Red-bellied parrot

Poicephalus rufiventris

Common name:

red-bellied parrot (en); papagaio-de-ventre-vermelho (pt); perroquet à ventre rouge (fr); lorito ventrirrojo (es); rotbauchpapagei (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae

Range:

This African parrot is found in the savannas of eastern Africa, in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.

Size:

This small parrot is 22-23 cm long and weighs 130-170 g.

Habitat:

Red-bellied parrots favour savannas, dry savannas and tropical and subtropical scrubland, especially in Acacia–Commiphora steppe woodlands. They are often found near water sources and tend to be present at altitudes of 800-2.000 m.

Diet:

They mostly feed on Ficus figs, Acacia fruits, seeds, other fruits and maize.

Breeding:

Red-bellied parrots breed in March-October. They nest in tree cavities, where the females lay 3-4 eggs. The female incubates the eggs alone for 26-28 days and the chicks fledge 10 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status – LC (Least concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is reported to be uncommon to common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.