Red-breasted Pygmy-parrot
Encyclopedia
The Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta bruijnii) is a species of parrot
in the Psittacidae family.
Its natural habitat is the boreal forest
s, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of Indonesia
, Papua New Guinea
, and Solomon Islands
.
As their name suggests, the pygmy parrots are the smallest genus of all parrots, with distribution confined to islands off South-east Asia. This particular species is found at higher altitudes than other pygmy parrots, and uses trees rather than arboreal termite
nests as breeding sites. They have jerky movements, rather reminiscent of nuthatch
es (sitta species), and cling close to the bark as they search for lichen
s growing in the trees, which form the majority of their diet. Red breasted Pygmy parrots are only 8 cm, or 3 inches in length.
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to uncommon due to deforestation and habitat lost on this limited range.
The name bruijnii commemorates the Dutch plume merchant Antonie Augustus Bruijn
.
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.
Its natural habitat is the boreal forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of 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...
, 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...
, and Solomon Islands
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...
.
As their name suggests, the pygmy parrots are the smallest genus of all parrots, with distribution confined to islands off South-east Asia. This particular species is found at higher altitudes than other pygmy parrots, and uses trees rather than arboreal termite
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
nests as breeding sites. They have jerky movements, rather reminiscent of nuthatch
Nuthatch
The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs...
es (sitta species), and cling close to the bark as they search for lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
s growing in the trees, which form the majority of their diet. Red breasted Pygmy parrots are only 8 cm, or 3 inches in length.
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to uncommon due to deforestation and habitat lost on this limited range.
The name bruijnii commemorates the Dutch plume merchant Antonie Augustus Bruijn
Antonie Augustus Bruijn
right|250 px|thumb|Antonie Augustus Bruijn Antonie Augustus Bruijn was a Dutch navy officer, naturalist and trader in naturalia from the Dutch East Indies...
.