The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Parrots

[Chlidonias]

Vini
Ten extant species.


The genus Vini was formerly restricted to five species of short-tailed lorikeets from the Pacific islands (australis, kuhlii, peruviana, stepheni, ultramarina). Two extinct species were also known from subfossil remains (sinotoi and vidivici). All these species may be called either "lory" or "lorikeet".

The short-tailed Collared Lory Phigys solitarius of Fiji was always recognised as being closely related to the Vini lorikeets, and has on-and-off been placed into Vini, but has generally been retained in its own monotypic genus.

Some papers on genetic studies published in 2020 showed that the genera Vini and Phigys were nested within the genus Charmosyna (small long-tailed lorikeets of the Pacific and Australasian islands), and that Charmosyna was paraphyletic. Therefore this latter genus was split into several different genera. Five of the species were placed into Vini (amabilis, diadema, meeki, palmarum, rubrigularis).

The list of Vini species below is therefore quite a bit different to other lists for the genus which are either older or which are not following the latest studies.


Only three of the ten extant species are represented in the Zoochat galleries (Blue-crowned Lorikeet Vini australis, Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana, and Collared Lory Vini solitarius).



Extinct species


Sinoto's Lorikeet Vini sinotoi
Extinct. Known only from subfossil remains from the Marquesas Islands, having become extinct after the arrival of humans to the islands (about 1000 years ago). The species was described in 1987, although bones were first collected in 1965.


Conquered Lorikeet Vini vidivici
Extinct. Described in 1987 and known only from subfossil remains, having become extinct after the arrival of humans to the islands. This species was distributed across several island groups in central Polynesia, with remains found in the Cook Islands, the Society Islands, and the Marquesas Islands. The scientific name is a deliberate pun.


New Caledonian Lorikeet Vini diadema
Probably extinct. This species is traditionally placed in the genus Charmosyna. Originally described in 1860 from two specimens collected on New Caledonia; one of these has since been lost or destroyed, and the other is now the only known specimen in a museum. The species has since been known only from very occasional (and unverified) reports of sightings, up until as late as 1976. It is generally considered to be extinct, but some hold out hope that it still exists in the mountain forests.



Extant species



Red-throated Lorikeet Vini amabilis
Monotypic.

Traditionally placed in the genus Charmosyna.


Possibly extinct. Endemic to Fiji, recorded from the islands of Vanua Levu, Viti Levu, Taveuni, and Ovalau. It has only rarely been sighted during the latter half of the 20th Century. The last sightings considered to be realistic were in 1993 and 2002. If it still exists it must be close to extinction.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Blue-crowned Lorikeet Vini australis
Monotypic.


Found across a cluster of island groups in western Polynesia, including Samoa, Tonga, Lau Islands (eastern Fiji), and Niue.


Photo by @Goura at London Zoo (UK).

Blue-crowned lory - ZooChat



Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii
Monotypic.


Found on the islands of Teraina (aka Washington Island) and Tabuaran in the Northern Line Islands in western Polynesia, Rimatara in the Austral Islands in central Polynesia, and Atiu in the Cook Islands. The population in the Northern Line Islands is believed to have been introduced there in pre-European times, and the population on Atiu was introduced there in 2007 (from Rimatara, as a conservation programme). However, until the arrival of humans it was probably found across multiple island groups in central Polynesia as it is known from subfossil remains and midden sites throughout the Cook Islands. Several sources quote the extinction date in the Cook Islands as being 1820 but the species was never recorded here by European explorers and this date actually stems from the supposition that it became extinct before the arrival of European missionaries in the 1820s - oral traditions in the islands suggest that the last hunt (for the red feathers) took place around the time of Cook's first visit during the 1770s.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Meek's Lorikeet Vini meeki
Monotypic.

Traditionally placed in the genus Charmosyna.


Found on Bougainville Island (east of New Guinea) and the Solomon Islands.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Palm Lorikeet Vini palmarum
Monotypic.

Traditionally placed in the genus Charmosyna.


Found in the eastern Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana
Monotypic.


Also known as Tahitian Lorikeet.


Found in the Tahitian islands, and also on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands to which it is thought to have been introduced in pre-European times.


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany).

Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana) October 2009 - ZooChat



Red-chinned Lorikeet Vini rubrigularis
Monotypic.

Traditionally placed in the genus Charmosyna.


Also known as Red-spotted Lorikeet.


Found in the Bismarck Archipelago and on Karkar Island (east of New Guinea).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Collared Lory Vini solitarius
Monotypic.

Traditionally placed in the genus Phigys.


Also known as Solitary Lory.


Endemic to the Fijian Islands.


Photo by @Terry Thomas at Kula Eco-Park (Fiji). Kula is the Fijian name for the Collared Lory.

Collared lory. Fiji - ZooChat


Photo by @Chlidonias at Kula Eco-Park (Fiji), showing why the species is called Collared Lory.

collared lory (Vini [Phygis] solitarius) from behind - ZooChat



Stephen's Lorikeet Vini stepheni
Monotypic.


Endemic to Henderson Island (in the Pitcairn group in far-eastern Polynesia).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Ultramarine Lorikeet Vini ultramarina
Monotypic.


Endemic to the Marquesas Islands (now found only on the island of Ua Huka).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Tribe Melopsittacini
One monotypic genus.



Melopsittacus
One species.



Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus
Monotypic.


Also very commonly known by the shortened name Budgie, and also in America simply as "Parakeet" (from the old name Shell Parakeet).


Found throughout the arid interior of Australia including to the west coast, with occasional irruptions to eastern coastal areas.


This species is one of the most commonly kept pet and aviary birds and has been bred in a large variety of colours. For the photos I have used those of wild birds to show what they are "supposed" to look like, and then a photo showing a range of mutations.



Photo by @Hix in the wild, Australia - male on left and female on right. The sexes can be distinguished by the colouration of the cere (the skin around the nostrils, above the bill), which is blue in the male and brown in the female.

Budgerigar - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Australia, showing the colour of the back.

Budgerigar - ZooChat


Photo by @Sheather at Brookfield Zoo (USA), showing the variety of captive-bred colourations.

Budgies (Wild Encounters) - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Tribe Cyclopsittini
Two genera with seven species.

Six species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Cyclopsitta
Four species.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma
Blue-fronted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii
Dusky-cheeked Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta melanogenia
Black-fronted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta nigrifrons


Psittaculirostris
Three species.

Desmarest's or Large Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris desmarestii
Edwards' Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris edwardsii
Salvadori's Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris salvadorii

 

[Chlidonias]

Cyclopsitta
Four species.

The Orange-breasted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii has recently been split into three species.



Double-eyed Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma
Eight subspecies: aruensis, coccineifrons, coxeni, diophthalma, inseparabilis, macleayana, marshalli, virago. The subspecies coxeni may be separable as a full species.

Only two of the subspecies are depicted here: C. d. diophthalma of western New Guinea and C. d. macleayana of central Queensland.


