Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrots
Racket-tailed Parrots
Distribution / Status in the Wild:
The Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrots, Prioniturus discurus discurusis, is endemic to Mindanao, Olutanga, Basilan, Guimaras, Luzon, Jolo Islands, Sulu Archipelago, Philippines ... CITES II - They are endangered in their natural habitat and uncommon in the pet trade.
Description:
The Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrot averages 27cm in length. The plumage is basically green with a blue crown, blueish undertail, whitish beak, and dark underwings with green coverts.
There are three or four subspecies:
- Blue-headed Racket-tailed Parrots (P. d. discurus):
- Jolo, Mindanao, Olutanga, Basiilan, Guimara, Luzon
- Salomonsen's Racket-tailed Parrots (P. d. whiteheadi):
- Negros, Bohol, Samar, Leyte, Masbate, Cebu. Less blue on crown
- Tablas Racket-tailed Parrots (P. d. nesophilus):
- Tablas, Sibuyan, Catanduanes. Still less blue. May be part of P.d. whiteheadi
- Mindoro Racket-tailed Parrots (P. d. mindorensis):
- Mindoro. Green forehead, hindcrown shades to violet
Note: Blue-headed Racquet-tail, P. platenae, was formerly considered conspecific (of, or belonging to, the same species).
Taxonomy:
Species: Scientific: Prioniturus discurus discurus ... English: Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrot ... Dutch: Blauwkapvlagstaartpapegaai ... German: Blauköpfiger Spatelschwanzpapagei ... French: Perroquet à raquettes d'archipel Sulu
Nominate Species and Sub-Species: discurus, whiteheadi, nesophilus, mindorensis, platenae
Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Sub-species:
Blue-headed Racket-tailed Parrot
Distribution: Mindoro Island, Philippines ... CITES II - Endangered
Description: Average 10.5 ins or 27 cm in length. They look like the Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrot described above, but the forehead and and forecrown are green; hindcrown and nape (lower back of the neck) are pale violet-blue; and the lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) and cheeks are slightly more yellowish-green.
Taxonomy: Species: Scientific: Prioniturus discurus mindorensis ... English: Mindoro Racket-tailed Parrot ... Dutch: Mindoro Vlagstaartpapegaai ... German: Mindoro Spatelschwanzpapagei ... French: Perroquet à raquettes d'iles Mindoro
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Salomonsen's Racket-tailed Parrots:
Description: The Salomonsen's Racket-tailed Parrots average 27 cm (10.5 ins) in length. They look like the Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrot described above, but with less blue on head, the blue center of the crown is not as clearly defined, gradually merging with green on sides of head.
Distribution & Status in the Wild: CITES II - Endangered ... Distribution: Negros, Bohol, Samar, Leyte, Masbate, Cebu in the Philippines
Taxonomy: Species: Scientific: Prioniturus discurus whiteheadi ... English: Salomonsen's Racket-tailed Parrot ... Dutch: Salomonsens Vlagstaartpapegaai ... German: Salomonsen Spatelschwanzpapagei ... French: Perroquet à raquettes de Whitehead
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Description: The Tablas Racket-tailed Parrots average 26 cm (10) in length. They look like the Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrot described above, but the crown is just lightly washed with blue; breast and the abdomen is a slightly darker green.
Distribution & Status in the Wild: CITES II - Endangered ... Distribution: Catanduanes, Sibuyan and Tablas in the Philippines
Taxonomy: Scientific: Prioniturus discurus nesophilus ... English: Tablas Racket-tailed Parrot ... Dutch: Tablas Vlagstaartpapegaai ... German: Tablas Spatelschwanzpapagei ... French: Perroquet à raquettes d'iles Catanduans
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
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