Meyer's Parrot 5718915 223280685 2008-07-03T11:24:36Z Snowmanradio 626138 /* Conservation status */ ref {{Taxobox | name = Meyer's Parrot | status = LC | image = Poicephalus meyeri1.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Poicephalus meyeri'' | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Aves]] | ordo = [[Psittaciformes]] | familia = [[Psittacidae]] | tribus = [[Psittacini]] | genus = [[Poicephalus]] | species = '''''P. meyeri''''' | binomial = ''Poicephalus meyeri'' | binomial_authority = [[Cretzschmar]], 1827 | range_map = Meyer's Parrot, range & races.png | range_map_width = 240px | range_map_caption = Meyer's Parrot, range and races | image2 = Poicephalus meyeri damarensis.jpg | image2_width = 240px | image2_caption = ''Poicephalus meyeri damarensis'' }} The '''Meyer's Parrot''' (''Poicephalus meyeri'') is a small (about 21 cm), stocky African [[parrot]]. Meyer's parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and yellow markings. Forshaw (1989) recognizes six subspecies of ''P. meyeri'' which vary in home range, size and in markings, including the extent of yellow markings on the head and wings and intensity of turquoise markings on the abdomen and rump. The name commemorates the German ornithologist [[Bernhard Meyer]]. ==Taxonomy== The six races are: *''P. m. meyeri'' ([[Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar|Cretzschmar]], 1827) — s Chad to w Ethiopia *''P. m. saturatus'' ([[Richard Bowdler Sharpe|Sharpe]], 1901) — Uganda and w Kenya to w Tanzania *''P. m. matschiei'' ([[Oscar Rudolph Neumann|Neumann]], 1898) — c Tanzania, se Congo, Zambia and n Malawi *''P. m. reichenowi'' (Neumann, 1898) — c Angola to s Congo *''P. m. damarensis'' (Neumann, 1898) — n Namibia, s Angola and nw Botswana *''P. m. transvaalensis'' (Neumann, 1899) — Botswana, Zimbabwe and n South Africa The western races ''P. m. damarensis'' and ''P. m. reichenowi'' lack yellow markings on the head. Belly and rump colours vary according to race from turquise or blue to green. ==Range and habitat== Meyer's parrots are native to the plateau woodlands of sub-Saharan [[Africa]] where they occur in several woodland types including [[miombo]], [[savanna]] woodlands, wooded grasslands and forests bordering watercourses or agricultural land. They are found in high densities in the [[Okavango Delta]] region of Botswana. ==Behaviour== ===Food and feeding=== Their wild diet includes fruits, seeds, nuts, berries and cultivated crops. Seeds of the various [[Legume|leguminous]] trees of the African woodlands are especially favoured, providing their staple food in some areas. Although they normally travel in pairs or small flocks, wild Meyer's Parrots may gather in much larger numbers where food is plentiful. In drought years they wander in search of food. ===Breeding=== The Brown-headed Parrot nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white and there are usually three or four in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days after hatching.<ref name = "DA 2003">{{cite book |first = David| last = Alderton | title = The ultimate encyclopedia of caged and aviary birds | isbn = 184309164X |pages= p. 223| publisher = Hermes House |location = London, England | year = 2003}}</ref> ==Conservation status== Meyer's Parrots are still common in the wild, although numbers have decreased locally following destruction of woodlands. The IUCN Red List classifies the Meyer's parrot as Low Risk/Least Concern.<ref>{{IUCN2007|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=47996|title=Poicephalus meyeri|downloaded=3 July 2008}}</ref> The large population, limited pressure from trade and hunting and 6,000,000 km² home range of the species make these birds unlikely to face extinction in the near future. The trade in Meyer's Parrots that have been bred in aviculture is legal. Nevertheless, Meyer's Parrots are listed on Appendix II of the [[CITES|Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna]] (CITES), which makes the export, import and trade in wild-caught parrots illegal. ==Pet parrots== Meyer's Parrots are commonly bred for the pet trade. They are relatively quiet and small. These parrots are sweet, fun-loving and can be taught to speak. <gallery> Image:Meyers Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) pet on table.JPG|A three-year-old Meyer's Parrot, kept as a pet Image:Poicephalus meyeri (pet on top of a cage).jpg|An 11 month old pet Meyers Parrot on top of cage. Image:Poicephalus meyeri 3.jpg|Pet perching Image:Meyeri saturatus pied.jpg| Rare "pied" meyeri saturatus hen. Currently bred at Sweet Skies Aviary.</gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} *[http://www.redlist.org IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species] *Forshaw, Joseph M. and William T. Cooper. 1989. ''Parrots of the World''. Third (Revised) Edition. Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne. *Jordan, Rick and Jean Pattison. 1999. ''African Parrots''. Hancock House, Blaine, WA. *Wirminghaus, J.O., ''Meyer's Parrot''. In: ''The atlas of southern African birds''. Vol. 1: Non-passerines. 1997. ISBN 0620207299. [[Category:Poicephalus]] [[Category:Aviculture]] [[cs:Papoušek žlutotemenný]] [[de:Goldbugpapagei]] [[es:Poicephalus meyeri|Loro de Meyer]] [[fr:Perroquet de Meyer]] [[hu:Meyer aranyosvállú papagája]] [[ru:Длиннокрылый попугай Мейеров]] [[fi:Afrikankaija]]