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Buru Racquet-tailed Parrot

( Prioniturus mada )

Also known as:
Buru Racquet-tail

Also known as:
Buru Racquet-tail

Geography:

DID YOU KNOW?

This parrot’s taxonomic name, Prioniturus mada, comes from a 3000-ft high mountain in its range on the island of Buru.

<p><em>Prioniturus</em></p>
Genus:

Prioniturus

<p><em>mada</em></p>
Species:

mada

Size:

32 cm (12.5 in)

Weight:

Subspecies including nominate:

one

Colour Adult:

Male-nape to back of neck and mantle and lesser wing coverts blue/purple; lower back washed with blue/purple; blue on edge of forewing; pale yellow margins to inner webs of secondary feathers. Centre tail feathers green, racquets and side tail feathers green tipped with blue/black. Beak dark grey with paler grey at base; eye dark brown. Female-no blue/purple on back of neck or mantle, blue/purple less evident on nape, lesser wing coverts and bend of wing.

Colour Juvenile:

As in adult but no blue/purple on upperparts, except a bit on nape in males; blue on bend of wing; no bare tail shafts.

Call:

Repetitive whistling and kwii kwii kwii notes; and lower-pitched sounds.

Buru Racquet-tailed Parrot – AVoCet Cornell Lab Macaulay Library

More Information:

Avibase

Captive Status:

Not found in captivity.

Longevity:

Housing:

Diet:

Enrichment:

Nest Box Size:

Clutch Size:

Up to 5 eggs.

Fledging Age:

Hatch Weight:

Peak Weight:

Weaning Weight:

World Population:

Unknown but described as widespread and common. Stable.

IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern

CITES Listing:
Appendix II

Threat Summary:

Not globally threatened. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Was once considered threatened because of restricted range above 1000 m (3280 ft), but evidence shows this bird is more common than previously thought.

Range:

Occurs on Buru, S Moluccas, Indonesia.

Habitat:

Found up to 1600 m (5248 ft) in all types of forest habitat, including selectively logged areas and tall secondary growth; also found in remnant trees in cultivated areas; most common at around 600 m (1968 ft).

Wild Diet:

Eats fruits, flowers, berries and seeds.

Ecology and Behaviour:

Often seen in groups of up to ten birds, seasonally nomadic in response to fruiting trees in mountains.

Clutch and Egg Size:

Up to 5 eggs.

Breeding Season:

December-February. Nest is in hollow limb or tree cavity.

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