Racket-tailed Parrots

The genus Prioniturus contains nine parrot species found in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Description:

Racket-tailed parrots are easily distinguished from all other parrots by their elongated central tail feathers with the bare shaft and spatula at the end (please refer to drawing to the right)..

Overall the plumage is green with more or less blue or red, specifes-specific highlights.

Adult parrots average 30 cm in length.

Diet:

Their natural diet consists of fruit (especially banana and berries), nuts and seed. They are also seen feeding in cornfields, where they can cause considerable damage to the crops.

In captivity, they should be provided with various fruits (especially banana, grapes, apple, cactus figs, elder and rowan berries), lory food, safflower seed mixes, paddy rice, wheat, hemp, canary grass, various millets and sunflower seed (also sprouted); cooked rice; half-ripened maize; rose hips; and twice weekly egg food and hard-boiled egg, which is especially important during breeding season.

Taxonomy:

Class: Aves … Order: Psittaciformes … Family: Psittacidae … Family: Psittacinae … Order: Psittaciformes … Genus: Scientific: Prioniturus … English: Racket-tailed Parrots … Dutch: Vlagstaartpapegaaien … German: Spatelschwanzpapageien … French: Perroquet à raquettes


Sub-species:

Blue-crowned Racket-tailed Parrots


Tail Feathers of the Racket-tailed Parrot

Blue-headed Racket-tailed Parrots


Blue-winged Racket-tailed Parrots (Sulu Racket-tailed Parrot)


Buru Racket-tailed Parrots:

Species: Scientific: Prioniturus mada … English: Buru Racket-tailed Parrot … Dutch: Buru Vlagstaartpapegaai … German: Buru Spatelschwanzpapagei … French: Perroquet à raquettes d’ile Buru … CITES II – Endangered

Distribution: Island of Buru (Maluku province) in Indonesia


Green Racket-tailed Parrots


Golden-mantled Racket-tailed Parrots


Mindanao Racket-tailed Parrots


Mindoro Racket-tailed Parrots


Mountain Racket-tailed Parrots


Mount Malingdang Racket-tailed Parrots


Red-spotted Racket-tailed Parrots:

Species: Scientific: Prioniturus flavicans … English: Red-spotted Racket-tailed Parrot … Dutch: Cassins Vlagstaartpapegaai … German: Raketenschwanzpapagei … French: Perroquet à raquettes tacheté rouge … CITES II – Endangered

Distribution: Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) – part of the Maluku island group in Indonesia Group, Peleng, Togian Island


Salomonsen’s Racket-tailed Parrots


Sulu Racket-tailed Parrots (Blue-winged Racket-tailed Parrots)


Tablas Racket-tailed Parrots


Talaud Racket-tailed Parrots


Taliabu Racket-tailed Parrots


Waterstradt’s Racket-tailed Parrots (Mindanao Racket-tailed Parrots)

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