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OTHERS
Bird: African Grey Parrot
(Psittacus erithacus)
Two main subspecies include the Timneh and Congo.
Range:
West and Central Africa from Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone east to southern
Cameroon, northern Zaire, Uganda and western Kenya, and south to southwestern
and east central Zaire and northwestern Tanzania. Found in primary and secondary
lowland rainforest, forest edge, clearing, gallery forest, mangrove, wooded savanna,
cultivated land, garden, and village habitats.
Size:
Length: 33 cm
Wingspan: 46 - 52 cm
Weight: 450 - 550 g
Diet:
A variety of seeds, nuts, fruits, and berries.
Description:
The African Grey parrot is a medium sized grey parrot
with a striking, short scarlet tail. Adults are grey
with a red tail and undertail coverts. The belly, underwing
coverts, and rump are silvery. The breast, mantle,
and upperwing coverts are slate-grey with the primaries
being very dark grey. The bill is black, the iris is
yellow, the legs are dark grey, and the bare facial
area is white with some fine white hairs. Immatures
have a darker tail that is red towards the tip. There
is a grey tinge on the undertail coverts and the iris
is grey. Compared to the Congo subspecies, the Timneh
subspecies is darker grey with a darker red tail.
Natural History:
These birds are very vocal and have a wide repertoire
of squawks, whistles, shrieks, and screams. They mimic
other birds and mammals and are an extraordinary mimic
of humans and other sounds in captivity. There have
been population declines due to deforestation and trapping
on a massive scale. In the 1980's the African Grey
was the second most heavily traded parrot in the world.
They can also be considered a pest species in that
they have been known to cause considerable damage to
maize crops in some areas. They are gregarious and
form large communal roosts of up to 10,000 individuals.
They prefer to roost in trees over water or on islands
in rivers. They disperse into smaller groups of around
30 individuals for feeding. They nest in tree cavities
10 - 30 m above the ground. Sometimes, they breed in
loose colonies of up to several hundred pairs but,
in most places, nesting is solitary. Clutch size varies
from 2 to 4.
Personal History:
Kiwi - Acquired from a private pet owner in 1995; age
unknown.
Keebler - Acquired as a hatchling in 1999.
Quazar - Acquired from Disney's Discovery Island in
1999 at two years old.
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Bird: Blue-fronted Amazon Parrot
(Amazona aestiva)
Range:
Size:
Diet:
Description:
Natural History:
Personal History:
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Bird: Hawk-headed Parrot
(Deroptyus accipitrinus)
Range:
Lowlands to 400 m of west central South America east
of the Andes from southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela
and Guianas south locally through eastern Ecuador to
northeastern Peru and northern Brazil. Found in humid
forest, savanna, and woodland habitats. Also found
in lowland rainforests; appearing to prefer terra firme
formations to 400 m, including gently undulating or
foothill terrain. Avoids forest edges and clearings.
Size:
Length: 35 cm
Wingspan: 38 - 40 cm
Weight: 240 - 350 g
Diet:
Leaves and buds, unripe and ripe fruits.
Description:
With an accipeter-like silhouette, this bird resembles
a small bird of prey when perched. Adults are mainly
green with pale speckles on a dark face with a buffy-white
cap.The elongated neck feathers are deep claret-red
tipped with bright blue, creating a striking scaled
effect. The neck feathers are sometimes raised to create
a blue-edged red fan. Lateral tail feathers are red
at the base. The cheeks, throat, sides of neck, and
superciliary area are brown with distinctive pale buff
streaks. The upperparts are green and there is duller
vinaceous and blue scaling beneath. While the lesser
and median wing coverts are green, the primary wing
coverts are dark blackish blue. The center of the breast
and belly are claret-red with blue tips, creating a
blue and red scaling effect; sometimes with some green,
especially on the upper breast, thighs, and undertail
coverts. The uppertail is green with blue tips and
the outer feathers have blue on the outerwebs and concealed
red at the base of the innerwebs. The undertail is
blackish. The bill is blackish grey, paler at the tip.
The cere is blackish, the iris is yellow, and the legs
are dark blackish grey. Immatures have a horn colored
mandible and a warm brown iris.