Found in New Guinea and northeastern Australia. C. d. aruensis is from southern New Guinea to the Aru Islands (west of New Guinea). C. d. coccineifrons is from southeastern New Guinea. C. d. coxeni is from southern Queensland and northern NSW (Australia). C. d. diophthalma is from northwestern New Guinea and the West Papuan Islands. C. d. inseparabilis is from Tagula Island in the Louisiade Archipelago. C. d. macleayana is from central Queensland (Australia). C. d. marshalli is from the Cape York Peninsula (Australia). C. d. virago is from the Fergusson and Goodenough Islands.


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - male of the nominate subspecies diophthalma.

Double-eyed Fig-parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma) June 2012 - ZooChat


Photo by @ronnienl at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - female of the nominate subspecies diophthalma.

Double-eyed fig-parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) - male of the central Queensland subspecies macleayana.

Red-browed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana) - ZooChat


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) - female of the central Queensland subspecies macleayana.

Red-browed Fig Parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) - probable-juvenile, of the central Queensland subspecies macleayana. Juveniles of all the subspecies have the same colouration as adult females, but the spots of red visible on this individual's cheeks suggest that it is a juvenile male. The bird at the bottom right of the photo is an adult male.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma) - ZooChat



Blue-fronted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii
Monotypic.

This species was formerly called the Orange-breasted Fig Parrot and contained six or seven subspecies. These have recently been split into three full species (C. gulielmitertii, C. melanogenia and C. nigrifrons).


Found only in far-western New Guinea, restricted to the Vogelkop Peninsula and neighbouring offshore islands. It is well-separated in range from the other two split species.


Most of the photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries are from Walsrode.


Photo by @ronnienl at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - male.

Blue-fronted fig-parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - female.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii) - female - ZooChat



Dusky-cheeked Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta melanogenia
Three subspecies: : fuscifrons, melanogenia, suavissima.


Found in southern New Guinea: C. g. fuscifrons is from southern New Guinea, C. g. melanogenia is from the Aru Islands, and C. g. suavissima is from southeast Papua New Guinea.


Photo by @Sicarius at Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) - male of either fuscifrons or melanogenia which are similar to one another (suavissima has a dark blue forecrown).

Dusky-cheeked fig parrot (Cyclopsitta melanogenia) - ZooChat



Black-fronted Fig Parrot Cyclopsitta nigrifrons
Two subspecies: amabilis and nigrifrons. The subspecies ramuensis, described from the Ramu River district of northern Papua New Guinea, is probably just an intergrade between these.

This species was formerly treated as subspecies of C. gulielmitertii but is remarkably distinctive in that the colouration of the sexes is the reverse of that in C. gulielmitertii and C. melanogenia, with in this species the female being the one with the orange breast and the male having a white face and breast.


Found in northern New Guinea: C. g. amabilis is from northeastern Papua New Guinea, and C. g. nigrifrons from northern New Guinea (west of amabilis).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Psittaculirostris
Three species.



Desmarest's Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris desmarestii
Six subspecies: blythii, cervicalis, desmarestii, godmani, intermedia, occidentalis.


Also known as Large Fig Parrot.


Found through much of New Guinea. P. d. blythii is from the island of Misool in the West Papuan Islands. P. d. cervicalis is from southeastern New Guinea. P. d. desmarestii is from the northern and eastern parts of the Vogelkop Peninsula. P. d. godmani is from southern New Guinea. P. d. intermedia is from the Onin Peninsula. P. d. occidentalis is from the West Papuan islands of Salawati and Batanta, and the western and southern parts of the Vogelkop Peninsula.


Photo by @HOMIN96 at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - probably a bird of the subspecies desmarestii (adult birds have bright orange on the top of the head so originally I interpreted this bird as being a juvenile, however it seems the bird still looks the same years later so it may be an aberrant specimen or perhaps a hybrid). A comment on the photo suggests this to be a female of occidentalis but the only subspecies in which the sexes are coloured differently to one another is godmani. Only the subspecies desmarestii and intermedia have green cheeks and ear-coverts - in the other subspecies these are bright yellow. Note that the photos used on Zootierliste for the different subspecies are just a random mixture of subspecies.

?Large fig parrot (Psittaculirostris desmarestii) - juvenile? - ZooChat


Photo by @Jakub at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - subspecies occidentalis. As with all the subspecies except godmani, the sexes are alike in appearance.

Large fig parrot - ZooChat



Edwards' Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris edwardsii
Monotypic.


Found in northeastern New Guinea.


Photo by @Jana at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - male on right, female on left.

Edwards' fig parrots - ZooChat



Salvadori's Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris salvadorii
Monotypic.


Found in northwestern New Guinea.


There are only two photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.


Photo by @HOMIN96 at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - male bird (females have a blue breast band rather than red).

Salvadori's fig-parrot (Psittaculirostris salvadorii) - ZooChat


Photo by @HOMIN96 at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - I think the bird on the left might be a juvenile male (given the cheek feathers being green rather than yellow), but I'm not sure.

Salvadori's fig-parrot (Psittaculirostris salvadorii) - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Family Psittaculidae

Subfamily Agapornithinae
Three genera, with about 25 species.



This small subfamily is made up mainly of the African lovebirds (Agapornis) and the Asian hanging parrots (Loriculus). Traditionally lovebirds were considered to be related to the larger African parrots (in the genera Poicephalus and Psittacus which are in the other family of "true parrots", Psittacidae) but genetic studies have shown that they instead form a group with the Asian hanging parrots.


Of the three genera in this subfamily, all but one of the nine lovebird species (Agapornis) are represented in the Zoochat galleries, but only seven of the fifteen hanging parrots (Loriculus). The sole member of the genus Bolbopsittacus, the Guaiabero of the Philippines, is not depicted.



Agapornis
Madagascan (Grey-headed) Lovebird Agapornis canus
Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri
Nyasa (Lilian's) Lovebird Agapornis lilianae
Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis
Masked (Yellow-collared) Lovebird Agapornis personatus
Red-headed (Red-faced) Lovebird Agapornis pullarius
Peach-faced (Rosy-faced) Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
Black-collared Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus
Black-winged (Abyssinian) Lovebird Agapornis taranta

Bolbopsittacus
Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus

Loriculus
Moluccan Hanging Parrot Loriculus amabilis
Orange-fronted Hanging Parrot Loriculus aurantiifrons
Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot Loriculus beryllinus
Black-billed Hanging Parrot Loriculus bonapartei
Camiguin Hanging Parrot Loriculus camiguinensis
Sangihe Hanging Parrot Loriculus catamene
Green (Small Sulawesi) Hanging Parrot Loriculus exilis
Wallace's (Flores) Hanging Parrot Loriculus flosculus
Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus
Philippine Hanging Parrot Loriculus philippensis
Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot Loriculus pusillus
Sula Hanging Parrot Loriculus sclateri
Sulawesi Hanging Parrot Loriculus stigmatus
Bismarck (Green-fronted) Hanging Parrot Loriculus tener
Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis

 

[Chlidonias]

Agapornis
Nine species.


