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~ Hawkheaded Parrots ~
The
Red-fan or Hawk-headed parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus ) is a colourful yet
little-known member of the New World parrot family, Psittacidae. The genus,
Deroptyus , comprises only one species that is represented by two subspecies,
D. a. accipitrinus , also known as the "northern" or "buff-crowned"
Hawk-headed parrot, and D. a. fuscifrons , which is also known as the
"southern" race. While both subspecies are decidedly rare in the wild, the
buff-crowned Hawk-headed Parrot is much more common in American aviculture,
due primarily to the greater numbers that were imported into this country from
South America.
The Hawk-headed parrot is native to the Amazon River region of northern South
America; particularly Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and regions of Brazil.
While it has been reported to occur in Columbia as well, these sightings have
never been adequately substantiated. Red-fan parrots are rarely seen in
savannah, but instead, they live in dense rainforest near large rivers and in
mountain foothills, where they remain throughout the year. Even though Red-fan
parrots have a patchy distribution that is seasonally variable, they are
considered to be one of the rarest Psittacidae throughout its range. They are
usually seen in small family groups during the breeding season and they
occasionally gather in larger flocks outside of the breeding season for the
purpose of feeding. These feeding flocks are still very small however; reports
have shown that they don't exceed 20 members. Sightings of lone Red-fan
parrots are very rare.
There are several physical characteristics that make the Deroptyus unique
among parrots. They have a unique ruff of feathers on the nape of the neck
that can be raised at will. This ruff consists of long, blunt-ended, and
brilliant red-coloured feathers tipped in bright blue that, when raised,
frames the bird's dark face, making it appear larger. This ruff is usually
raised when the bird is excited or fearful. Additionally, the bone structure
and musculature of the Hawk-headed parrot's beak and neck are typical of the
largest genera of parrots, and result in a more powerful feeding apparatus
than that seen in the similarly-sized Amazona . The structure of the beak and
neck suggest that Hawk-headed parrots are uniquely adapted to feed on very
large fruits that are usually untouched by the Amazona : they are capable of
detaching these large and heavy fruits from the tree and carrying them to
another location in order to feed.
The
Red-fan Parrot is a very beautiful bird. The wings, back, rump, undertail
coverts, and central tail feathers are a lovely emerald green colour. The
chocolate-brown feathers on the head and neck are slender and pointed and they
have a cream-colored streak in the centre. The forehead and crown are a rich
cream or white colour in the buff-crowned subspecies and is comprised of tiny,
rounded feathers while, in the southern subspecies, this area is dark. The
nape of the neck has long, blunt-ended, erectile feathers that are a brilliant
scarlet red tipped with an iridescent medium blue. The flight feathers are a
dark blackish colour with green and iridescent blue on the outer webs. The
blunt-ended breast and abdomen feathers are a bright scarlet red with an
iridescent blue edge, similar to the nape. The tail feathers are fairly long
and wide, with dark blue on the outer edge, fading into a dark green, with a
blackish colour on the inner web. Some individuals have a pale red spot at
underneath the base of the tail, but this is not correlated with the gender of
the bird as some aviculturists have claimed. The beak and feet are black. The
eyes are black with a yellow or red-orange ring in adults, and is uniformly
dark in young birds. These birds are not sexually dimorphic.
Hawk-headed Parrots are known to be very intelligent and playful. They will
roll onto their backs and play with toys, pounce on a companion from an
overhead perch, and hang upside down from the roof of their cages, screaming
with delight, when sprayed with a water mister. These birds also enjoy a trip
into the shower with their owners. These birds' antics can get rough at times,
so it is important to prevent the bird from getting overexcited during play to
reduce the risk of being bitten. Hawk-headed parrots can be very adept escape
artists, also. While it is true that they cannot destroy large padlocks, they
will immediately take advantage of feeding station doors that are carelessly
left open, and they can quickly open cage doors that have not been adequately
secured. Once these birds have escaped, they find great joy in terrorizing
other birds in neighbouring cages, and destroying various items in the house,
such as furniture or electrical wiring.
In spite of these mischievous and endearing qualities, Hawk-headed parrots are
also very aggressive and unpredictable, especially after they have reached
adulthood. This can pose problems for the pet owner because these birds are
especially aggressive when defending their territories from intruders;
intruders that can include the pet owner. Another problem encountered with
Hawk-headed parrots is they generally do not tolerate changes in their
environment very well. The smallest changes in a pet red fan parrot's
environment may precipitate an episode of feather-plucking, which might either
stop as suddenly as it started, or may escalate until the bird has denuded its
body of feathers. This extreme reaction is not usually seen in young birds of
the species, but is not uncommon in adult pet birds, and can occur even after
they have been placed into a breeding situation. Another problem encountered
by pet owners is the increasing unpredictability that the bird exhibits as it
approaches adulthood. These birds can be very engaging and outgoing at one
moment and then, within minutes, they can become hostile and aggressive. Even
the tamest hand-fed pet may deliver a sudden, painful bite at these times.
Thus, for these reasons, I do not recommend the Hawk-headed parrot as a pet
for anyone but the most experienced parrot owners.
This article is from
research.amnh.org/users/nyneve/hawkheadFAQ.html.
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