Red-fronted Parrot

Poicephalus gulielmi

Content

28 cm. length and an average weight of 220 g..

The Red-fronted Parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi)has the forecrown and crown bright red; the lores and chin blackish; cheeks, back of the crown and nape dark green with scattered feathers showing blackish centers.

The mantle feathers and scapulars Black with large green edges that give scalloped appearance; rump and uppertail-coverts bright yellowish green .

Wing coverts black with a dark green margin; leading edge of the wings from joints carpal to the base of the primaries bright red. The primaries and secondaries black. Under, the wing feathers dark green and black.

Underparts dark green with scattered feathers showing a black central band; the thighs bright red. The tail black.

Top of the mandible grey, Blackish towards the tip with pale base stains, lower jawBlackish r; Orange the irises; legs dark grey to black.

Both sexes similar.

The youth lack of red color in the forecrown, the edge of the wings and the thighs; Green in a little paler than the adults plumage. Young birds sometimes show red color in the feathers of the wings. The irises is dark brown.

• Poicephalus gulielmi fantiensis

  (Neumann, 1908) – Smaller that the species nominal. Forehead, leading edge of the wings and the thighs Orange or orange-red (but not red) and more extensive, in some birds. Underparts paler green with fewer black markings.




• Poicephalus gulielmi gulielmi

  (Jardine, 1849) – Nominal species




• Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus

  (Fischer & Reichenow, 1884) – Restricted red in the forecrown. Paler than the species nominal, with few or no black marks on the underparts.

The Red-fronted Parrot They inhabit montane forests of Juniperus and Podocarpus in Kenya and Tanzania, between 1,800 and 3,250 meters above sea level, where may depend on the primary vegetation.

Confined in the lowlands the rest of the population rainforest (below 700 metres in West Africa), but are not limited to the primary formations, There are records of the Red-fronted Parrot perched on tall trees of shade coffee plantations in Angola and in secondary forests of Ghana.

Usually stays in the tree tops, While they feed or rest.

In general, seen in groups of up to 10 birds, forming large flocks where abundant food. Large congregations, sometimes, in places.

In Kenya, the Red-fronted Parrot they make long daytime journeys of foraging (60km) along gallery forests, or crossing the savanna forest dominated by Acacia.

The Red-fronted Parrot they breed solitary.

During the mating, males sway rhythmically, without moving the wings, while standing behind the female's back.

The nest is located in a cavity between 3 and 12 meters above the ground.

In the Mount Meru (Tanzania), nests have been recorded in living trees of the genus Hagenia, Podocarpus and Juniperus.

The egg laying It has been recorded in November to January in Tanzania, September in Zaire and March, June and from September to November in Kenya. The implementation is of between 2 and 4 eggs bright white.

Its diet It is believed that it is composed of a variety of seeds, fruits, flowers and insects. The seeds of Spathodea, oil palm nuts (Elaeis guineensis), fruits of the Podocarpus flowers and seeds of Grevillea robusta. Probably some insects are also part of their diet.

Sometimes associated with the African Olive-Pigeon (Columba arquatrix) and Sharpe's Starling (Pholia sharpii) when feeding in the Olea capensis.

Size of the area of distribution (reproduction / resident): 5.380.000 km2

Several apparently separated distributions.

In West Africa are distributed to the East of Liberia until Ivory Coast and South of Ghana.
In the Center-West of Africa, South of Cameroon to the Northwest of Angola. A seemingly separate population extends to the North of Zaire and South of the Central African Republic to the southwest of Uganda and Rwanda. Also found in the Highlands of Kenya and North of Tanzania.

Sedentary with local movements. Locally common to abundant in many localities in part of its eastern range, apparently, the decrease in other areas is possibly due to deforestation.

• Poicephalus gulielmi fantiensis

  (Neumann, 1908) – High Guinea, rainforests of West Africa, in Liberia, Ivory Coast and South of Ghana.




• Poicephalus gulielmi gulielmi

  (Jardine, 1849) – Nominal species




• Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus

  (Fischer & Reichenow, 1884) – Both sides of the Great Rift Valley from the Mount Elgon, South of Kenya to Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania N

• Current Red List of UICN: Least concern

• Population trend: Decreasing

Keep a Red-fronted Parrot as a pet it has steadily increased in popularity in recent years, and as a result, the species has been the subject of intense trade on the market of wild birds. His capture may represent a significant threat to the species, in particular for the population around the Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, fact that could lead to the local extinction of the species in that area.

The Red-fronted Parrot is also at risk from the deforestation in parts of its area of distribution. But, the species is still distributed over a wide area and is not currently considered globally threatened, even though global population trends have yet to be quantified.

The Red-fronted Parrot is located in several protected areas, including the Lope-Okanda National Park in Gabon, World Heritage site, the Korup National Park in Cameroon and the Bia National Park in Ghana.

The species is included in the Appendix II the Convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), that means that the international trade of the Red-fronted Parrot It must be carefully checked. But, a key problem in many areas is the lack of adequate legislation, and the lack of compliance with the legislation in which it does exist.

The wild trade in this bird and the destruction of their forest habitat may have a better follow-up to ensure that populations of the Red-fronted Parrot not to suffer future decreases.

Probably the first hatchlings of Red-fronted Parrot born in in captivity were achieved in 1978, in Switzerland and England Although already in advance, in the middle of the 90, specimens had arrived at zoos in London and Hamburg.

The Red-fronted Parrot is little known in Spain, but in other countries it is very common as a pet thanks to its size, its great intelligence, its capacity for imitation and its character quiet and loving, but at the same time playful and naughty.

It is soft and musical, and their cry is quite bearable. In general, is a bird bit noisy, which can be an asset to a future owner who lives in an apartment.

They are very destructive, or both must provide them with abundant branches and non-toxic toys for chopping and shredding.

In terms of their longevity, according to sources, one specimen was still alive after 21 years in captivity.

– Red-fronted Parrot, Jardine’s Parrot, Red fronted Parrot, Red-crowned Parrot, Red-headed Parrot, William’s Fig Parrot (English).
– Perroquet à calotte rouge, Perroquet à front rouge, Perroquet de Jardine, Perroquet vert à calotte rouge (French).
– Kongopapagei, Kongo Papagei (German).
– Papagaio-de-jardine (Portuguese).
– Lorito de Jardine, Lorito Frentirrojo, Loro Jardinero (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittacidae
– Genus: Poicephalus
– Scientific name: Poicephalus gulielmi
– Citation: (Jardine, 1849)
– Protonimo: Parrot gulielmi

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“Red-fronted Parrot” (Poicephalus gulielmi)

Sources:

– Avibase
– Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
– Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
– Birdlife
– Arkive

– Photos:

(1) – A Red-fronted Parrot at Birds of Eden, South Africa By Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org /) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
(2) – Photograph of a couple of Poicephalus gulielmi By derivative work: Snowmanradio (talk)Poicephalus_gulielmi_pareja_reproductora. JPG: Juan Caparrós (Poicephalus_gulielmi_pareja_reproductora. JPG) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
(3) – P. g. fantiensis at Birds of Eden, South Africa By Poicephalus_gulielmi_-Birds_of_Eden_-South_Africa-8a.jpg: Grahamderivative work: Snowmanradio [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(4) – A juvenile pet Red-fronted Parrot (also known as Jardine’s Parrot) By Bram Cymet (originally posted to Flickr as Amazon) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(5) – Fledgeling Lesser Jardines Parrot eating vegetables By Kofiwannacracker (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons