Black Parakeet

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Black Parakeet
Alisterus amboinensis.jpg

Black-winged Parakeet ( Alisterus amboinensis )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Genre : King Parakeets ( Alisterus )
Type : Black Parakeet
Scientific name
Alisterus amboinensis
( Linnaeus , 1766)

The Amboina Parakeet ( Alisterus amboinensis ), also known as the Amboina King Parakeet , is a species of parrot from the genus of the King Parakeets ( Alisterus ). In addition to the nominate form Alisterus amboinensis amboinensis , the five subspecies Alisterus amboinensis sulaensis , Alisterus amboinensis versicolor , Alisterus amboinensis buruensis , Alisterus amboinensis hypophonius and Alisterus amboinensis dorsalis are distinguished.

features

The nominate shape reaches a size of 35 centimeters. The wing length is 200 to 215 mm. The head, throat, chest, and lower abdomen are red. The wing bend, the small wing coverts, the neck, the back, the rump, the upper tail coverts and the lower wing coverts are blue-violet. The rest of the wing plumage is green. The under tail-coverts are black with broad red borders. The top of the tail is black with a strong purple-blue tint. The underside of the tail is gray-black with broad pink edges on the inner lugs of the three outer feathers. A dark gray eye ring runs around the orange iris. The upper beak is black with an orange base. The feet are gray. The sexes look the same. The back of immature birds is green. The upper bill is brown-black, the lower bill reddish. A white eye ring runs around the dark iris. At the age of 12 months, the young birds have reached adult plumage.

The Sula King Parakeet ( Alisterus a. Sulaensis ) reaches a size of 34 centimeters and a wing length of 187 to 197 mm. A variable green band runs over the upper back. The light pink border is missing from the tail feathers.

The Peleng King Parakeet ( Alisterus a. Versicolor ) reaches a size of 33 centimeters. The wing length is 174 to 205 mm and the tail length up to 190 mm. The tail feathers do not have a light pink border as in the nominate form.

The Buru King Parakeet ( Alisterus a. Buruensis ) is 36 centimeters tall and has a wing length of 203 to 288 mm. A variable green band runs over the blue upper back. The outer tail feathers have broad pale pink hems, the next two tail feathers have narrow edges. The beak is completely black.

The Halmahera King Parakeet ( Alisterus a. Hypophonius ) reaches a size of 34 centimeters and a wing length of 186 to 201 mm. The pink color on the edges of the tail feathers is missing. The small wing covers are dark blue. The remaining wing feathers are black and blue.

The Salawati King Parakeet ( Alisterus a. Dorsalis ) is the smallest subspecies with a size of up to 33 centimeters and a wing length of 175 to 193 mm. The tail feathers are not outlined in pink. The red feathers are darker than those of the other subspecies.

distribution

Lithograph of a black-winged parakeet drawn by William Swainson (1789–1855) for the first volume of the Zoological Illustrations

The distribution area ranges from Ambon and Seram ( Alisterus a. Amboinensis ), over the Sula Islands ( Alisterus a. Sulaensis ), Peleng ( Alisterus a. Versicolor ), Buru ( Alisterus a. Buruensis ), Halmahera ( Alisterus a. Versicolor ) to to Salawati , Waigeo , Gemien Island , Batanta , north-western Papua New Guinea (east of the Weyland Mountains) and western New Guinea ( Alisterus a. dorsalis ).

habitat

The black-winged parakeet lives mostly in lowland countries, but also in mountain forests in middle elevations up to 1450 m.

Way of life

The Black-winged Parakeet usually forages singly or in pairs. He is inconspicuous. The lower and middle areas of the trees are preferred. Often it is only noticed when it flies away with a shrill whistle. It is noiseless when eating. The flight is straight with strong, rhythmic wing beats. The call consists of high-pitched whistling tones. The diet consists of oak seeds as well as fruits, berries and buds. The breeding season is between February and April. Information on reproductive behavior is based on a few records. In New Guinea, for example, a nest was discovered in a dead tree and two cubs were observed in a nest on Seram. The eggs are 33.4 × 26.1 mm in size.

Existence and endangerment

Information on the size of the population is not available. It is described as infrequent. It is locally endangered by being caught in the wild for the animal trade. BirdLife International classifies it in the “ Least Concern” category .

literature

  • J. Del Hoyo, A. Elliot, J. Sargatal (Eds.) (1997): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Lynx Edicions, ISBN 84-87334-22-9 .
  • Thomas Arndt: Amboina King Parakeet. In: Lexicon of Parrots / Lexicon of Parrots. DVD, Arndt Verlag, Bretten 2008.

Web links