All the species in this genus are small, short-tailed parrots native to Africa or (in a single species) Madagascar. Traditionally they have been considered to be related to the larger African parrots (in Poicephalus and Psittacus, which are in the family Psittacidae rather than Psittaculidae) but genetic studies have shown that they instead form a group with the Asian hanging parrots (Loriculus).


Three species are sexually-dimorphic: the Madagascan Lovebird Agapornis canus, the Red-headed Lovebird Agapornis pullarius (only mildly), and the Black-winged Lovebird Agapornis taranta.


All but one species are represented in the Zoochat galleries, the lone species not depicted being the Black-collared Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus which is not kept in captivity.




Madagascan Lovebird Agapornis canus
Two subspecies: ablectaneus and canus.


Also known as Grey-headed Lovebird. The scientific names have also been spelled "cana" and "ablectanea".


Endemic to Madagascar, with A. c. ablectaneus found in the southwestern "dry zone" of the island and A. c. canus over the rest of the island. The nominate subspecies has also been introduced to various Indian Ocean islands (to the Comoros, Seychelles, and Mascarenes; apparently only the Comoros populations still survive). Captive birds are probably of the nominate subspecies canus.


Photo by @gentle lemur at Newquay Zoo (UK) - male bird.

Madagascar lovebird - ZooChat


Photo by @nikola at Zoo Wroclaw (Poland) - a male bird flanked by two female birds. This species is the most distinctively dimorphic of the lovebird species.

Agapornis cana - ZooChat



Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri
Monotypic.


Native to north-central Tanzania. It has also been introduced to other parts of Tanzania and to parts of Kenya.


Photo by @vogelcommando at De Evenaar - Etten-Leur (Netherlands). In comparison to the very similar A. lilianae, note that A. fischeri has a dusky head overall (with no yellow on the back) and the orange of the breast becomes yellow at the lower edge (in A. lilianae there is little or no yellow on the breast); the upper tail-coverts are also blue in this species (rather than green as in A. lilianae). The Peach-faced Lovebird A. roseicollis can be most easily told apart by the pale bill (rather than bright red in the other two species) and the lack of a prominent white eye-ring.

Fischer's lovebird - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Tanzania.

Fischers Lovebird - ZooChat



Nyasa Lovebird Agapornis lilianae
Monotypic.


Also known as Lilian's Lovebird.


Found in southeast Africa, predominantly in Tanzania and Mozambique.


Photo by @Tomek at Rotterdam Zoo (Netherlands). In comparison to the very similar A. fischeri, note that A. lilianae has obvious yellow plumage on the back of the head (rather than having a dusky head overall) - although this is more obvious in the second photo used here due to the angle - and that there is little to no yellow on the breast below the orange bib; the upper tail-coverts are also green in this species (rather than blue as in A. fischeri). The Peach-faced Lovebird A. roseicollis can be most easily told apart by the pale bill (rather than bright red in the other two species) and the lack of a prominent white eye-ring.

Lilian’s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) - ZooChat


Photo by @Mr Gharial at Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands). The yellow on the back of the head can be seen clearly in this photo.

Nyasa lovebird - ZooChat



Black-cheeked Lovebird Agapornis nigrigenis
Monotypic.


Found in a small area in southeastern Africa, predominantly along the Zambesi Valley from Zambia to Zimbabwe.


Photo by @KevinB at Antwerp Zoo (Belgium). In comparison to the other "black-faced" species (A. personatus) note the lack of yellow collar and breast, and the much more subdued colouration overall.

Black-cheeked lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis), 2020-05-24 - ZooChat



Masked Lovebird Agapornis personatus
Monotypic.


Also known as Yellow-collared Lovebird.


Native to north and central Tanzania. Introduced to other parts of Tanzania and to parts of Kenya.


Photo by @vogelcommando at a bird show in the Netherlands. In comparison to the similar-looking A. nigrigenis, note the bright yellow collar and breast of A. personatus and the full black hood.

Yellow-collared lovebird - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Tanzania.

Masked Lovebirds and Laughing Dove - ZooChat



Red-headed Lovebird Agapornis pullarius
Two subspecies: pullarius and ugandae.


Also known as Red-faced Lovebird (not to be confused with Rosy-faced Lovebird, which is an alternative name for the Peach-faced Lovebird).


Found across central Africa, with A. p. pullarius found in west and central Africa (as far east as western Uganda), and A. p. ugandae in east-central Africa.


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Uganda - subspecies ugandae.

Red-headed Lovebird - ZooChat



Peach-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
Two subspecies: catumbella and roseicollis.


Also known as Rosy-faced Lovebird.


Native to southern and southwestern Africa. A. r. catumbella is found in southwest Angola, while A. r. roseicollis is found in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Also established in the wild in Arizona (USA). I don't know if the captive population is made up just of the nominate subspecies or if it is mixed.


Photo by @Parrotsandrew at Filey Bird Garden and Animal Park (UK). With regards to the other most-similar species (A. fischeri and A. lilianae) note that the bill of A. roseicollis is pale rather than deep red, and that it lacks the very prominent white eye-rings of those species.

Peach-faced Lovebird, 16th October 2014 - ZooChat



Black-collared Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus
Three subspecies: emini, swindernianus, zenkeri.


Also known as Swindern's Lovebird.


Found in the rainforests of central Africa. A. s. emini is the easternmost subspecies, found from central DRC to western Uganda. A. s. swindernianus is the westernmost subspecies, found in Liberia, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana. A. s. zenkeri is found from Cameroon to CAR and western DRC.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries, and it is not kept in captivity.



Black-winged Lovebird Agapornis taranta
Monotypic.


Also known as Abyssinian Lovebird (Abyssinia is the old name for Ethiopia).


Native to the highlands of Ethiopia and south Eritrea.


Photo by @Tomek at Tiergarten Schonbrunn (Austria) - male at left and female at right.

Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta) - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Bolbopsittacus
One species.



Guaiabero Bolbopsittacus lunulatus
Four subspecies: callainipictus, intermedius, lunulatus, mindanensis.


Endemic to the Philippines. B. l. callainipictus is from the island of Samar. B. l. intermedius is from the islands of Leyte and Panaon. B. l. lunulatus is from the island of Luzon. B. l. mindanensis is from the island of Mindanao.


This species has almost never been exported alive from the Philippines, and the few birds which have been exported have not lived long. They are kept within the Philippines in a limited capacity.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Loriculus
About fifteen species.


This is a genus of very small parrots. Most species are found on islands in the Indonesian and Philippine archipelagos, east to New Guinea, although there are also a few species found west across continental Asia (namely the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot L. galgulus in Peninsular Malaysia and the Vernal Hanging Parrot L. vernalis from India to Indochina, as well as the Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot L. beryllinus on Sri Lanka). All species are predominantly green in colour, usually with contrasting patches of red, yellow or blue. Some species are sexually-dimorphic. They are typically called hanging parrots due to their distinctive roosting posture of hanging upside-down from branches like bats.

