Great-billed Parrot (Tanygnathus megalorynchos)

Great-billed Parrot

Great-billed Parrot

[order] PSITTACIFORMES | [family] Psittacidae | [latin] Tanygnathus megalorynchos | [authority] Boddaert, 1783 | [UK] Great-billed Parrot | [FR] Palette a gros bec | [DE] Schwarschulter-Papagei | [ES] Loro Picogoro | [NL] Dikbekpapegaai | [copyright picture] Neville Kemp

Subspecies

Genus Species subspecies Region Range
Tanygnathus megalorynchos AU Moluccas, Lesser Sundas,
Tanygnathus megalorynchos affinis s Moluccas
Tanygnathus megalorynchos hellmayri Roti, Semau and sw Timor (e Lesser Sundas)
Tanygnathus megalorynchos megalorynchos Sulawesi and nearby islands to Moluccas and w Papuan islands
Tanygnathus megalorynchos subaffinis Babar and Tanimbar Is.
Tanygnathus megalorynchos sumbensis Sumba (e Lesser Sundas)

Genus

The Tanygnathus genus is a group of a parrots native to the Indonesia Islands. This genus includes the great-billed parrot, the blue-naped parrot, the blue-backed parrot and the black-lored parrot. Members of the genus Tanygnathus, like most parrot genera, fly fairly fast, and the habitat of the genus is dense evergreen montane forest.

Physical charateristics

T.m.megalorynchos: both adults mid to large sized green parrots with pale blue edging on mantle; pale blue back and rump; black scapulars and lesser wing coverts, margined with blue and green; black middle wing coverts margined with yellow. Red bill. White eye. T.m. affinis: both adults have duller green on heads, with brighter green on hindneck; green scapulars; bend of wing blue. T.m. subaffinis: both adults as in affinis but marginal blue on mantle; green rump with blue tinge. T.m. hellmayri: both adults as in affinis, but blue on mantle absent; green on bend of wing. T.m. viridipennis: both adults as in megalorynchos, but blue on primary feathers and coverts absent. T.m. sumbensis: both adults as in megalorynchos, but darker blue on rump. T.m. floris: both adults as in sumbensis but lighter green on crown and occiput; less blue on back and wings. T.m. djampeae: both adults as in floris but paler blue on rump.

Listen to the sound of Great-billed Parrot

[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/Great-billed Parrot.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto

recorded by Mike Catsis


wingspan min.: 0 cm wingspan max.: 0 cm
size min.: 33 cm size max.: 43 cm
incubation min.: 0 days incubation max.: 0 days
fledging min.: 0 days fledging max.: 0 days
broods: 1   eggs min.: 1  
      eggs max.: 3  

Range

Australasia : Moluccas, Lesser Sundas. The Great-billed Parrot is found south-east Asian islands of Maluku, Raja Ampat, Talaud, Sangir, Sarangani, the Lesser Sundas, and nearby small islands.

Habitat

Found in coastal lowlands and adjacent foothills; occurs in primary and tall secondary forest, forest edges, closed woodlands and mangrove; will also visit coconut plantations. Up to 1000m (3280 ft).

Reproduction

Nests in holes in very tall green trees. Clutch size 2 eggs.

Feeding habits

Will congregate in groups of up to a dozen birds while feeding; call loudly while in flight. Communal roosting. Diet consists of fruit and nuts.

Video Great-billed Parrot

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNc8OssUqJM

copyright: Stefan Behrens


Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
May be suffering from some local declines through trade and loss of habitat.
Great-billed Parrot status Least Concern

Migration

Resident but seems to trvel beteen Islands in search of food.

Distribution map

Great-billed Parrot distribution range map

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