Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot
A species of Pygmy-parrots Scientific name : Micropsitta bruijnii Genus : Pygmy-parrots
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, A species of Pygmy-parrots
Botanical name: Micropsitta bruijnii
Genus: Pygmy-parrots
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Lars Petersson
Description
The red-breasted pygmy parrot (Micropsitta bruijnii) is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. Its natural habitat is the boreal forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of the Maluku Islands and Melanesia. As their name suggests, the pygmy parrots are the smallest genus of all parrots, with distribution confined to islands off South-east Asia. This particular species is found at higher altitudes than other pygmy parrots, and uses trees rather than arboreal termite nests as breeding sites. They have jerky movements, rather reminiscent of nuthatches (Sitta species), and cling close to the bark as they search for lichens growing in the trees, which form the majority of their diet. Red-breasted pygmy parrots are only 8 cm (3 in) in length. The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is reported to be common to uncommon due to deforestation and habitat lost on this limited range. The specific name bruijnii commemorates the Dutch plume merchant Antonie Augustus Bruijn.
Size
9 cm
Nest Placement
Tree
Feeding Habits
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot forages methodically on upper tree barks, possibly consuming fungus, moss, nectar-rich white Schefflera corollas, fruit, flowers, and lichen, with a distinct mechanical pecking behavior observed during feeding.
Habitat
The habitat of red-breasted Pygmy Parrot typically encompasses the canopy of dense hill forests, cloud forests, and moss forests within broader tropical regions. These environments are characterized by lush vegetation, with red-breasted Pygmy Parrot occasionally frequenting forest edges and shaded agricultural areas such as Albizia trees in coffee plantations. The species is also known to inhabit areas of riparian growth, favoring mature montane forests as part of its natural range.
Dite type
Frugivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Fruit
Photo By Lars Petersson
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Parrots Family
Parrots Genus
Pygmy-parrots Species
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot