Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot
Also known as:
Kai Islands Pygmy Parrot
Also known as:
Kai Islands Pygmy Parrot
DID YOU KNOW?
The Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot nests in an arboreal termitarium. Two eggs are laid in the unlined cavity and are incubated by the female, and possibly up to four other roosting “helper” adults.
Size:
9.5 cm (3.7 in)
Weight:
11-14 g (0.4-0.5 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
three: M.k. keiensis, M.k. viridipectus, M.k. chloroxantha
Colour Adult:
M.k. keiensis: Both adults mainly green; yellow crown, becoming dusky on forehead; brown face, changing to green on lower cheeks; yellow undertail coverts; blue central tail feathers; green/black lateral tail feathers. Beak grey. Eye brown.
M.k. viridipectus: Darker in general than keiensis; brown crown tinted with yellow.
M.k. chloroxantha: Male-orange/red centre of breast and abdomen, the remaining underparts yellow/green. Female-underparts all yellow/green; green/yellow crown.
Colour Juvenile:
M.k. keiensis: In general duller in colour. Beak yellow, tipped with grey/brown.
M.k. viridipectus: As in adults.
M.k. chloroxantha: As in adult female.
Call:
Calls are high-pitched and squeaky notes repeated at short spans.
More Information:
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, 2006. 2010 edition
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Captive Status:
Not found in captivity.
Longevity:
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Housing:
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Diet:
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Enrichment:
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Nest Box Size:
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Clutch Size:
2
Fledging Age:
—
Hatch Weight:
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Peak Weight:
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Weaning Weight:
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World Population:
Unknown, reported to be very common to scarce in some areas. Decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Not globally threatened. Very common on Kai Island but naturally scarce on Aru. Is moderately common throughout W Papuan Islands. This species is considered to have a high dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 2.7% within its mapped range over the past 10 years. It is therefore tentatively suspected that this may have led to a population decline of 1-19% over the same time frame, with a best estimate of less than 5%.
Range:
M.k. keiensis: Kai and Aru Islands, Indonesia.
M.k. viridipectus: S New Guinea between Mimika and Fly Rivers.
M.k. chloroxantha: W Papuan Islands, Vogelkop and Onin Peninsulas, West Papua.
Habitat:
Found up to 550 m (1804 ft) in lowland forest, secondary growth and sometimes around villages and in coconut groves.
Wild Diet:
Feeds on lichen, fungus, seeds, fruit and insects.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Generally are seen singly, in pairs or small groups, from the understorey to about 20 m (65 ft) above ground. These birds clamber about trunks and limbs of trees, descending head first at times in their foraging activities.
Clutch and Egg Size:
2 eggs
Breeding Season:
September-March; nest is hollow in arboreal termite mound.
Related Links:
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