Finsch's Pygmy-parrot
Encyclopedia
The Finsch’s pygmy parrot (Micropsitta finschii), also known as the emerald or green pygmy parrot, is a member of family Psittacidae (true parrots) inhabiting tropical rainforest regions of islands in Papau New Guinea, the Solomon Islands
, and the Bismarck Archipelago
.
(true parrots and allies) of the family Psittacidae (true parrots). The species, Micropsitta finschii, is further divided into five subspecies:
Micropsitta f. finschii is found in Ugi, San Cristobal, and Rennell (southern Solomon Islands). Males have blue around the lower mandible (beak) and an orange patch in the center of the abdomen. Females lack the orange patch, and have pink feathers around the lower mandible.
Micropsitta f. nanina is found in Santa Isabel, Bugotu, and Choiseul (northern Solomon Islands), as well as in Bougainville Island. Adults have a blue patch on the crown.
Micropsitta f. viridifrons is found in Lihir and Tabar, New Hanover, New Ireland, and in the Bismarck Archipelago (in eastern Papua New Guinea). Adults have a large blue patch on the crown, as well as blue around the sides of the face.
Micropsitta f. tristami is found in Vella Lavella, Gizo, Kolombangara, New Georgia, Rubiana, and Rendova (in the western Solomon Islands). Adults have no blue patches or orange abdominal patches.
Micropsitta f. aolae is found in Guadalcanal, Malaita, Florida (island, not state), and Russell (central Solomon Islands). Adults have a darker green upper body and have a blue patch on the crown.
tree in which it is commonly found. Some birds will apparently associate with slow-moving mixed bird flocks.
) and parent-offspring interactions are often prolonged. Information on specific incubation times and chick-rearing times is unavailable as captive individuals have a low survival rate.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, and the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
.
Description
Finsch’s pygmy parrot (Micropsitta finschii), also known as the green or emerald pygmy parrot, is characterized by a green head and neck (which is unique among species of the genus Micropsitta). The typical length of a green pygmy parrot is 9.5 cm with an average weight of 12 g. Male and female individuals can be identified by slight differences in coloration. For example, in one subspecies, males possess a blue patch around the lower section of the beak, whereas the female’s patch is pink. There are five recognized subspecies, each inhabiting a different range within the overall distribution of the species and each having different characteristics between genders.Taxonomy
Finsch’s pygmy parrot is a member of the genus Micropsitta (pygmy parrots). Genus Micropsitta is included in the subfamily PsittacinaePsittacinae
The Psittacinae a subfamily in the parrot family Psittacidae. It contains the true parrots, parakeets and macaws, but not the lories, lorikeets and cockatoos...
(true parrots and allies) of the family Psittacidae (true parrots). The species, Micropsitta finschii, is further divided into five subspecies:
Micropsitta f. finschii is found in Ugi, San Cristobal, and Rennell (southern Solomon Islands). Males have blue around the lower mandible (beak) and an orange patch in the center of the abdomen. Females lack the orange patch, and have pink feathers around the lower mandible.
Micropsitta f. nanina is found in Santa Isabel, Bugotu, and Choiseul (northern Solomon Islands), as well as in Bougainville Island. Adults have a blue patch on the crown.
Micropsitta f. viridifrons is found in Lihir and Tabar, New Hanover, New Ireland, and in the Bismarck Archipelago (in eastern Papua New Guinea). Adults have a large blue patch on the crown, as well as blue around the sides of the face.
Micropsitta f. tristami is found in Vella Lavella, Gizo, Kolombangara, New Georgia, Rubiana, and Rendova (in the western Solomon Islands). Adults have no blue patches or orange abdominal patches.
Micropsitta f. aolae is found in Guadalcanal, Malaita, Florida (island, not state), and Russell (central Solomon Islands). Adults have a darker green upper body and have a blue patch on the crown.
Habitat and distribution
The geographic range of the Finsch’s pygmy parrot includes Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago. Specific ranges of each subspecies are as follows: M.f. finschii is found in the southern Solomon Islands, M.f. aolae is found in the central Solomon Islands, M.f. tristami in the western Solomon Islands, M.f. nanina in the northern Solomon Islands and eastern Papua New Guinea, and M.f viridifrons in eastern Papua New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. There is little overlap between subspecies. The parrots are found in tropical rainforests (up to an elevation of 900m). The birds are most often observed in the forest interior and in river edge vegetation. They are arboreal and have been observed nesting in old arboreal ant/termite mounds. The birds construct a tunnel into the mound, which is used also as a roost. The birds are described as being abundant in their habitats.Diet
The birds find food by climbing tree bark vertically or by climbing along the bottom of branches while hanging upside-down. While foraging and feeding, the tail feathers are used as a prop against the tree surface. The parrot feeds on fungi and lichens found on the tree bark, as well as the seeds of the CasuarinaCasuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...
tree in which it is commonly found. Some birds will apparently associate with slow-moving mixed bird flocks.
Vocalizations
The song of the Finsch’s pygmy parrot is a series of repeated whistles. Each whistle consists of a “tweet-tweet” sound, where the second “tweet” is prolonged and is higher in pitch. Other sounds produced include shrill squawking and chattering.Reproduction
Finsch’s pygmy parrots are often found in pairs or small groups (3-6 individuals). The groups often include socially monogamous (for up to a year) mating pairs. The breeding season is from March to May and a typical clutch produced will have 1 or 2 eggs. Both parents provide care for the offspring (offspring are altricialAltricial
Altricial, meaning "requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born...
) and parent-offspring interactions are often prolonged. Information on specific incubation times and chick-rearing times is unavailable as captive individuals have a low survival rate.