Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta meeki proxima ... English: Saint Matthias Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sint Matthias Spechtpapegaai ... German: Sankt Matthias Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile St. Matthias
Distribution: St. Matthias and Squally Islands
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Sclater's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio pusio ... English: Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Sclater's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sclaters Spechtpapegaai, Blauwschedelspechtpapegaai ... German: Sclaters Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à face brunâtre
Distribution: Bismarck Archipelago, South-eastern New Guinea
Stresemann's Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio stresemanni ... English: Stresemann's Pygmy Parrot... Dutch: Stresemanns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Stresemanns Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Stresemann
Distribution: Misima and Tagula Island in the Louisiade Archipelago
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
Tristams Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii tristami ... English: Tristams Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Tristams Spechtpapegaai ... German: Tristams Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Tristam
Distribution: Vella Lavella, Gizo, Kulambangra, New Georgia, Rubiana, Rendova
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Yellow-breasted Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta keiensis chloroxantha aka Micropsitta keiensis sociabilis ... English: Yellow-breasted Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Roodborstspechtpapegaai ... German: Rotbrüstiger Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à buste nacarat
Distribution: Western Papua Islands, Vogelkop and Onin Peninsulas, Western New Guinea
Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrots:
Species: Scientific: Micropsitta keiensis keiensis ... English: Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Geelkapspechtpapegaai ... German: Salvadoris Rotbrüstiger Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Keiensis
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: keiensis, chloroxantha, viridipectus
Distribution: Kai and Aru Islands in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia (please refer to above map)
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
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