The Guaiabero Parrots (Bolbopsittacus lunulatus) are endemic to the Island of Luzon in the Philippines, where they might be seen foraging in tree tops or in a fast straight flight.
These parrots are common in forest areas and along the forest edge, usually below 1,500 meters.
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate:
- c (B.l. lunulatus) – Nominate Species
- Intermediate Guaiabero Parrots (B.l. intermedius)
- Mindanao Guaiabero Parrots (B.l. mindanensis)
- Samar Guaiabero Parrots (B.l. callainipictus)
Description:
The Guaiabero Parrots are plump, short-tailed parrots that are small in size (5.8 to 6.5 inches or ~14.5 to ~16.5 cm) in length.
General plumage is yellow and green. The face and throat are pale blue and there is a pale collar surrounding the hindneck. They have a green/yellow rump and upper tail coverts. The bill is silvery/grey tipped with black. The eyes are dark brown. The feet are greenish-grey.
Female:
Females look like males, but the blue is limited to her throat and lower cheeks. She has a narrow yellow collar surrounding the hindneck. Her lower back is blackish, each feather with a broad greenish-yellow edging.
Young Birds :
Immature birds look like adult females, but the bill is pale grey / horn-colored with yellow at the base of the lower beak.
Calls / Vocalizations
They make high-pitched and abrupt calls during flight and emit softer sounds while feeding.
Sub-species:
Intermediate Guaiabero Parrots:
Distribution: They are endemic to the Islands of Leyte and Samar, in the Philippines.
Description: The Intermediate Guaiabero Parrots average 6 inches (15 cm) in length. They look like the nominate Guaiabero Parrots (lunulatus) described and featured above, but the general plumage is a slightly darker green, especially the breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts. The forehead, lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird’s head), eye area, frontal cheeks, throat and the bend of wing are a darker blue with a slight purple streaking. The narrow band to the neck is more pronounced and a brighter blue.
Female look like males, but the blue is limited to the throat. Her cheeks and the eye area is pale green. The narrow band to the neck is black with broad dusky orange-yellow edging. The lower back is blackish, each feather with broad greenish-yellow edging.
Young birds look like females, but have horn-colored bills. They make high-pitched and abrupt calls during flight and emit softer sounds while feeding.
Species: Scientific: Bolbopsittacus lunulatus intermedius … English: Intermediate Guaiabero Parrot … Dutch: Leyte Guaiabero Papegaai … German: Leyte Stummelschwanzpapagei … French: Petit perruche à collier d’isle Leyte … CITES II – Endangered Species
Distribution: They are endemic to the islands of Mindanao and Panaon, in the Philippines. They make high-pitched and abrupt calls during flight and emit softer sounds while feeding.
Description: This parrot averages 6 inches (15 cm) in length.They look like the nominate Guaiabero Parrots (lunulatus) described and featured above, but there is a yellow tint to its green head and a pale blue area around bill separated from the pale blue of the eye area by the green lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird’s head) and upper cheek area. There is a narrow deeper blue band to the neck and in many birds this band is broader than it is in the nominate form. The head plumage is otherwise yellowish-green.
Females look like the nominate hen, but the head is green tinted yellow.
Young birds look like females, but have horn-colored bills.
Species: Scientific: Bolbopsittacus lunulatus mindanensis … English: Mindanao Guaiabero Parrot … Dutch: Mindanao Guaiabero Papegaai … German: Mindanao Stummelschwanzpapagei … French: Petit perruche à collier d’isle Mindanao … CITES II – Endangered Species
Distribution: They are endemic to the province Samar in the Philippines
Description: The male looks like the Mindanao Guaiabero Parrots described above, but the general plumage is more yellow, especially on underparts. The face and nuchal collar are more dark and green/blue. There is less blue on the cheeks. Females look like the Mindanao hen, but her plumage is also more yellow and there is more yellow on the rump and nuchal collar. Young birds look like females. They make high-pitched and abrupt calls during flight and emit softer sounds while feeding.
Species: Scientific: Bolbopsittacus lunulatus callainipictus … English: Samar Guaiabero Parrot … Dutch: Samar Guaiabero Papegaai … German: Samar Stummelschwanzpapagei … French: Petit perruche à collier d’isle Samart … CITES II – Endangered Species