Photo by @gentle lemur showing how these parrots hang upside down (the photo is of a female Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus at Newquay Zoo in the UK).

Blue-crowned hanging parrot, hanging - ZooChat


Of the fifteen or so species in the genus only seven are represented in the Zoochat galleries. Most species are not kept in captivity.




Moluccan Hanging Parrot Loriculus amabilis
Monotypic.


Endemic to the islands of the north Moluccas (west of New Guinea).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Orange-fronted Hanging Parrot Loriculus aurantiifrons
Three subspecies: aurantiifrons, batavorum, meeki.


Also known as Golden-fronted or Papuan Hanging Parrot.


Endemic to New Guinea and surrounding islands. L. a. aurantiifrons is found on the West Papuan island of Misool. L. a. batavorum is found in western New Guinea, including the West Papuan island of Waigeu. L. a. meeki is found in eastern New Guinea and the islands of Fergusson, Goodenough, and Karkar.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot Loriculus beryllinus
Monotypic.


Endemic to Sri Lanka.


Photo by @Chlidonias in the wild, Sri Lanka. The sexes are alike in this species.

Sri Lankan Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus) - ZooChat



Black-billed Hanging Parrot Loriculus bonapartei
Monotypic.


Endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines. L. bonapartei is most commonly treated as a subspecies of the Philippine Hanging Parrot L. philippensis but it is visually distinctive, especially in the black bill (red in L. philippensis) and the more extensive head colouration.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Camiguin Hanging Parrot Loriculus camiguinensis
Monotypic.


Endemic to the island of Camiguin in the Philippines. Until 2006 the species was lumped in with L. philippensis however, unlike that species, L. camiguinensis is not sexually-dimorphic.


Photo by @alexkant at the Crocolandia Foundation (Philippines).

Philippine hanging parrot/ Loriculus philippensis camiguinensis - ZooChat



Sangihe Hanging Parrot Loriculus catamene
Monotypic.


Endemic to the Indonesian island of Sangihe (Sangir).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Green Hanging Parrot Loriculus exilis
Monotypic.


Also known as Small Sulawesi Hanging Parrot.


Endemic to Sulawesi.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Wallace's Hanging Parrot Loriculus flosculus
Monotypic.


Also known as Flores Hanging Parrot.


Endemic to the island of Flores in the Lesser Sundas, and apparently also the small neighbouring island of Rinca.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot Loriculus galgulus
Monotypic.


Native to southeast Asia, being found from Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo.


Photo by @gentle lemur at Chester Zoo (UK) - male bird.

Blue-crowned hanging parrot (1) - ZooChat


Photo by @gentle lemur at Chester Zoo (UK) - back view of a male bird, showing the yellow bar across the lower back which females lack.

Blue-crowned hanging parrot (2) - ZooChat


Photo by @SMR at Chester Zoo (UK) - female bird. Note the lack of red on the throat. The blue on the crown is also paler and reduced in female birds.

Blue-Crowned Hanging Parrot - 18/07/2015 - ZooChat



Philippine Hanging Parrot Loriculus philippensis
About ten subspecies: apicalis, bournsi, chrysonotus, dohertyi, mindorensis, philippensis, regulus, salvadorii, siquijorensis, worcesteri. The subspecies salvadorii may be merged into apicalis. I have split off bonapartei as a full species (the Black-billed Hanging Parrot), although the treatment of this taxon is debated. The Camiguin Hanging Parrot L. camiguinensis was also formerly included within L. philippensis.


The subspecies are all quite similar in appearance (excluding the split bonapartei and camiguinensis), differing mainly in the size of the red patches on the crown and throat. All subspecies (excluding the split camiguinensis) are sexually-dimorphic.


Endemic to the Philippines. L. p. apicalis is from the southern Philippines. L. p. bournsi is from the island of Sibuyan. L. p. chrysonotus is from the island of Cebu (but is probably now extinct). L. p. dohertyi is from the island of Basilan. L. p. mindorensis is from the island of Mindoro. L. p. philippensis is from the north Philippines (excluding Mindoro). L. p. regulus is from the islands of Romblon to Negros in the central Philippines. L. p. salvadorii is from the southern Philippines. L. p. siquijorensis is from the island of Siquijor (but is probably now extinct). L. p. worcesteri is from the islands of Samar to Boho in the central Philippines.


Photo by @Nick@Amsterdam at Avilon Zoo (Philippines) - male of the subspecies philippensis.

Philippine Hanging Parrot (Loriculus philippensis philippensis) - ZooChat


Photo by @Nick@Amsterdam at Avilon Zoo (Philippines) - female of the subspecies philippensis. Note the blue face and the lack of red on the throat.

Philippine Hanging Parrot (Loriculus philippensis philippensis) - ZooChat


Photo by @Dylan at Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation (Philippines) - male of the subspecies regulus.

Negros hanging-parrot (Loriculus philippensis regulus) - ZooChat



Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot Loriculus pusillus
Monotypic.


Also known as Javan Hanging Parrot.


Native to Java and Bali.


Photo by @Rizz Carlton of a captive bird in Indonesia - this is a female bird, which lacks the yellow throat-patch.

Yellow-throated hanging parrot (Loriculus pusillus) - ZooChat



Sula Hanging Parrot Loriculus sclateri
Two subspecies: ruber and sclateri.


Also known as Sclater's or Golden-backed Hanging Parrot.


Endemic to several island groups off Sulawesi. L. s. ruber is from the Peleng, Banggai, and Labobo Islands. L. s. sclateri is from the Sula Islands.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Sulawesi Hanging Parrot Loriculus stigmatus
Monotypic.


Also known as Large Sulawesi Hanging Parrot (to distinguish it from the smaller L. exilis which may be known as the Small Sulawesi Hanging Parrot).


Native to Sulawesi and several neighbouring island groups.


Photo by @Sicarius at Surabaya Zoo (Indonesia) - male bird (females lack the red crown).

Sulawesi hanging parrot (Loriculus stigmatus) - ZooChat



Bismarck Hanging Parrot Loriculus tener
Monotypic.


Also known as Green-fronted or Green-rumped Hanging Parrot.


Endemic to the Bismarck Archipelago, east of New Guinea.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Vernal Hanging Parrot Loriculus vernalis
Monotypic.


Also known as Indian Hanging Parrot. In India commonly called Indian Lorikeet.


Found in mainland Asia from India (but not Sri Lanka) east to Indochina. Introduced in Singapore.


Photo by @HOMIN96 at Prague Zoo Praha (Czech Republic) - male bird. In females the blue patch on the throat is absent or minimal.

Vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) - ZooChat

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Looks like I don't have any shots of those species - from memory, when I last went to the museum the precious Liverpool Pigeon specimen was on display for a limited period (a mere fortnight, I seem to recall) and photography of *that* was definitely not permitted, so I suspect that will be why I lack photographs of the kaka and the swamphen too.... or possibly I didn't quite appreciate at the time that they were almost as precious as the pigeon and hence worth photographing

A little update - went back to the World Museum yesterday but unfortunately the kaka and swamphen were off-display and much of the natural history area was empty, for Covid-19 crowdflow control reasons I was informed on chatting with a museum employee.

