Peale parrot finch
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Peale Parrot Finch ( Erythrura pealii ) |
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| Erythrura pealii | ||||||||||||
| Hartlaub , 1852 |
The peale parrot finch ( Erythrura pealii ), also known as the short-tailed parrot finch , is a species of the finch family . No subspecies are described.
description
The Peale parrot reaches a body weight between nine and 11.5 grams. In both sexes, the chin and upper throat are black. A narrow black band separates the red of the head sides from the blue of the rest of the plumage. The top of the head is only red up to the back of the head. The rear neck, back, wings and the underside of the body are green. The chest is blue.
The young birds are very variable in color. They can be solid green, but also have blue-green cheeks and throats. Some juveniles also show red feather trims on the forehead and on the sides of the head.
Distribution and way of life
The Peale Parrot Madine is found on the following Fiji Islands: Kandavu , Viti Levu , Vanua Levu and Taveuni . On these islands it inhabits grasslands, rice plantations, gardens, clearings and the outskirts of the lowland rainforest and the mountain forests. In contrast, it is absent in the cloud forests at altitudes above 1,100 meters.
It eats seeds using, for the most part, plants introduced to the Fiji Islands. Usually the Peales parrot pick the seeds directly from the fruit clusters. In the times when millet and rice are ripening, the birds are often found in large numbers in the fields. It is often associated with the rice finch , which is naturalized on the Fiji Islands.
The breeding season of the Peale Parrot Madines is not entirely certain, but probably falls between January and April. The nest is spherical with a downward facing entrance. It is usually located at altitudes between three and six meters above the ground. The clutch consists of three to four white eggs. The incubation period is between thirteen and fourteen days and the nestling period is around 21 days. The young birds are able to eat and shed semen on their own about ten days after they have fled.
Systematics
Similar to the king parrot, the peale parrot is occasionally classified as a subspecies of the Samoa parrot . However, it deviates so clearly from these two species in its way of life that its species status seems justified.
attitude
The peale parrot was already kept as an ornamental bird in France before 1898. The first breeding seems to have succeeded in 1912 in the London Zoo. Until 1960 only single birds came to Europe. In 1960 a large number of Peale parrots were imported into Europe, from which a self-supporting population was built. For example, 216 young birds were bred in 1997 and 287 in 1998.
Peale parrots are considered completely unsuitable for permanent cage. They either become sluggish and fat or, due to their urge to move, they repel their plumage in the cage. For her well-being she needs a larger and planted aviary.
literature
- 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
- BirdLife Factsheet , accessed June 25, 2010.
- Erythrura pealii inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2013.