Short-tailed Parrot

Overview

The short-tailed parrot (Graydidascalus brachyurus) is a species of bird in the family Psittacidae. It is the only member of its genus and is native to South America.

Identification

• 24 to 25 cm long with a large head and a very short tail.
• Almost entirely green plumage that is yellowish on the underparts and uppertail coverts.
• Dark lores that continue behind the eye, with primaries that are darker green and wing coverts with yellow edges.
• Reddish-brown shoulders seldom visible except in flight, and outer tail feathers with red bands at the base in adults.

Habitat

Found along the Amazon River and its tributaries from southern Colombia, northeastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru to the Atlantic, with a range extending north along the coast of Brazil into northeastern French Guiana. It inhabits várzea, swampy floodplains, and islands along rivers, mangroves on the coast, and locally cultivated areas at elevations from sea level to about 400 m.

Diet

Feeds on fruits, especially those of figs, cultivated guava, and mango, as well as seeds, nuts, berries, and the catkins of Cecropia.

Did you know?

Its flight call is described as a rather high-pitched rolling "kree-ki-ki," and it makes a variety of loud, harsh, "conversational" calls when perched.