Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot
Also known as:
Green Pygmy Parrot, Emerald Pygmy Parrot
Also known as:
Green Pygmy Parrot, Emerald Pygmy Parrot
DID YOU KNOW?
The Finsch’s Pygmy Parrot nests and roosts in termite mounds in trees.
Size:
9.5 cm (3.7 in)
Weight:
12 g (0.4 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
five: M.f. finschii, M.f. aolae, M.f. tristami, M.f. nanina, M.f. viridifrons
Colour Adult:
M.f. finschii: Male-green in colour; blue at base of lower mandible; orange/red at centre of abdomen; undertail coverts yellow; green/blue centre tail feathers, tipped in the centre black; lateral tail feathers blue/black. Beak dark grey. Cere and eye ring pink. Eye orange/pink. Female-rose/pink at base of lower mandible; orange/red on abdomen absent; blue/grey cere and eye ring.
M.f. aolae: Both adults darker green on upperparts; crown has blue patch; orange/red on abdomen absent in males.
M.f. tristami: Both adults as in finschii, but blue on crown absent and orange/red on abdomen absent in males.
M.f. nanina: Both adults as in aolae, but with less blue on crown. Smaller in size.
M.f. viridifrons: Both adults as in aolae, but with more blue on crown; blue wash on sides of head; orange/red on abdomen in some males.
Colour Juvenile:
M.f. finschii: As in adults. Beak pale grey. Cere grey. Eye red/brown.
Call:
Calls are described as moderately loud series of notes, repeated two or three times in a sequence; also various squeaks, shrill notes and soft, whispering chattering.
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006. 2010 edition
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Captive Status:
Not found in captivity.
Longevity:
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Housing:
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Diet:
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Enrichment:
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Nest Box Size:
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Clutch Size:
1-2
Fledging Age:
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Hatch Weight:
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Peak Weight:
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Weaning Weight:
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World Population:
Unknown, stable.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Not globally threatened. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Threatened by logging and habitat degradation on Guadalcanal. Abundant within narrow elevation range, S Bougainville. Fairly common in Bismarcks and throughout most of Solomon Islands.
Range:
M.f. finschii: Ugi, San Cristobal, and Rennell, S Solomon Islands.
M.f. aolae: Guadalcanal, Malaita, Florida, and Russell, C Solomon Islands.
M.f. tristami: Vella Lavella, Gizo, Kolombangara, New Georgia, Rubiana, and Rendova, W Solomon Islands.
M.f. nanina: Santa Isabel, Bugotu, and Choiseul, N Solomon Islands, and Bougainville Island, E Papua New Guinea.
M.f. viridifrons: Lihir and Tabar Islands, New Hanover, and New Ireland, in Bismarck Archipelago, E Papua New Guinea.
Habitat:
Found up to 900 m (2952 ft) in primary forest, overgrown gardens, casuarinas, secondary growth, open scrubby areas and coconut plantations.
Wild Diet:
Feeds on lichen, fungi, some bark and scaled insects.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Seen singly, in pairs or in groups of 3-6 individuals. Feeds upside down on lichens and fungi on tree trunks, using its tail as a prop against the bark.
Clutch and Egg Size:
1-2 eggs, 16.5 x 14.5 mm (0.65 x 0.6 in).
Breeding Season:
March-May; nest is in low arboreal termitarium or terrestrial mound.
Related Links:
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