Plum-faced Lorikeet
Encyclopedia
The Plum-faced Lorikeet (Oreopsittacus arfaki), also known as the Whiskered Lorikeet, is a species of parrot
in the Psittacidae family. It is monotypic
within the genus Oreopsittacus.
It is found in highland forest on New Guinea
.
and dark-brown iris
es. The adult male as a red forehead and the adult female has a green forehead.
:
Oreopsittacus Salvadori 1877
across both the Indonesia
n and Papua New Guinea
n zones of the island.
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
in the Psittacidae family. It is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
within the genus Oreopsittacus.
It is found in highland forest on New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
.
Description
The Plum-faced Lorikeet is a mainly green small parrot about 15 cm (6 in) long with a long pointed tail. It has two white stripes under each eye. It has a narrow pointed black billBeak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and dark-brown iris
Iris (anatomy)
The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...
es. The adult male as a red forehead and the adult female has a green forehead.
Taxonomy
The Plum-faced Lorikeet is the only species of the genus Oreopsittacus and it has three subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
Oreopsittacus Salvadori 1877
- Oreopsittacus arfaki (Meyer, AB 1874)
- Oreopsittacus arfaki arfaki (Meyer, AB 1874) (red-orange abdomen)
- Oreopsittacus arfaki grandis Ogilvie-Grant 1895 (green abdomen)
- Oreopsittacus arfaki major Ogilvie-Grant 1914 (red-orange abdomen and larger)
Range
The Plum-faced Lorikeet's native range is the mountains between about 2000 m to 3750 m of mainland New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
across both the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
n zones of the island.