Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrots

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

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Sub-species:

Blue-headed Racket-tailed Parrot

Mindoro Racket-tailed Parrots

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 (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

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 and 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

Tablas Racket-tailed Parrots:

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 and 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

Gaurav Dhir

Gaurav is an animal enthusiast. He lives in beautiful Ontario with his energetic family. As a part of his work at beautyofbirds.com, he has been working with ace parrot trainer, Cassie Malina to understand bird behavior and learn more about how he can train his feathered companions.

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