Red-cheeked parrot

Photo by Mehd Halaouate (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
red-cheeked parrot (en); papagaio-de-faces-vermelhas (pt); perruche de Geoffroy (fr); lorito carirrojo (es); rotkopfpapagei (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Range:
This species is found in New Guinea and in other islands of eastern Indonesia including the Moluccas, the Lesser Sundas and Timor. There is also a population in the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia.

Size:
These birds are 21-27 cm long and weigh 130-180 g.

Habitat:
The red-cheeked parrot is found in lowland rainforests, mangroves, swamp forests, dry tropical forests, scrublands, pastures, plantations and second growths. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m, and occasionally up to 1.400 m.

Diet:
They feed on seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, flower buds and blossom.

Breeding:
Red-cheeked parrots can probably breed all year round, varying among different parts of their range. They nest in a hole excavated by the female on a rotting tree limb, where she lays 2-4 eggs. There is no available information regarding the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be common to abundant, with a global population possibly above 1 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.