Blue-winged Racquet-tail

Prioniturus verticalis

27 cm. long, not to mention their racquets, measuring of 5 to 6 cm..

The Blue-winged Racquet-tail (Prioniturus verticalis) It has a bright green head, brighter around the lores and the base of the beak; front of the bright blue Crown with central red dot.

Light yellowish green mantle; back and rump Green. green wings, with a wash of dark blue in both bands of all primaries. green wing feathers. The underparts light yellowish-green, more green on the belly and coverts infracaudales. At the top of the queue, Foreign feathers green with black tips; dark the infracaudales, with blue bathed at the edges of the vane inner; tail blades, blackish

Whitish gray peak; dark brown irises: grey legs.

The female It has a light blue Crown, with the absence of the male Red stain: the areas of green yellow more turned off.

Young without snowshoes.

• Sound of the Blue-winged Racquet-tail.

It lives in the lowlands of humid forests., next to forests, the mangroves, dense remnants of forest fragments and agricultural areas. The birds are seen most frequently in pairs, in quick flights over the top of the dense vegetation. They feed on fruit trees, staying calm and hard to spot.

A nest was discovered in September 1991 with a female: the nest was in a large Palm tree with a broken lid in a Grove near the forest.
Little else is known about the reproductive ecology of this species..

It is known that it feeds on fruit trees, little more is known about their eating habits.

Is distributed in the Islands to the South-West of the Sulu archipelago, including Tawi-tawi, Bongao (considered probably extinct), Manuk Manka, Sanga Sanga (probably extinct), Tumindao, (There are no recent records) and Sibutu. Although reports indicated that the species was common in the mangroves of Tawi-tawi during the last century, Today it seems to have suffered a serious decline. Today the world population is estimated to be less than 5.000 and the species is being affected by the capture and the rapid elimination of the last forests on the islands.

The birds are also, apparently, used for shooting practice by the Islanders. In 1991 small numbers were observed near virgin forests. During 1994, in Tawi-tawi, There was a rapid elimination of its remnant forest and only six birds were observed.

• Current category of the Red List of the UICN: Critical Hazard

• Population trend: Decreasing

This parrot has been upgraded to the category a Critically Endangered due to observations that suggest that it now has a very small population, with the suspicion of a fast and rapid deterioration due to the continuous logging of forests, as well as his persecution. Conservation actions are hampered by security concerns. Urgent action is required to assess the gravity of the situation of the species, lessen the impact of threats, start your recovery.

The population was previously estimated at less of 1.000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2001), but the most recent observations indicate that it could currently be less than 250 mature individuals, Therefore the population is now in the band of 50 to 249 mature individuals, probably equivalent to a total population of 75 to 375 individuals.

Military activity and the insurgency are still presenting a serious obstacle to the general conservation activity in the Sulus. There is no formal protected areas in the archipelago. In 1997, began an awareness campaign focused on the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity in Tawi-Tawi. There is a proposal to finance the conservation of Tawi Tawi, Coastal zone Sulu, Although neither the result nor the potential benefits for the species are known. A municipal resolution has been developing, hoping to put an end to the hunting of endemic species (I. Sarenas in litt., 2010).

Unknown in captivity.

– Blue-winged Racquet-tail, Blue winged Racquet tail, Blue-winged Racket-tail, Blue-winged Racket-tailed Parrot, Blue-winged Racquet Tail, Blue-winged Racquet-tailed Parrot, Sulu Racket-tail, Sulu Racket-tailed Parrot, Sulu Racquet-tail, Sulu Racquet-tail Parrot, Sulu Racquet-tailed Parrot (ingles).
– Palette des Sulu, Palette à ailes bleues, Perroquet à raquette des Sulu (French).
– Sulu-Spatelschwanzpapagei, Sulu Spatelschwanz-Papapgei, Sulupapagei (German).
– Prioniturus verticalis (Portuguese).
– Lorito momoto de las Sulu, Lorito Momoto Sulu, Lorito-momoto de las Sulu (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Prioniturus
– Scientific name: Prioniturus verticalis
– Citation: Sharpe, 1893
– Protonimo: Prioniturus verticalis

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“Blue-winged Racquet-tail” (Prioniturus verticalis)

Sources:

– Sounds: Desmond Allen (Xeno-canto)