Natural History:
These are fairly vocal parrots, with a variety of calls
and chattering and whistling sounds. They are generally
found in pairs or small groups of 3 -7 birds. Throughout
their range, they are generally scarse and are collected
for pets in the western part of their range. There
have been regional population declines due to rapid
and severe deforestation south of the Amazon. They
roost in tree-crowns in small groups and mainly feed
in the canopy. Sometimes they are seen perched on exposed
dead tree-tops. They nest in tree hollows, including
old woodpecker nests, and have a clutch of 2 -3 in
captivity; probably less in the wild.
Personal History:
Cisco - Acquired from a private breeder; unknown age.
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Bird: Moustache Parakeet
(Psittacula alexandri fasciata)
Range:
Found on the islands of Java and Bali, Indonesia. Inhabit
all types of open woodland in lowland areas and in
foothills to 2000 m (6700 ft.). They occur regularly
in localities in mangroves, coconut palm grooves, cultivated
areas, parks, gardens, and urban areas.
Size:
Length: 33 cm (14.5 in. long with tail)
Wingspan: 14.5 - 16.6 cm (5.5-6.5 in.)
Weight: up to 8 ounces (140 g)
Diet:
Wild figs, other wild and orchard fruit, flowers and
nectar (especially Parkia speciosa and Erythrina variegata
flowers), small nuts, chestnuts, buds, berries, seeds,
leaves, and cereals.
Description:
The moustache parakeet is also known as the banded
parakeet, bearded parakeet, rose-breasted parakeet,
pink-breasted parakeet, Indian red-breasted parakeet,
and Javan parakeet. It is a small, slender parrot with
a long tail. It is green with a grey head marked with
bluish tinge. The eye area is washed with green, and
the chin, broad cheek-stripe, and narrow line over
the forehead to the eye are black. The throat, breast,
and upper abdomen are salmon-pink and the lower abdomen
and under tail coverts are green with a variable blue
tinge. The median wing coverts are green-yellow, the
under wing coverts are pale green, and the upperside
of the middle tail feathers is blue with green-yellow
tips. The outer tail feathers are blue-green, the tail
underside is a dirty olive-yellowish, and the upper
and lower mandible are red with a pale tip. The iris
is pale yellow and the feet are grey. The female resembles
the male with the red upper and lower mandible, but
the salmon-pink breast is duller and the middle tail
feathers are shorter. Immature birds are green with
a whitish forehead and an incomplete black cheek stripe.
The median wing coverts have a yellow-green tinge and
the tail is noticeably shorter. The bill is pale red.
Natural History:
Moustache parakeets are typically seen in noisy flocks
traveling in slow flight. They are gregarious, usually
in flocks of 6-10 birds. Occasional flocks may be much
larger, up to thousands, especially where their favorite
foods are found. This may occur during rice harvest
season, when paddy fields are foraged. They often cause
serious damage to rice fields. Nomadic groups of 10
- 50 birds may be seen flying low over open country,
then rising and settling in tall trees. The species
is considered noisy except for when feeding and tends
to remain in one area. Local migration is determined
by availability of food. They form communal roosts
in tall trees, bamboo thickets, and sugarcane. Occasionally,
they will form mixed flocks with Slaty-Headed Parakeets
(Psittacula himalayana). They nest in natural tree
cavities in hollow branches or dead trees; or in old
woodpecker and barbet nest holes which the parakeets
will enlarge. Nests are lined with decaying wood. Breeding
season in India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands is
from December to April. In Java, breeding happens all
year except April. Breeding season varies depending
on altitude and climatic conditions. They clutch 3
to 4 eggs measuring 29.5x24.2 mm (1.16x0.95 in.). The
lifespan is 15 - 20 years. They are considered common
to very common. Some populations have been reduced
by trapping for the pet trade.
Personal History:
Gucci -
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Bird:
Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot
(Amazona orchrocephala auropalliata)
Range:
Central America, southern Mexico to northwestern Costa
Rica, northern Honduras, and the pine savannas of Mosquitia.
Found in deciduous forest, thorn scrub, open woodland,
pine savanna, and farmland habitats.
Size:
A medium sized parrot about the size of a pigeon.
Length: 35 cm
Wingspan: 42 - 47 cm (1.5 - 2 ft.)
Weight: 620 g
Diet:
Fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms, and leaf buds.
