Crimson Shining-parrot
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| Prosopeia splendens (Peale, 1848) |
The Crimson Shining-parrot, Prosopeia splendens, is a parrot from Fiji. The species is endemic to the islands of Kadavu and Ono in the Kadavu Group. The species was once considered conspecific with the Red Shining-parrot of Vanua Levu and Taveuni, but is now considered its own species. The species is sometimes known as the Kadavu Musk Parrot.
The Crimson Shining-parrot is a medium sized parrot (45 cm) with a long tail and bright plumage. The head, breast and belly are covered in bright crimson-red, its back, wings and tail are green with hints of blue in the wing. It has a long winged appearance in flight, flying with undulating bouts of flaps and gliding. The species is very vocal; the chreiks and squawks of the Crimson Shining-parrot are of a higher pitch than that of the Red Shining-parrot. On Kadavu it is unlikely to be mistaken for the other species of parrot, the Collared Lory.
The Crimson Shining-parrot is a common forest species that has recently taken to entering gardens and agricultural land. Pairs forage for seeds and fruits. The species has nt been observed nesting but is assumed to be a hole nester like Red Shining-parrot. The species is considered to be vulnerable by the IUCN due to its restricted range, habitat loss and the illegal trade in parrots.
[edit] References
- Pratt, H., Bruner, P & Berrett, D. (1987) The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific Princeton University Press:Princeton ISBN 0-691-08402-5
- BirdLife International (2006) Species factsheet: Prosopeia splendens. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/9/2006
