Poicephalus
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| Poicephalus parrots | |
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| Senegal parrot eating fruit | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Subfamily: | Psittacinae |
| Genus: | Poicephalus Swainson, 1837 |
The genus Poicephalus belongs to the subfamily Psittacinae of the true parrots (Psittacidae) and comprises ten species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropical realm, which encompasses Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal in the west, Ethiopia in the east, and to South Africa in the south.[1][2] Like lovebirds (Agapornis) and vasa parrots (Coracopsis), the latter being endemic to Madagascar, the Poicephalus parrots are typical specimens of Afrotropical zoogeography. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms, or subspecies.
Poicephalus parrots have been kept as pets and companion birds for centuries, the Senegal parrot perhaps being the most famous species. The trade in this species probably began in the early 19th century already, when Senegal parrots first appeared as companion birds in Europe.[3] For a long time they were considered excellent pet birds because they had a reputation for becoming especially tame. Alongside African grey parrots, Senegal parrots still range among the mostly frequently imported parrots from Africa.[4]
Appearance
Members of the Poicephalus genus are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks relative to their size that often differ in color from their trunks. Although they are parrots with rectrices of medium length, their pinion feathers reach down almonst to the end of the rectrices, making their wings appear to be remarkably long.
Poicephalus, from the Ancient Greek, means "different head" or "differently colored head." Several of the species show marked sexual dimorphism, where the adult male and female birds can be easily identified from variations in feather colouration, but in other species there is no sexual dimorphism or the differences are not so marked.
The smallest species in the genus Poicephalus is the Meyer's parrot, with adults reaching a body-length of only 22 centimeters (≈ 8,66 in.) and weighing approximately 120 g (≈ 4,23 oz). The largest Poicephalus species, the Cape parrot, by contrast, is ususally almost as large as an African grey parrot, adult males reaching a size of 32 centimeters (≈ 12,6 in.) and a weight of about 400 g (≈ 14,1 oz).
Many Poicephalus parrots have bulky heads and powerful beaks, the colour of which varying with the species. While brown-headed parrots and Niam-Niam parrots have a grey upper mandible and an off-white lower one, other species have a homogeneously grey-coloured beak or a horn-coloured one with a darker tip.
The Cape parrot stands out with a particularly sturdy beak in relation to its overall size which it needs to obtain its main food source, the hard-shelled fruit of Podocarpus trees. British parrot specialist Rosemary Low has pointed out that, among the Poicephalus parrots, only the Cape parrot is able to crack open walnuts with its beak. Except for macaws, this is a rare ability among parrots in general.[5]
Most species in the Poicephalus genus are predominantly green. However, the feathers on their heads frequently vary in colour from the rest of the plumage.
Taxonomy
The genus Poicephalus was introduced by the English naturalist William John Swainson in 1837.[6] The type species was subsequently designated as the Senegal parrot.[7] The name is from the Ancient Greek phaios "grey" and -kephalos "headed".[8]
The genus contains ten species.[9]
- Red-fronted parrot, P. gulielmi
- Yellow-fronted parrot, P. flavifrons
- Brown-necked parrot, P. fuscicollis
- Cape parrot, P. robustus
- Meyer's parrot, P. meyeri
- Rüppell's parrot, P. rueppellii
- Brown-headed parrot, P. cryptoxanthus
- Niam-Niam parrot, P. crassus
- Senegal parrot, P. senegalus
- Red-bellied parrot, P. rufiventris
Species
| Species | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Common and binomial names | Image | Description | Range |
| Senegal parrot
(P. senegalus) |
|
Grey head, green back and chest. Yellow, orange or red belly depending on subspecies. | Africa |
| Meyer's parrot
(P. meyeri) |
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|
Green, yellow under wings. Six subspecies with variable yellow colouration. | Africa |
| Red-bellied parrot
(P. rufiventris) |
|
Mostly green and grey. Male has red belly. | Africa |
| Brown-headed parrot
(P. cryptoxanthus) |
|
Mostly green and grey. Yellow under wings. | Africa |
| Red-fronted parrot
(P. gulielmi) |
|
Mostly green, variable amount of red on head and shoulders depending on subspecies | Africa |
| Cape parrot
(P. robustus) |
|
Mostly green, grey or brownish head and necks | Africa |
| Brown-necked parrot
(P. fuscicollis) |
|
Mostly green, grey or brownish head and necks | Africa |
| Rüppell's parrot
(P. rueppellii) |
|
Overall dark brown colour, head is dark greyish, yellow on legs and leading edge of wings, female has blue rump and lower back | Africa |
| Yellow-fronted parrot
(P. flavifrons) |
|
Mostly green with a yellow head | Ethiopia |
| Niam-Niam parrot
(P. crassus) |
Mostly green with a brown head | Africa | |
Diet
They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, nuts, and leafy matter.
Subspecies
The Cape parrot and red-fronted parrot form a superspecies complex.[10]
In aviculture and human care
The Senegal parrot, Meyer's parrot, red-bellied parrot, and the brown-headed parrot are popular as pets because they are easier to keep in apartments, being generally quieter and smaller than most other companion parrots. Some Poicephalus parrot species are rare and not known or rare in captivity.
While some Poicephalus populations have come under pressure from habitat loss, others are affected by trapping for the pet trade. So while it is still listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List, the Senegal parrot is one of the species most frequently caught from the wild, with 735,775 birds recorded in international trade since 1981.[11]
References
- ^ Taxonomy of Poicephalus parrots
- ^ "Map showing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa". Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
- ^ Lantermann, Walter (1999). Papageienkunde. Berlin: Parey Buchverlag. p. 455. ISBN 3-8263-3174-5.
- ^ Hoppe, Dieter (2006). Langflügelpapageien. Stuttgart: Ulmer Verlag. p. 86. ISBN 3-8001-4786-6.
- ^ Low, Rosemary (1989). Das Papageienbuch. Stuttgart: Ulmer Verlag. p. 178. ISBN 3-8001-7191-0.
- ^ Swainson, William John (1837). On the Natural History and Classification of Birds. Vol. Volume 1. London: John Taylor. p. 301.
{{cite book}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1937). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. Volume 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 224.
{{cite book}}:|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Parrots, cockatoos". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ Massa, Renato; Sara, Maurizio; Piazza, Matteo; Di Gaetano, Cornelia; Randazzo, Margherita; Cognetti, Goffredo (2000). "A molecular approach to the taxonomy and biogeography of African parrots" (PDF). Italian Journal of Zoology. 67 (3): 313–17. doi:10.1080/11250000009356330. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- ^ "Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)". World Parrot Trust. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
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