Description:
A large, mainly green amazon. The head and underparts
are paler and they have a bright golden yellow nape
and a red speculum. Individuals show a variable amount
of yellow on the forehead. The forehead and forecrown
are usually a pale bluish-green, sometimes with a narrow
yellow frontal band extending to the forecrown. The
hindcrown is pale bluish-green. The lores, cheeks,
and sides of the neck are green, and the nape has a
broad golden yellow band. The upperparts are green
with some feathers on the mantle and the back faintly
edged with blue. The rump and uppertail coverts are
slightly brighter than the rest of the upperparts.
The wing coverts are green, but more emerald in color
compared to the upper body. Some individuals have yellow
feathers on the leading edge of the wing. The outer
webs of the outer four secondaries are bright red forming
the speculum. The primaries and secondaries are otherwise
green with violet blue on the outerwebs and towards
the tips. The underwing is green and the underparts
are pale green with a slight bluish tinge on the throat.
The tail is green with a yellowish-green terminal band,
basally red. The outerwebs of the outer feathers are
edged bluish. The bill is bluish-grey and becomes paler
towards the base of the upper mandible. The bare periophthalmic
skin is greyish, the iris is orange, and the legs are
grayish-horn or horn colored.
Natural History:
This species is known for being very good talkers but
high strung birds. They are generally seen in pairs
or small flocks, but may sometimes be seen in larger
gatherings. They form communal roosts and nest in an
unlined hollow in either a living or dead tree. They
lay 2 - 4 oval, glossy eggs. Incubation lasts for approximately
29 days and fledging occurs approximately 2 months
later. Little has been recorded of this species habits
in the wild.
Personal History:
Groucho - The "star of the show",
he is one of the most talented parrots in the world.
He sings seven songs total. Those being Jingle Bells,
You are my Sunshine, Aloetta, Yankee Doodle, Camptown
Races, How Much is that Doggy in the Window, and Irish
Lullaby. He also has many other vocalizations. He lived
with a lady for eight years and she taught him all
of his vocalizations; we put them on cue and trained
him to perform on stage. We acquired Groucho in 1993
when he was eight years old (hatched in 1986).
Gracie - Groucho's "other half", hatched
in 1986. She came as a package deal with Groucho. She
has many similar vocalizations as Groucho but not as
good. She doesn't sing any complete songs and hasn't
performed in any shows.
Lolita - Hatched in 1977, she has been with Steve since
she was a baby. She also has many vocalizations on
cue and has a wonderful show routine with her own style
of singing.
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Bird:
Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot
(Amazona oratrix)
Range:
These parrots are found only in Central America, including
Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Size:
A medium sized parrot about the size of a pigeon.
Length: 38 cm
Wingspan: 42 - 47 cm (1.5 - 2 ft.)
Weight: 600 g
Diet:
Fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, blossoms, and leaf buds.
Description:
These large, mainly green parrots have a bright yellow
head, which, depending on the subspecies can extend
down the throat onto the upper breast. Sexes are similar,
however juvenile birds will be solid green with little
to no yellow on the head.
Natural History:
Also known as: Double Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot,
Mexican Double Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot, and Levaillant’s
Amazon Parrot. Also the subspecies A .o. tresmariae
is often referred to as the Tres Marias Amazon Parrot.
The Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot, along with the Yellow
Nape Amazon Parrot, was once considered to be a subspecies
of the Yellow Crown (or yellow front) Amazon Parrot.
Including the nominate species, 5 subspecies are recognized:
A. o. oratrix from mainland Mexico, A. o. tresmariae
from Islas Marias, Mexico, A. o. belizensis found in
Belize and Guatemala, and A. o. hondurensis from Honduras.
They are generally seen in pairs or small flocks, but
may sometimes be seen in larger gatherings. They form
communal roosts and nest in an unlined hollow in either
a living or dead tree. They lay 2 - 4 oval, glossy
eggs. Incubation lasts for approximately 29 days and
fledging occurs approximately 2 months later. Little
has been recorded of this species habits in the wild.
Endangered in the wild, they are common pets due to
their talent at mimicking human speech.
Personal History:
Quito - A Double Yellow-headed Amazon Parrot acquired
from a private breeder in 2000 at approximately 5 years
old. Quito's claim to fame is her ever changing rendition
of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
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