Tricolor parrot finch
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Tricolor parrot finch ( Erythrura trichroa ) |
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| Erythrura trichroa | ||||||||||||
| ( Kittlitz , 1833) |
The three-colored parrot finch ( Erythrura trichroa , Syn . : Amblynur trichroa ), also called the three-colored parrot finch , is a small species of finch . A number of subspecies are distinguished for this species.
description
The three-colored parrot reaches a body length of twelve centimeters and weighs on average 14.4 grams. The males have an indigo blue head, green body, red tail, and black beak. There are also some other rare shades available. The females are mostly colored similarly to the males, but have a less intensely blue feathered head and the blue is less extensive. Young birds are much more dull in color than the adult birds. Some young birds show blue on their heads right from the start, while others lack it. The upper bill is dark with the young birds with yellow sheaths.
The singing is a chirping consisting of trills and calls.
Distribution and way of life
The distribution area of the three-color parrot finch is Sulawesi , the Moluccas , the Bismarck Archipelago , New Guinea , Melanesia and the Cape York Peninsula . In New Guinea, their altitude ranges from 800 to 2,000 meters above sea level during the breeding season. After the breeding season, on the other hand, the three-colored parrots migrate from the mountain forests to the lowlands. The birds mainly colonize the edges of forests and plantations in the plains and mountains. On the Cape York Peninsula, they live on the edge of rainforests and in damp grasslands. In the New Hebrides , they are found in large numbers on plantations with large areas of grass. During the seed ripening of the grass there are sometimes very large swarms. Tricolor parrots are generally very shy and live in pairs during the breeding season. After the breeding season, they can also be found in flocks of up to 100 birds. During the hottest time of the day, they retreat to the shade of thick bushes.
The three-colored parrot is a free brooder that feeds mainly on grass seeds, fruits and insects. The nest is built in thickly leafy bushes or trees. Mango trees are particularly preferred as nesting trees. The incubation period is about 13-14 days and up to 6 eggs are laid.
attitude
The exact time of the first import into Europe can no longer be determined. But they were already on the market in England in the 1880s and were also introduced in Germany in 1886 by the animal dealer Fockelmann . After that, only individual birds came into the trade. They were introduced particularly frequently between 1952 and 1960.
Tricolor parrots show, like most parrots, a pronounced urge to move, so that only aviaries offer suitable housing options. In cages, they pound their plumage or become sluggish.
supporting documents
literature
- Horst Bielfeld : Popular finches. 2nd Edition. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-8001-6854-5 .
- Jürgen Nicolai (Ed.), Joachim Steinbacher (Ed.), Renate van den Elzen, Gerhard Hofmann: Prachtfinken - Australia, Oceania, Southeast Asia. Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3249-4 .
- Peter Clement , Alan Harris, John Davis: Finches and Sparrows - An Identification Guide. Christopher Helm, London 1993, ISBN 0-7136-8017-2 .
Web links
- Tricolored Parrotfinch - BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Erythrura trichroa inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.