2014 Bonanza Bird #3: Cape Parrot

Birdorable Cape Parrot

The third bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a unique species of parrot, the Cape Parrot!

The Cape Parrot is endemic to South Africa. It is typically found in high altitude forest habitat, though it may also visit lowland coastal areas for feeding. Its diet consists of primarily fruits, seeds, and nuts. The Cape Parrot is Critically Endangered, due to habitat loss, persecution, and other factors. The species is particularly susceptible to certain disease outbreaks which takes a toll on the population as well. We can't talk about the Cape Parrot without talking about the closely related Uncape Parrot. The taxonomy of these species and subspecies has been in dispute and the Cape Parrot has only recently been recognized as a separate species. The Uncape Parrot is comprised of two main subspecies, known by the common names Brown-necked Parrot and Grey-headed Parrot. These are not considered threatened or endangered at this time.

_capeBrown-necked Parrot by Alan Manson (CC BY-SA 2.0; modified)

The Cape Parrot and the Uncape Parrot both join Birdorable today, bringing our total number of bird species to 561. Our total number of parrots now stands at a whopping 90 species! Our Bonanza continues tomorrow with a wading bird named for the color of its mug. Can you guess tomorrow's species?

Bonanza2014Preview4

Comments

Louise Warner on February 7, 2017 at 3:48 PM wrote:
some ibis?
Louise Warner on February 7, 2017 at 3:49 PM wrote:
scarlet ibis? white ibis?
Louise Warner on March 7, 2017 at 7:24 AM wrote:
white-faced ibis, white ibis, northern bald ibis, scarlet ibis, scared ibis?

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published
You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Martha Week: Passenger Pigeon Books

Monday, September 1st will mark the 100 year anniversary of the death of Martha, the last of her species, the Passenger Pigeon. With her death our planet lost another species forever to extinction. This week we'd like to share some of the commemorative events and educational opportunities...

T-Shirt Tuesday: Santa Owls

This is one of our most popular designs: cute Birdorable owls wear santa hats while perched upon candy canes. It is not something you would easily see in the wild, but we find it cute nonetheless. Our Santa Owls design is available on many different products including...

Warbler FAQs

We're celebrating warblers this week! Today we're sharing a few FAQs about this family of birds. What is a warbler? The name warbler is used to describe several different, unrelated, families of birds. So far, for Warbler Week, we have been talking about New World warblers, a...

Share the Love: Celebrate Valentine's Day with Birdorable Shareable Graphics

This Valentine's Day, Birdorable is here to help you tell that special someone just how much they mean to you with our collection of bird-themed Valentine's graphics. Perfect for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, these charming e-cards are sure to delight bird watchers and bird...