However I did photograph their massive collection of hummingbird study skins, which may be useful for a future photographic thread as that's a group I for which may make an exception to my "no skins/mounts" rule.

 

[Chlidonias]

Family Psittaculidae

Subfamily Psittaculinae
Ten extant genera, containing about fifty extant species.


This subfamily is divided into three tribes: Micropsittini (six species of pigmy parrots in a single genus); Polytelini (three genera with eight species of Australian parrots); and Psittaculini (six extant genera with about 35 extant species of Asian and Wallacean parrots, including ringneck parakeets, racquet-tailed parrots, etc; this tribe also contains several extinct species from oceanic islands).


Of these three subfamilies, none of the six species in Micropsittini are represented in the Zoochat galleries; all eight of the species in Polytelini are depicted; and nineteen of the c.35 extant species in Psittaculini are depicted (and over half of those pictured species are from a single genus, Psittacula).



Tribe Micropsittini
One genus.

Micropsitta
Red-breasted Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta bruijnii
Finsch's Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta finschii
Geelvink Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta geelvinkiana
Yellow-capped Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta keiensis
Meek's Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta meeki
Buff-faced Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta pusio



Tribe Polytelini
Three genera.

Alisterus
Moluccan King Parrot Alisterus amboinensis
Papuan King Parrot Alisterus chloropterus
Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis

Aprosmictus
Australian Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus
Timor Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus jonquillaceus

Polytelis
Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae
Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus
Superb Parrot (Barraband) Polytelis swainsonii



Tribe Psittaculini
Six extant genera, plus three recently-extinct genera from the Mascarenes.

Extinct genera

Lophopsittacus
Broad-billed Parrot Lophopsittacus mauritianus

Mascarinus
Mascarene Parrot Mascarinus mascarinus

Necropsittacus
Rodrigues Parrot Necropsittacus rodericanus

Extant genera

Eclectus
Oceanic Eclectus Parrot Eclectus infectus (extinct)
Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus (may be split into four species)

Geoffroyus
Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi
Singing Parrot Geoffroyus heteroclitus
Rennell Parrot Geoffroyus hyacinthinus (a split from G. heteroclitus)
Blue-collared Parrot Geoffroyus simplex

Prioniturus
Blue-crowned Racquet-tail Prioniturus discurus
Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail Prioniturus flavicans
Green Racquet-tail Prioniturus luconensis
Buru Racquet-tail Prioniturus mada
Mindoro Racquet-tail Prioniturus mindorensis
Montane Racquet-tail Prioniturus montanus
Blue-headed Racquet-tail Prioniturus platenae
Golden-mantled Racquet-tail Prioniturus platurus
Blue-winged (Sulu) Racquet-tail Prioniturus verticalis
Mindanao Racquet-tail Prioniturus waterstradti

Psittacula
Moustached (Red-breasted) Parakeet Psittacula alexandri (may be split into two species)
Mascarene Grey Parakeet Psittacula bensoni (extinct)
Layard's (Emerald-collared) Parakeet Psittacula calthropae
Nicobar Parakeet Psittacula caniceps
Malabar (Blue-winged) Parakeet Psittacula columboides
Plum-headed Parakeet Psittacula cyanocephala
Derbyan (Lord Derby's) Parakeet Psittacula derbiana
Echo Parakeet Psittacula eques (syn. P. echo)
Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria
Newton's Parakeet Psittacula exsul (extinct)
Grey-headed Parakeet Psittacula finschii
Slaty-headed Parakeet Psittacula himalayana
Ringneck (Rose-ringed) Parakeet Psittacula krameri (may be split into two species)
Long-tailed Parakeet Psittacula longicauda
Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata
Seychelles Parakeet Psittacula wardi (extinct)

Psittinus
Simeulue Parrot Psittinus abbotti (a split from P. cyanurus)
Blue-rumped Parrot Psittinus cyanurus

Tanygnathus
Blue-backed Parrot Tanygnathus everetti (a split from T. sumatranus)
Black-lored Parrot Tanygnathus gramineus
Blue-naped Parrot Tanygnathus lucionensis
Great-billed Parrot Tanygnathus megalorynchos
Azure-backed Parrot Tanygnathus sumatranus

 

[Chlidonias]

Tribe Micropsittini
One genus.


The Pigmy Parrots are native to New Guinea and the surrounding islands (west to the Moluccas and east to the Solomons). They are the smallest of the parrots - about the size of a Canary - and have never been kept successfully in captivity. None of the species are depicted in the Zoochat galleries.



Micropsitta
Six species, none of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Red-breasted Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta bruijnii
Four subspecies: bruijnii, necopinata, pileata, rosea.


Also known as Mountain Pigmy Parrot.


M. b. bruijnii is found in the mountains right across New Guinea. M. b. necopinata is from the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, in the Bismarck Archipelago east of New Guinea. M. b. pileata is from the islands of Ceram and Buru, in the southern Moluccas. M. b. rosea is from Bougainville Island east of New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.



Finsch's Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta finschii
Five subspecies: aolae, finschii, nanina, tristami, viridifrons.


Found mostly in the Solomon Islands, east of New Guinea, with different subspecies being found on different islands. M. f. nanina is also found on New Bougainville (as well as in the Solomons). M. f. viridifrons is the only subspecies not from the Solomons, being instead found in the Lihir and Tabar Islands, New Hanover, and New Ireland.



Geelvink Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta geelvinkiana
Two subspecies: geelvinkiana and misoriensis.


Endemic to two large islands in New Guinea's Geelvink Bay, with M. g. geelvinkiana on Numfor Island and M. g. misoriensis on Biak Island.



Yellow-capped Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta keiensis
Three subspecies: chloroxantha, keiensis, viridipectus.


M. k. chloroxantha is from the West Papuan Islands, and the Vogelkop and Onin Peninsulas of New Guinea. M. k. keiensis is from the Kai and Aru Islands west of New Guinea. M. k. viridipectus is from southern New Guinea.



Meek's Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta meeki
Two subspecies: meeki and proxima.


M. m. meeki is from the Admiralty Islands, and M. m. proxima is from the St Matthias Islands.



Buff-faced Pigmy Parrot Micropsitta pusio
Four subspecies: beccarii, harterti, pusio, stresemanni.


M. p. beccarii is from northern New Guinea. M. p. harterti is from Fergusson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago. M. p. pusio is from southeastern New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. M. p. stresemanni is from the Louisiade Archipelago.

 

[Chlidonias]

Tribe Polytelini
Three genera.

This group of parrots has two genera which are very similar in general form (the King Parrots Alisterus and the Crimson-winged Parrots Aprosmictus), and a third containing species which are smaller and more similar to some of the platycercine parakeets. Most species are from Australia, with three species extending into New Guinea and Indonesia.

