Member Login

Username

Password

Auto-login for future visits

Join or Renew Today!

Membership Benefits:

Close Button

Red Shining Parrot

 (Prosopeia tabuensis)

Also known as: Red-breasted Musk Parrot, Maroon Musk Parrot, Maroon Parrot

Click photo to visit gallery

Companion Red Shining Parrot
© Ian Sutton | [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The Red Shining Parrot chews into wood to extract insect larvae, a favourite food.

Academic Research

Related publications: Prosopeia tabuensis

Species Profile

Genus: Prosopeia | Species: tabuensis

Size:

45cm (17.5 in)

Weight:

280g (9.8 oz)

Subspecies including nominate:

two: P.t. tabuensis, P.t. taviuensis

Colour Adult:

P.t. tabuensis: Both adults have variable plumage; red/black face; rest of head brown/red, darker on hindcheeks; underparts dark maroon; dark blue collar across upper mantle, obvious in some birds but in others narrow and nearly absent; upperparts and tail green, feathers on rump in some individuals edged with maroon. Bill grey/black. Dark grey eye ring. Eye orange/yellow.
P.t. taviuensis: Both adults as in tabuensis but with no blue collar; no maroon edging to feathers on rump; face less black; smaller in size.

Colour Juvenile:

As in adults but with horn coloured bill with grey streaking; pale eye ring and brown eye.

Call:

Described as loud and squawking, repeated in bursts. Also grating notes, and soft ra-ra-ra-ra when perched.

Listen Now

Video Links:

Video 1 | Video 2

More Information:

Avibase

Content Sources:

CITES
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.

Click photo to visit gallery

Companion Red Shining Parrot
© Ian Sutton | [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The Red Shining Parrot chews into wood to extract insect larvae, a favourite food.

Academic Research

Related publications: Prosopeia tabuensis

Species Care

Captive Status:

Very rare

Longevity:

Not recorded.

Housing:

Walk-in enclosure, minimum length 4.5m (14.7 ft).

Diet:

Fruit such as: apple, pear, orange, banana, cactus fruits, pomegranate, etc, forming about 30 percent of diet; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, green peas and beans, corn; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion, chickweed; spray millet; small seed mix such as: canary, millet and smaller amounts of oats, buckwheat and safflower; soaked and sprouted sunflower seed; cooked beans and other pulses, and complete pellet.

Enrichment:

Enjoys bathing, so provide overhead misters or shallow water bowls; bird-safe fresh branches with flowers, also fir, willow and pine branches; chew toys. Enjoys flying, provide lots of space in aviary.

Nest Box Size:

12" x 12" x 40" (30.5cm x 30.5cm x 101.6cm) vertical box.

Clutch Size:

1 to 4

Incubation Time:

24-25 days

Fledging Age:

8 weeks

Hatch Weight:

13g (0.45 oz)

Peak Weight:

Not recorded.

Weaning Weight:

Not recorded.

Click photo to visit gallery

Companion Red Shining Parrot
© Ian Sutton | [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The Red Shining Parrot chews into wood to extract insect larvae, a favourite food.

Academic Research

Related publications: Prosopeia tabuensis

Species Wild Status

World Population:

Unknown, decreasing.

IUCN Red List Status:

Least Concern

CITES Listing:

Appendix II

Threat Summary:

Not globally threatened. A BirdLife “restricted-range” species. Fairly common in remaining forest on Tonga but habitat loss is rapid and a major decline in population is predicted there. Habitat loss caused its disappearance from Tongatapu. Apparently common on Tavieuni in 1973 and thriving on Ngau.

Range:

P.t. tabuensis: Vanua Levu, Kioa, Koro, and Gau, Fiji Islands; also introduced to Tonga Is.
P.t. taviuensis: Tavieuni, Qamea and Laucala, Fiji Islands.

Habitat:

Found in mature forest and other habitats including secondary growth forest, forested valleys (for breeding), coconut plantations, village gardens, farmland, mangroves and scrub. Up to 1250m (4100 ft).

Wild Diet:

Diet includes plant foodstuffs of Myristica hypargyraea, Psidium guajava, Inocarpus fagiferus, Calophyllum neo-ebudicum, Rhus taitensis, Elattostachys falcata, Carica papaya, Malisia, Pleigynium timoriense, Melodinus vitiense and small wild bananas. Also apparently takes insect larvae from rotting wood.

Ecology and Behaviour:

Are found singly, in pairs or in flocks of up to 40 birds outside the breeding season.

Clutch and Egg Size:

1 to 4 rounded eggs, 38.5 x 30.0mm (1.5 x 1.2 in).

Breeding Season:

May-October; nest is in hollow branch or tree cavity.

Related Links:

Wikipedia
 

Click photo to visit gallery

Companion Red Shining Parrot
© Ian Sutton | [CC BY-SA 2.0] via Flickr

Did You Know?

The Red Shining Parrot chews into wood to extract insect larvae, a favourite food.

Academic Research

Related publications: Prosopeia tabuensis

Members Only Resources

Please log-in now to find more research, resources and tools.

Not a Member?

Find more great information:

Gain exclusive access to 600+ pages of additional research, seminars and podcasts, specialists to ask your toughest questions, and dozens of other fun resources - when you become a WPT member.

Already a Member?

Encyclopedia

Search by:
Common Name


Geographic Location


Type of Parrot


Taxonomic Name


Sign Up to Stay Informed




Become A WPT Member Check out the Latest Podcasts