Pygmy Parrots
Class: Aves ... Order: Psittaciformes ... Family: Psittacidae ... Subfamily: Micropsittinae ... Genus: Scientific: Micropsitta ... English: Pygmy Parrots ... Dutch: Spechtpapegaaitjes ... German: Spechtpapageien ... French: Psittacule ... CITES II: Endangered Species
PYGMY PARROTS (Micropsittinae / Micropsitta):
The pygmy parrots of the subfamily Micropsittinae all belong to the genus Micropsitta. They are native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and nearby islands.They are the smallest members of the parrot family.
The six major sub-species are Yellow-capped, Buff-faced, Finsch's, Geelvink and the Meek's Pygmy Parrots. Oher sub-species are listed below.
Pygmy parrots are tiny birds: fast-moving, mostly green with bright highlights. At a little over 3" (8 cm) in length, the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot is considerably smaller than a silvereye or a kinglet. They are fast-moving, mostly green with bright highlights. They spend a good deal of time climbing through foliage, using their oversized feet, beaks, and stiffened tail feathers.
Their natural diet is said to consist of lichens, insects, fungi and mosses, but not much is known about their lifestyles.
Sub-species:
Beccari's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio beccarii ... English: Beccari's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Beccaris Spechtpapegaai ...
German: Beccaris Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Beccari 
Distribution: Northern New Guinea, West Irian, Manam, Karkar and Rook Island Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.) ... Cornell University - beautiful painting
Biak Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta geelvinkiana misorienses ... English: Biak Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Biak Spechtpapegaai ... German: Biak Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile Biak Distribution: Biak Island Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Bougainville Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii nanina ... English: Bougainville Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bougainville Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bougainville Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée Nanina Distribution: Bougainville, Choiseul, Ysabel and Bugotu in the Solomon Islands Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Bruijn's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii bruijnii ... English: Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, Bruijn's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bruijns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bruijns Spechtpapagei, Rotkopf Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à gorge rouge Distribution: Mountains of New Guinea, Vogelkop, West Irian, Papua
Buffed-faced or Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots: Size: Probably the smallest parrot of all - averaging about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 inches) in length Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio pusio ... English: Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Sclater's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sclaters Spechtpapegaai, Blauwschedelspechtpapegaai ... German: Sclaters Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à face brunâtre Sub-Species: beccarii, pusio, harterti, stressmanni Distribution: Bismarck Archipelago, South-eastern New Guinea Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Buru Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii pileata ... English: Buru Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Buru Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Buru Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée Buru Distribution: Mountains of Buru and Ceram in the Southern Moluccas, Indonesia Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots(Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Finsch's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii finschii ... English: Finsch's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Finsch' Spechtpapegaai ... German: Finschs Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Finsch Sub-Species: viridifrons, finschii, aolae, tristami, nanina
Distribution: They re restricted to New Ireland and Bougainville in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. It has an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 20,000-50,000 km2, and is a fairly common species of lowland forests, occurring to about 1,000 m. Although there are reports that it is poorly tolerant of logged and degraded forest (Buckingham et al. 1995, Schodde 1977) and local extirpations may have occurred (Blaber 1990), it is frequently recorded elsewhere in logged forest (B. Beehler in litt. 2000). However, the lowlands throughout the region are subject to extensive logging. The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as 'common' in at least parts of its range (del Hoyo et al. 1997). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Geelvink Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta geelvinkiana geelvinkiana ... English: Geelvink Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Geelvink Spechtpapegaai ... German: Schlegels Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile numfor Sub-Species: geelvinkiana, misonensis Distribution: Numfor Island Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots ... Birdlife.org ... Mangoverde
Guadalcanal Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii aolae ... English: Guadalcanal Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Guadalcanal Spechtpapegaai ... German: Guadalcanal Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Aola Distribution: Guadalcanal, Malaita and the Rusell Islands in the Solomon Islands Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Hartert's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii necopinata ... English: Hartert's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Harterts Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Harterts Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée l'archipel Bismarck Distribution: New Britain, New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
Mayr's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio harterti ... English: Mayr's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Mayrs Spechtpapegaai ... German: Mayrs Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Hartert Distribution: Ferguson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Meek's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta meeki meeki ... English: Meek's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Meeks Spechtpapegaai ... German: Meeks Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Meek Sub-Species: meeki, proxima Distribution: Admiralty Island Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
New Ireland Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii viridifrons ... English: New Ireland Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: New Ireland Spechtpapegaai ... German: Neu-Irland Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à front vert Distribution: Lihir Islands, New Hanover, New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 5 - click on link to view photo.)
Red-breasted Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii bruijnii ... English: Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot, Bruijn's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Bruijns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Bruijns Spechtpapagei, Rotkopf Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à gorge rouge Sub-Species: pileata, bruijnii, necopinata, rosea Distribution: Mountains of New Guinea, Vogelkop, West Irian, Papua Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
Red-crowned Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta bruijnii rosea aka Micropsitta bruijnii brevis ... English: Red-crowned Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Roodkopspechtpapegaai ... German: Rotscheitel Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule à crète rouge Distribution: Bougainville, Guadalcanal, Kulambangra in the Solomon Islands Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 4 - click on link to view photo.)
Saint Matthias Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta meeki proxima ... English: Saint Matthias Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sint Matthias Spechtpapegaai ... German: Sankt Matthias Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée d'ile St. Matthias Distribution: St. Matthias and Squally Islands Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Sclater's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio pusio ... English: Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Sclater's Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Sclaters Spechtpapegaai, Blauwschedelspechtpapegaai ... German: Sclaters Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à face brunâtre Distribution: Bismarck Archipelago, South-eastern New Guinea
Stresemann's Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta pusio stresemanni ... English: Stresemann's Pygmy Parrot... Dutch: Stresemanns Spechtpapegaai ... German: Stresemanns Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Stresemann Distribution: Misima and Tagula Island in the Louisiade Archipelago Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 3 - click on link to view photo.)
Tristams Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta finschii tristami ... English: Tristams Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Tristams Spechtpapegaai ... German: Tristams Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Tristam Distribution: Vella Lavella, Gizo, Kulambangra, New Georgia, Rubiana, Rendova Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)
Yellow-breasted Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta keiensis chloroxantha aka Micropsitta keiensis sociabilis ... English: Yellow-breasted Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Roodborstspechtpapegaai ... German: Rotbrüstiger Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée à buste nacarat Distribution: Western Papua Islands, Vogelkop and Onin Peninsulas, West Irian
Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrots: Species: Scientific: Micropsitta keiensis keiensis ... English: Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot ... Dutch: Geelkapspechtpapegaai ... German: Salvadoris Rotbrüstiger Spechtpapagei ... French: Psittacule pygmée de Keiensis Sub-Species: keiensis, chloroxantha, viridipectus Distribution: Kai and Aru Islands, Indonesia Related Web Resources: Lexicon of Parrots
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