All species are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Alisterus
Moluccan King Parrot Alisterus amboinensis
Papuan King Parrot Alisterus chloropterus
Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis

Aprosmictus
Australian Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus
Timor Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus jonquillaceus

Polytelis
Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae
Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus
Superb Parrot (Barraband) Polytelis swainsonii

 

[Chlidonias]

Alisterus
Three species.



Moluccan King Parrot Alisterus amboinensis
Six subspecies: amboinensis, buruensis, dorsalis, hypophonius, sulaensis, versicolor.


Also known as Amboina King Parrot.


Found mostly in the Moluccan Islands, but also extending east to New Guinea. A. a. amboinensis is from the southern Moluccas, excluding Buru. A. a. buruensis is from the island of Buru. A. a. dorsalis is from the West Papuan Islands and northwestern New Guinea. A. a. hypophonius is from the island of Halmahera. A. a. sulaensis is from the island of Sula. A. a. versicolor is from the island of Peleng.


Three of the subspecies are represented in the Zoochat galleries: amboinensis, buruensis, and dorsalis. All subspecies are sexually monomorphic.


Photo by @Maguari at NiederRheinPark Plantaria (Germany) - subspecies amboinensis.

Moluccan King Parrot at Plantaria 14/05/09 - ZooChat


Photo by @ThylacineAlive at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - subspecies buruensis. Note the black bill, which is unique to this subspecies.

Buru King Parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - subspecies buruensis.

Moluccan King Parrot (Alisterus amboinensis buruensis) - ZooChat


Photo by @Maguari at Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) - subspecies dorsalis.

Salawati King Parrot at Avifauna, 04/06/12 - ZooChat


Photo by @vogelcommando at Vogelpark Avifauna (Netherlands) - subspecies dorsalis.

Salawati king parrot - ZooChat



Papuan King Parrot Alisterus chloropterus
Three subspecies: callopterus, chloropterus, moszkowskii.


Also known as Green-winged King Parrot.


Endemic to New Guinea. A. c. callopterus is from central New Guinea. A. c. chloropterus is from eastern New Guinea. A. c. moszkowskii is from northern New Guinea.


It seems like only the subspecies moszkowskii is represented in the Zoochat galleries. This is also the only subspecies in which the sexes are basically similar in appearance - in the other two subspecies the sexual differences are similar to those of the Australian King Parrot (red plumage in the male, and green in the female)


Photo by @Tomek at Zoo Veldhoven (Netherlands) - male of the subspecies moszkowskii. Note the blue back and the wide wing-bar.

Green-winged King Parrot (Alisterus chloropterus moszkowski) - ZooChat


Photo by @Zooish at Jurong Bird Park (Singapore) - female of the subspecies moszkowskii. Note the mostly green back, and the narrow wing-bar.

Papuan King Parrot (Alisterus chloropterus moszkowskii) - ZooChat



Australian King Parrot Alisterus scapularis
Two subspecies: minor and scapularis.


Endemic to Australia. A. s. minor is from north-eastern Queensland, while A. s. scapularis is found from central Queensland down to Victoria.


It's likely that the photos of captive birds represented in the Zoochat galleries are only of the subspecies scapularis. All the photos of wild birds are of this subspecies also.


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Australia - male of the subspecies scapularis.

Australian King Parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @LaughingDove in the wild, Australia - female of the subspecies scapularis.

Female King Parrot - Lamington National Park - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Australia - immature male of the subspecies scapularis developing adult colouration (juvenile birds of both sexes are similar in plumage to adult females).

Australian King Parrot male - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Aprosmictus
Two species.


Both species are also known as Red-winged Parrots or simply as Crimsonwings (e.g. Australian Crimsonwing).



Australian Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus
Two or three subspecies: coccineopterus, erythropterus, papua. The last may be merged into coccineopterus.


Native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A. e. coccineopterus is found across northern Australia and in southern New Guinea; the latter country's population may be separated as A. e. papua. A. e. erythropterus is found from northeastern Queensland down through inland eastern Australia to South Australia.


I think captive birds are likely to be mainly the nominate form erythropterus but I don't really know. I have used two good photos of male and female birds in captivity, and then two photos of wild birds of known subspecies.


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Darling Downs Zoo (Australia) - male bird. The amount of blue showing on the crown suggests the subspecies coccineopterus but I don't know if this is reliable in captive birds.

Crimson-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus) - ZooChat


Photo by @KevinB at FaunaPark Flakkee (Netherlands) - female bird.

Female Red-winged parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus), 2019-06-01 - ZooChat


Photo by @LaughingDove in the wild, Australia - male of the subspecies coccineopterus.

Red-winged Parrot - Litchfield National Park - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix in the wild, Australia - male of the subspecies erythropterus.

Red-winged Parrot - ZooChat



Timor Crimson-winged Parrot Aprosmictus jonquillaceus
Two subspecies: jonquillaceus and wetterensis.


Also known as Olive-shouldered Parrot or Jonquil Parrot (although I had never heard that latter name before looking for the photos on Zoochat). The specific name is after the Jonquil Daffodil Narcissus jonquilla which has yellow flowers.


Endemic to Timor and neighbouring islands, in the Lesser Sundas. A. j. jonquillaceus is found on Timor and Roti (off the south end of Timor), and A. j. wetterensis is found on Wetar (off the north end of Timor). Given the close proximity of these three islands the subspecies are unlikely to be valid.


Photo by @Daniel Sörensen at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - male of the subspecies jonquillaceus.

Jonquil parrot (Aprosmictus jonquillaceus) - ZooChat


Photo by @Daniel Sörensen at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - male of the subspecies jonquillaceus. Female birds lack the blue on the mantle, which can be easily seen in this shot but not in the preceding photo.

Jonquil parrot (Aprosmictus jonquillaceus) - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Polytelis
Three species.



Princess Parrot Polytelis alexandrae
Monotypic.


Also known as Princess Alexandra's Parrot.


Found across a wide area of the interior of western and central Australia.


Photo by @gentle lemur at Paignton Zoo (UK) - male bird.

Princess of Wales parakeet - ZooChat


Photo by @gentle lemur at Paignton Zoo (UK) - male bird showing the elongated central tail feathers which female birds lack.

Come on shake a tail feather - ZooChat


Photo by @Gigit at Paignton Zoo (UK) - female or immature bird. Note the dull colouration in comparison to the male.

Princess of Wales parakeet, November 2017 - ZooChat



Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus
Two subspecies: anthopeplus (syn. westralis) and monarchoides.


Also commonly known as Rock Pebbler.


Found in two widely separate populations in southern Australia, with P. a. anthopeplus in the south-west and P. a. monarchoides in the inland southeast. There has been confusion over nomenclature wherein for most of the 20th Century the southeastern race was called anthopeplus and the western race called westralis. This was originally due to there being no collection locality recorded for the original specimen (from 1831) and the southeast later being given arbitrarily as the type-locality (in 1912). The type-locality was "corrected" to Western Australia in 1993, meaning westralis and anthopeplus became synonymised, and the southeastern form was renamed monarchoides. The validity of this correction has been questioned but the new nomenclature has nevertheless become standard.


