Brown-headed Parrot

Overview

The brown-headed parrot (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus) is a south-eastern African parrot listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is described as the greenest parrot in its sub-region, characterized by a predominantly green plumage with a brown head.

Identification

• General plumage is green, with a grey-brown neck merging to brown on the head.
• Under wing coverts are bright yellow, though the extent varies.
• Rump is very bright, almost metallic green.
• Bill is dark, almost black above, merging to whitish below; legs and feet are blackish grey.
• Flight is fast and direct.

Habitat

The species ranges from Northern KwaZulu-Natal northwards to southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe, with a second subspecies occurring north of the Save River in Mozambique, southern Malawi, eastern Tanzania and coastal Kenya. The putative Zanzibar and Pemba subspecies is considered possibly extinct or interbred with mainland populations.

Diet

As opportunistic generalists, they feed on berries, figs, shoots, flowers, fruit, and seeds. They show a specific preference for the flowers and fruit of the Natal Mahogany tree (Trichilia emetica), Acacia species, and lepidopteran larvae.

Did you know?

The specific name cryptoxanthus derives from Greek words meaning 'hidden yellow', referring to the concealed yellow under wing coverts. Random yellow feathers sometimes found on the head, neck, and wings are proposed to result from over-vigorous preening by parents.