Double-eyed Fig Parrots, Two-eyed Fig Parrots, Red-faced Fig Parrots

By Team Beauty of Birds

The Double-eyed Fig Parrots, Cyclopsitta diophthalma, are also known as Two-eyed Fig Parrots, Blue-faced or Red-faced Fig Parrots, Dwarf Fig Parrots and Lorilets.

They inhabit primarily the island of New Guinea, but isolated populations are also found along the tropical Australian coast, east of the Great Dividing Range.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot

They are difficult birds to observe in their habitat because of their small size, camouflaging plumage and rapid movement in a forest or near-forest situation. They are also usually high up in the canopy and on the edge of the foliage.

Fig-parrots feed primarily on the seeds of figs, which explains the common name. The name “double-eyed” was derived from the red patches above and below the eyes, resembling another set of eyes.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot Juvenile (after fledging)

Female Double-eyed Fig Parrot

There are eight described subspecies of the Double-Eyed Fig-parrot.

Five subspecies of Double-eyed Fig-Parrot are known from New Guinea and the West Papuan Islands.

Three subspecies are found in Australia:

  • Marshall’s Fig-Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma marshalli)
    • Range: Australia – from eastern Cape York Peninsula, North Queenlands (first described by Iredale in 1946)

While the Marshall’s and Red-browed Double-eyed Fig Parrots are relatively common in their natural habitat, the Coxen‘s is either extinct or close to extinction. A few unconfirmed sightings of the Coxen’s have been reported, but some experts believe that this fig parrot may indeed be extinct in its natural environment.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot Juvenile

Double-eyed Fig-parrots have been declared rare in the Wet Tropics region. These energetic and attractive parrots are infrequently found in aviculture, although their popularity and availability is increasing. Captive double-eyed fig parrots are more common in Europe than in the United States.

Description:

The Double-eyed Fig Parrot is Australia’s smallest parrot averaging 5 1/2 in (13-15 cm) in length. They have short tails, and the head and bill appear disproportionately large.

The plumage of these fig-parrots is predominantly green-yellowish with colorful facial patterns consisting of distinctive red and blue markings and a prominent blue forehead in the adult birds. The wings are blue-edged and are particularly noticeable in flight. At rest there are two obvious red spots on the back.

The Double-Eyed Fig-Parrot is sexually dimorphic, with males having a much brighter plumage than females. Both sexes have a red forehead, but the males also have a red cheek patch, while the females’ tends to be yellow.

They can be distinguished from small lorikeets by their short tail and lack of under-wing color.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot

Breeding:

Unlike many other parrots which generally use existing holes in trees for nests, Double-Eyed Fig-Parrots excavate their own nest cavities by boring a hole into a dead rotten tree to make it a suitable nesting site for raising chicks. Authenticated reports regularly record two eggs as an average clutch size.

For the most part, captive breeding results have been very poor to date. The reason for this appears to be the diet. In recent years, more information on this topic has come to light and breeding successes have significantly increased.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot Juvenile

Diet:

Fig-parrots generally feed on figs, berries, seeds, nectar, insects and larvae. They also feed on the kernels of many tiny seeds, including those of figs, buttonwood and ironwood. Foraging is done in pairs or in a flock of only a few individuals.

Song / Voice:

These fig-parrots produce short and shrill two or three note zzzt-zzzt or zeet-zeet calls. These calls are usually made in flight, but occasionally they utter them when perched. While feeding, they may also make a variety of softer, chattering noises. For the most part, however, they tend to be quiet once they have finished feeding.

Double-eyed Fig Parrots

Alternate (Global) Names

Chinese: ????? … Czech: Lorícek žlutoboký, lorí?ek žlutoboký … Danish: Dobbeltøjet Figenpapegøje … Dutch: Dubbeloogvijgpapegaai … Estonian: tulipõsk-viigipapagoi … Finnish: Siniviikunakaija … French: Psittacule double-oeil … German: Rotwangen-Zwergpapagei … Indonesian: Nuriara Mata-ganda … Italian: Pappagallo dei fichi dagli occhiali / quattrocchi … Japanese: Ichijikuinko … Norwegian: Sminkefikenpapegøye … Polish: Figówka zmienana / zmienna … Russian: ?????????? ??????? ????????? … Slovak: figojed žltoboký … Spanish: Lorito de Cuatro Ojos / Dobleojo … Swedish: Dubbelögd fikonpapegoja

Taxonomy:

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma diophthalma aka Opopsitta diophthalma diophthalma … English: Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Two-eyed Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Dubbeloogvijgpapegaai, Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet à double oeil … CITES I – Protected Species

Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: diophthalma, festetichi, aruensis, virago, inseparabilis, marshalli, macleayana, coxeni

Distribution: Western New Guinea, Western Papua

Double-eyed Fig Parrots

Sub-species:

Aru Double-eyed Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Aru Islands in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia, Southern New Guinea

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrots … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma aruensis aka Opopsitta diophthalma aruensis … English: Aru Double-eyed Fig-Parrot … Species Dutch: Aru Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Aru Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet Aru à double oeil … CITES I – Protected

Astrolabe Mountain Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Eastern New Guinea

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrots … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma coccineifrons aka Opopsitta diophthalma coccineifrons … English: Astrolabe Mountain Fig-Parrot … Species Dutch: Astrolabe Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Astrolabe Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet à front ecarlate double oeil … CITES I – Protected

Coxens Double-eye Fig Parrots (Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni)
Hartert's Double-eyed Fig Parrots
Hartert’s Double-eyed Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Goodenough and Fergusson Islands in the D’Entrecasteaux Archipelago, Papua

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma virago aka Opopsitta diophthalma virago … English: Hartert’s Double-eyed Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Harterts Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Harterts Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet d’entre casteaux à double oeil … CITES I – Protected Species

Marshall’s Fig-Parrots:

Description: The male has some pale red in the face and a soft purple color under the ear.

Male and Female Marshall's Fig Parrots

Distribution: Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland in Australia

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma marshalli aka Opopsitta diophthalma marshalli … English: Marshall’s Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Marshall’s Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Marshalls Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet à double oeil de Marshall … CITES I – Protected Species

Red-browned Fig-Parrots aka Macleay’s Fig-Parrot (Cyclopsitta diophthalma macleayana aka Opopsitta diophthalma macleayana

Tagula Double-eyed Fig-Parrots:

Distribution: Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua

Genus: Scientific: Cyclopsitta … English: Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Bontkopdwergpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfzwergpapageien … French: Lorillet

Species: Scientific: Cyclopsitta diophthalma inseparabilis aka Opopsitta diophthalma inseparabilis … English: Tagula Double-eyed Fig-Parrot … Dutch: Tagula Maskerdwergpapegaai … German: Tagula Maskenzwergpapagei … French: Lorillet Tagula à double oeil … CITES I – Protected Species

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