I'm not sure how mixed the captive population is, so I have left the photos below without subspecies notes. The Perth Zoo probably keeps the local Western Australian subspecies though.


Photo by @KevinB at FaunaPark Flakkee (Netherlands) - male bird.

Regent parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus), 2019-06-01 - ZooChat


Photo by @Hix at Dundee's Wildlife Park (Australia) - female bird.

Regent Parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @Goura at Perth Zoo (Australia) - possibly of the western subspecies anthopeplus (the bird on the far right of the photo).

Birds of the Southwest - ZooChat



Superb Parrot Polytelis swainsonii
Monotypic.


Also known simply as Barraband (however note that there is a South American species called Barraband's Parrot).


Found in a small area of inland southeastern Australia.


Photo by @Goura at Melbourne Zoo (Australia) - male bird.

Cock Superb parrot - ZooChat


Photo by @Chlidonias at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (NZ) - female bird.

female Superb Parakeet (Polytelis swainsonii) - ZooChat


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Australia) - juvenile male.

Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii) - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Tribe Psittaculini
Six extant genera, plus three recently-extinct genera from the Mascarenes.


Taken as a whole this Tribe has a very wide distribution across Asia and parts of Africa, and eastwards through the Indonesian archipelago to New Guinea and Australia. However almost all the species in continental Asia and Africa are from one widespread genus (Psittacula), with most other genera being restricted to the Indo-Australasian islands.


Of the c.35 extant species in Psittaculini, nineteen are depicted in the Zoochat galleries. Over half of the pictured species are from one genus, Psittacula.


There are also several extinct species from the Indian Ocean islands, some from monotypic genera (detailed below in this post) and others from the genus Psittacula (covered in the post for that genus).



Extinct genera


Lophopsittacus
Broad-billed Parrot Lophopsittacus mauritianus
Extinct. A very large ground-dwelling parrot from the island of Mauritius. Apart for subfossil remains it is also known from a sketch of two live birds from a 1598 Dutch expedition (published in 1601) and from numerous written accounts which referred to the birds as "ravens". Modern illustrations invariably depict the species as being entirely greyish or blue, but historical accounts referred to "two or three colours" or "red ... with blue heads" or "very beautifully coloured". Extinction is believed to have occurred by the 1680s.

The Mascarene Grey Parakeet Psittacula bensoni, which is likewise extinct, is also placed in Lophopsittacus by some sources.


Mascarinus
Mascarene Parrot Mascarinus mascarinus
Extinct. A large parrot from the island of Reunion, known from multiple historical accounts from the 17th and 18th Centuries, and from live birds transported to Europe during this period. Two museum specimens still exist today, in the Natural History Museums of Paris and Vienna. The last account of wild birds was in the 1770s, although captive birds survived in Europe for several decades after this. Recent genetic studies have placed this species within the genus Psittacula, although it is considerably larger than any of the extant species.


Necropsittacus
Rodrigues Parrot Necropsittacus rodericanus
Extinct. A large parrot from the island of Rodrigues. It is known from subfossil remains, and from several historical accounts of the early 18th Century in which it is described as being entirely green in colour. The last written account of the bird in life was in 1761.

 

[Chlidonias]

Eclectus
One to four extant species, depending on taxonomy.


The parrots of this genus are well-known for their extreme sexual dimorphism, with female birds being bright red and blue in colour while the males are almost entirely bright green. So different are the sexes that European zoologists originally thought they were separate species.


Distribution is centred on New Guinea stretching west to Sumba and the Moluccan Islands and east to the Solomon Islands, with a subspecies also on Australia's Cape York Peninsula. There is also an extinct species known from subfossil remains, from the islands of Tonga and Vanuatu in the central Pacific, named the Oceanic Eclectus Parrot Eclectus infectus (the scientific name is a deliberate rhyming pun). A sketch from a 1793 Spanish expedition through the Pacific, depicting a mystery parrot from the Tongan island of Vava'u and annotated as being "all green" in colour, is thought to represent this species in life.


Typically the genus is treated as containing a single living species (Eclectus roratus) with multiple (nine) subspecies, however in 2019 this species was split into four. The split is followed by some sources (including the IUCN) but not by others. I'll list these four species below with their subspecies and distributions. Because the nine subspecies remain the same whether there is one species or four species, those which are shown in the Zoochat galleries will be depicted afterwards in alphabetical order.



Sumba Eclectus Eclectus cornelia
Monotypic. Endemic to the island of Sumba in the Lesser Sundas.


Papuan Eclectus Eclectus polychloros
Five subspecies, with E. p. aruensis in the Aru Islands; E. p. biaki on Biak Island; E. p. macgillivrayi on the Cape York Peninsula in Australia; E. p. polychloros in New Guinea; and E. p. solomonensis in the islands east of New Guinea, from the Admiralty Islands to the Solomon Islands.


Tanimbar or Riedel's Eclectus Eclectus riedeli
Monotypic. Endemic to the Tanimbar Islands.


Moluccan Eclectus Eclectus roratus
Two subspecies, with E. r. roratus in the south Moluccan islands and E. r. vosmaeri in the north Moluccan islands.



In all of the above the males are generally difficult (or even impossible for non-experts) to identify to subspecies apart for in riedeli which lacks red on the flanks. Of the females the Sumba and Tanimbar Eclectus are very distinctive, with the females being almost entirely red. Females of vosmaeri are also quite obvious in that the underparts are violet rather than blue, and the undertail is extensively yellow. Females of all other subspecies are extremely similar to one another.


In the Zoochat galleries the subspecies cornelia, macgillivrayi, polychloros, riedeli, roratus and vosmaeri are pictured, with all having photos of both males and females.

The subspecies aruensis and biaki are both rare in captivity and are not pictured at all. Unexpectedly the subspecies solomonensis does not appear to be pictured, despite being common in aviculture - it is likely that some photos do show this subspecies but I'm not confident in identifying one correctly. Hybrids of subspecies are also common in aviculture, which complicates identification from photographs.



Photo by @Hix at Jurong Bird Park (Singapore) - pair of birds of the subspecies cornelia (Sumba Eclectus), with the female on the left and the male on the right. Note the entirely red plumage of the female bird, with no blue or purple on the belly.

Sumba Eclectus Parrots - ZooChat


Photo by @WhistlingKite24 at Taronga Zoo (Australia) - pair of birds of the subspecies macgillivrayi (Australian Eclectus), with the female on the right and the male on the left.

Australian Eclectus Parrots (Eclectus roratus macgillivrayi) - ZooChat


Photo by @gentle lemur at Blackpool Zoo (UK) - female of the subspecies polychloros (Papuan or Red-sided Eclectus).

Red-sided eclectus female - ZooChat


Photo by @Dormitator at Zoo Brno (Czech Republic) - male of the subspecies polychloros (Papuan or Red-sided Eclectus).

New Guinea red-sided eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus polychloros) - ZooChat


Photo by @Sicarius at Loro Parque (Canary Islands) - female of the subspecies riedeli (Tanimbar Eclectus). Note the entirely red plumage with no blue or purple on the belly.

