Red-winged parakeet

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Red-winged parakeet
Red-winged parakeet

Red-winged parakeet

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Parrots (Psittaciformes)
Family : True parrots (Psittacidae)
Subfamily : Eclectic parrots (Psittaculinae)
Genre : Red-winged Parakeets ( Aprosmictus )
Type : Red-winged parakeet
Scientific name
Aprosmictus erythropterus
( Gmelin , 1788)

The red-winged parakeet ( Aprosmictus erythropterus ) is a species of parrot that is common in southern New Guinea and northern and northeastern Australia. The distribution area in Australia is very large and extends to northern New South Wales and northeastern South Australia . There are two subspecies.

Red-winged parakeets are predominantly tree-dwelling parrots. However, they occasionally come to the ground to ingest water and food. They mainly eat seeds and fruits.

Appearance

The red-winged parakeet has a slightly more compact shape than the king parakeet . The plumage is predominantly green. The broad and square tail is about a third shorter than the wings. A gender dimorphism is present. Red-winged parakeets reach a body length of 32 centimeters and weigh between 120 and 210 grams.

The head plumage of the male is bright light green. On the back of the head, the plumage is slightly tinged with blue. The underside of the body and the upper tail-coverts are yellow-green. The front back and shoulder feathers are black. The back is shiny dark blue and brightens towards the rump. The small, medium and large inner arm covers are bright red. The wings of the hand and the outer hand covers, on the other hand, are sharply defined, dark green. The tail is green on top. The control springs are mostly light yellow at the end. The beak is orange-red and has a lighter, yellow-orange tip. The iris is orange-red.

Females have predominantly dull green plumage. Both the belly and the under tail and upper tail covers are yellowish. The front back and shoulder feathers are dark green. The back and rump are dull blue. Here, too, the plumage brightens towards the rump. Compared to the males, the red of the plumage is much more dull. It is limited to the outer middle and inner large arm covers. The wings are otherwise green. The beak is dull orange and turns slightly brown. The iris has a more brownish tone than that of the male.

The flight of the red-winged parakeet seems irregular, because the powerful, far-reaching wing beats are interrupted by short pauses after each downstroke. The flight is thus slightly undulating.

habitat

Red-winged Parakeets are birds of the open wooded landscape. They are mainly found in regions that have reliable, seasonally fluctuating precipitation. They can usually be found in the wider vicinity of water points. While they avoid arid regions, they can be found in light forests and tree savannas. These usually have a population of eucalyptus trees as well as acacias , casuarines and cypresses . They can also be found in mangroves along the north coast of Australia . Agricultural areas Agricultural zones are now also in use and in Darwin they can also be seen in the gardens and parks of the suburbs.

The way of life of the red-winged parakeet is nomadic. The trigger for the erratic migration is the availability of food.

behavior

Red-winged Parakeets usually live in pairs or in small family groups. Flocks of more than 20 birds are unusual for this species. Most of them stay in the treetops and only come to the ground to pick up fallen seeds and fruits or to drink at the water points.

Red-winged parakeets eat seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, flowers, nectar as well as insects and their larvae. The seeds and flowers of Eucalyptus species and the seeds of acacia are preferred.

Reproduction

In the south of Australia, red-winged parakeets nest in the period August to February. In northern Australia, clutches can be found all year round. Red-winged parakeets are cave-breeders that prefer to breed in old eucalyptus trees near bodies of water. They prefer nest cavities that are very deep, so that the actual breeding chamber is almost at ground level. Breeding caves have been found where the entrance was more than nine meters above the actual breeding chamber.

The clutch usually consists of four to five eggs, occasionally three or six eggs. The eggs are round-elliptical. The female breeds alone. The incubation period is 20 days. Pair feeding, in which the male provides the female with food, has been observed in the wild. The nestlings leave the nest cavity at around six weeks.

Keeping in human care

Red-winged Parakeets are not kept very often in Australia. In Europe, however, they have been aviary birds for more than a century. Their acclimatization period is problematic. However, once they have got used to them, they are robust pets that can live for more than two decades. Red-winged parakeets need very large aviaries for their well-being. An aviary length of at least five meters in length and two meters in height is recommended so that the birds have the opportunity to fly. Otherwise the birds become very sluggish because they cannot act out their urge to move.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Forshaw, p. 357.
  2. ^ Forshaw, p. 360.
  3. ^ Forshaw, p. 362.
  4. ^ Forshaw, p. 363.
  5. ^ Forshaw, p. 364.
  6. ^ Forshaw, p. 367.
  7. ^ Forshaw, p. 365.

literature

Web links

Commons : Red-winged Parakeet ( Aprosmictus erythropterus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files