Desmarest's Golden-headed or Large Fig Parrots

Keeping and Breeding Fig Parrots

Diet of / Feeding Your Fig Parrots

Fig Parrots - General Info

Photos of Different Fig Parrot Species for Identification

Fig Parrot Species

The Desmarest's Golden-headed Parrot is also known as Large Fig Parrot, Desmarest's Lory or Desmarest's Fig Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii).

Distribution / Range

This parrot is found in the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest areas and moist montanes in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea - locally up to 4,900 ft (~1,500 m).

Description:

This parrot averages 7.2 inches (18 cm ) in length - from bill to the tip of the tail. The plumage of the nominate species, as well as the sub-species, is mainly green with a contrasting fiery-orange forehead and orange-yellow crown and nape. Blue markings are visible on the breast flight feathers. Both males and females look alike.

Six well defined geographical races have been identified:

• Desmarest's Fig-Parrot, Golden-headed Fig-Parrot (Psittaculirostris desmarestii desmarestii) - Nominate Species ... Range: Eastern Regions of the Vogelkop, Western New Guinea
  • Godman's Fig-Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii godmani)
    • Range: Southern and Western New Guinea, Papua
   
  • Western golden-headed Fig-Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii occidentalis)
    • Range: Western Vogelkop, Western New Guinea, Salawati and Batanta, Western Papuan Island of Misool (Maluku province)
   
  • Southern Fig-Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii cervicalis)
    • Range: South-eastern New Guinea
   
  • Van Oort's Fig-Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii intermedia)
    • Range: Onin Peninsula, Western New Guinea
   
  • Wallace's Fig-Parrots (Psittaculirostris desmarestii blythii)
    • Range: Western Papuan Island of Misool (Maluku province)

Breeding

Average clutch size: 2 eggs.

Approx. incubation: 22 days.

Taxonomy:

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii desmarestii ... English: Desmarest's Fig-Parrot, Golden-headed Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Desmarests Vijgpapegaai ... German: Desmarest Keilschwanzzwergpapagei ... French: Lorillet de Desmarest ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Distribution: Eastern Regions of the Vogelkop, Western New Guinea

Sub-species:

Godman's Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Endemic to Western and Southern New Guinea, Papua

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii godmani ... English: Godman's Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Godmans Vijgpapegaai ... German: Godmans Keilschwanzzwergpapagei ... French: Lorillet de Godman ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Western Golden-headed Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Endemic to Western Vogelkop, Western New Guinea, Salawati and Batanta, Western Papuan Island of Misool (Maluku province)

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii occidentalis ... English: Western golden-headed Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Westelijke Vijgpapegaai ... German: Westlicher Keilschwanzzwegpapagei ... French: Lorillet occidental ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Southern Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Endemic to South-eastern New Guinea

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii cervicalis ... English: Southern Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Zuidelijke Vijgpapegaai ... German: Südlicher Keilschwanzzwergpapagei ... French: Lorillet à nule bleu ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Van Oort's Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Endemic to Onin Peninsula, Western New Guinea

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii intermedia ... English: Van Oort's Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Van Oorts' Vijgpapegaai ... German: Van Oorts Keilschwanzzwergpapagei ... French: Lorillet Onin ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Wallace's Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Endemic to Misool (Maluku province) in Western Papuan Islands

Genus: Scientific: Psittaculirostris ... English: Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wigstaartdwergpapegaaien ... German: Keilschwanzzwergpapageien ... French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Psittaculirostris desmarestii blythii ... English: Wallace's Fig-Parrot ... Dutch: Wallace's Vijgpapegaai ... German: Misool Keilschwanzzwergpapagei ... French: Lorillet de Blyth ... CITES II - Endangered Species

Species Research by Sibylle Johnson

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