Tanimbar eclectus (Eclectus riedeli) - ZooChat


Photo by @Semioptera at Eco Green Park (Indonesia) - male of the subspecies riedeli (Tanimbar Eclectus).

Tanimbar Eclectus (Eclectus riedeli) - ZooChat


Photo by @bongowwf at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo (Israel) - pair of birds of the subspecies roratus (Grand Eclectus), with the female on the right and the male on the left. The female colouration in this subspecies is variable according to island, with some birds looking more like polychloros and others approaching the colouration of vosmaeri.

Eclectus roratus roratus / Grand eclectus parrot (pair) - ZooChat


Photo by @Nandito at Faunaland (Indonesia) - female of the subspecies vosmaeri (Halmahera Eclectus). Note the distinctive violet underparts and yellow undertail.

Bird Island - Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) - ZooChat


Photo by @vogelcommando at a bird show in the Netherlands - male of the subspecies vosmaeri (Halmahera Eclectus).

Halmahera eclectus - Male - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Geoffroyus
Four species, none of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


The species in this genus have very rarely - and largely unsuccessfully - been kept in captivity. Unsurprisingly, none of the species are present in the Zoochat galleries. The species most likely to be added at some point would be the Red-cheeked Parrot, which has a fairly wide distribution including Australia and as far west as Lombok.



Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi
Seventeen subspecies: aruensis, cyanicarpus, cyanicollis, explorator, floresianus, jobiensis, keyensis, geoffroyi, maclennani, minor, mysoriensis, pucherani, obiensis, orientalis, rhodops, sudestiensis, timorlaoensis.


Found from the Lesser Sundas (as far west as Lombok) and the Moluccas, through New Guinea, east to the Louisiade Archipelago, and also south onto Australia's Cape York Peninsula. G. g. aruensis is found from the Aru Islands (west of New Guinea) through southern New Guinea to Fergusson and Goodenough Islands (east of New Guinea). G. g. cyanicarpus is from Rossel Island in the Louisiade Archipelago. G. g. cyanicollis is from the islands of Morotai, Halmahera, and Bacan in the north Moluccas. G. g. explorator is from the island of Seram Laut in the south Moluccas. G. g. floresianus is found from Lombok to Flores. G. g. jobiensis is from the islands of Yapen and Mios Num in New Guinea's Geelvink Bay. G. g. keyensis is from the Kai Islands. G. g. geoffroyi is found on Timor and the neighbouring islands of Wetar and Semau. G. g. maclennani is from the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. G. g. minor is from northern New Guinea. G. g. mysoriensis is from the islands of Biak and Numfoor in New Guinea's Geelvink Bay. G. g. pucherani is from the West Papuan Islands and western New Guinea. G. g. obiensis is from the islands of Obi and Bisa in the north Moluccas. G. g. orientalis is from New Guinea's Huon Peninsula. G. g. rhodops is from the south Moluccas. G. g. sudestiensis is from Misima and Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago. G. g. timorlaoensis is from the Tanimbar Islands.



Singing Parrot Geoffroyus heteroclitus
Monotypic, although G. hyacinthinus is typically treated as a subspecies.


Also called Song Parrot.


Found from the Bismarck Archipelago to the Solomon Islands, except for Rennell Island (where G. hyacinthinus is found).



Rennell Parrot Geoffroyus hyacinthinus
Monotypic.


Found only on Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands. It is more typically treated as a subspecies of the Singing Parrot G. heteroclitus but was split in the HBW in 2014 - on size and colour differences - which was then followed by IUCN and other sources.



Blue-collared Parrot Geoffroyus simplex
Two subspecies: buergersi and simplex.


Found in the mountains of New Guinea, with G. s. simplex on the Vogelkop Peninsula and G. s. buergersi through the rest of the island.

 

[Chlidonias]

Prioniturus
Ten species, only two of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries by photos of live birds.


The parrots in this genus are commonly known as Racquet-tails (or Racket-tails) for the extended spatulate-tipped tail feathers. They are found mainly in the Philippines, with some species also in Sulawesi and surrounding islands, and one species from the Moluccas. Some species are sexually-dimorphic while others are monomorphic. Few of them have been kept in aviculture, and only two species are represented in the Zoochat galleries by photos of live birds (the Blue-crowned Racquet-tail P. discurus and the Buru Racquet-tail P. mada). A third is depicted only as a museum specimen (the Green Racquet-tail P. luconensis).



Blue-crowned Racquet-tail Prioniturus discurus
Two subspecies: discurus and whiteheadi. The species P. mindorensis may be included here as a subspecies.


P. d. discurus is found in the southern Philippines and on the island of Jolo in the Sulu Archipelago. P. d. whiteheadi is from the central and northern Philippines.


Photo by @alexkant at Tarsier Botanika (Philippines) - subspecies whiteheadi, which is monomorphic.

Salomonsen`s racquet-tail parrot/ Prioniturus discurus whiteheadi - ZooChat



Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail Prioniturus flavicans
Monotypic.


Found in Sulawesi and some of the nearby island groups.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Green Racquet-tail Prioniturus luconensis
Monotypic.


Endemic to the northern Philippine islands of Luzon and Marinduque, although it is thought to have become extinct on the latter island.


The only photo in the Zoochat galleries is of a taxidermy specimen at the American Museum of Natural History (USA), which can be seen here by @Ding Lingwei: Green racket-tail (Prioniturus luconensis) - ZooChat



Buru Racquet-tail Prioniturus mada
Monotypic.


Endemic to the Moluccan island of Buru.


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - male bird.

Mount Mada (Buru) Racquet-tailed Parrot (Prioniturus mada) male - ZooChat


Photo by @Tomek at Weltvogelpark Walsrode (Germany) - female bird.

Buru Racquet-tail (Prioniturus mada) - ZooChat



Mindoro Racquet-tail Prioniturus mindorensis
Monotypic. Typically treated as a subspecies of P. discurus.


Endemic to the Philippine island of Mindoro.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Montane Racquet-tail Prioniturus montanus
Monotypic.


Endemic to the mountains of the Philippine island of Luzon.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Blue-headed Racquet-tail Prioniturus platenae
Monotypic.


Also known as Palawan Racquet-tail.


Found in the western Philippines Islands.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Golden-mantled Racquet-tail Prioniturus platurus
Three subspecies: platurus, sinerubis, talautensis.


P. p. platurus is from Sulawesi and some of the nearby island groups. P. p. sinerubis is from the Sula Islands. P. p. talautensis is from the Talaud Islands.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Blue-winged Racquet-tail Prioniturus verticalis
Monotypic.


Also known as Sulu Racquet-tail.


Endemic to the Sulu Archipelago.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.



Mindanao Racquet-tail Prioniturus waterstradti
Two subspecies: malindangensis and waterstradti.


Both subspecies are from the Philippine island of Mindanao, with P. w. malindangensis from the mountains of central Mindanao and P. w. waterstradti from the mountains of southern Mindanao.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.