The Red-cheeked Parrot (Geoffroyus geoffroyi geoffroyi) is found in Australia, Indonesia – specifically Timor (province East Nusa Tenggara) and Wetar Islands (province Maluku) in the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.
Description:
The Red-cheeked Parrot averages 8 to 8.4 inches (~21 cm) in length and weigh around 4.7 to 6.3 oz (135 – 180 g).
Its general plumage is green. The forehead, throat and sides of the head are red. The crown and the back of the head are mauve-blue. The breast, abdomen, tail upperside, upper and lower tail-coverts are yellow-green. The lower back is green. There is a reddish-brown patch to the median wing-coverts. The under wing-coverts are blue. The underside of the tail is green-yellow. It has pale yellow irises. The feet are grey. The upper beak is coral red and the lower beak is brown-grey.
Female look like males for the most part, except her head is brown and there is an olive tinge to her cheeks and throat. The upper and lower beak is brown-grey. (Please refer to the image below to the right.)
Immature red-cheeks have a green head and the throat and cheeks have a brownish tinge. They lack the red/brown patch that is present on the adult’s inner median wing coverts. Their upper and lower beaks are brown-grey. Their eyes are brown.
Call / Voice:
Calls made in flight or when perched are distinctive; shrieking and metallic series of notes repeated rapidly; also two-syllable notes ending with upward inflection and a variety of croaking, chattering notes and shrill screeches.
Taxonomy:
Class: Aves … Order: Psittaciformes … Family: Psittacidae … Subfamily: Psittacinae … Genus: Scientific: Geoffroyus … English: Long-winged Parrots … Dutch: Langvleugelpapegaaien … German: Buntkopfpapageien … French: Perroquet Geoffrey
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi geoffroyi … English: Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Roodmaskerlangvleugelpapegaai, Roodwang Papegaai … German: Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey … CITES II – Endangered
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: G.g. geoffroyi, G.g. floresianus, G.g. cyanicollis, G.g. rhodops, G.g. keyensis, G.g. timorlaoensis, G.g. aruensis, G.g. maclennani, G.g. sudestiensis, G.g. cyanicarpus, G.g. minor, G.g. jobiensis, G.g. mysoriensis, G.g. pucherani, G.g. obiensis
Sub-species:
Aru-Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis)
Distribution: Their range includes Aru Islands in the province of Maluku in eastern Indonesia, southern New Guinea, Fergusson and Goodenough Islands in eastern Papuan Islands, and Queensland, Australia.
Description: As nominate form – Red-cheeked Parrots (geoffroyus) – described and featured above, but plumage generally paler; crown and back of head violet-blue, extending to nape; under wing-coverts darker blue; on average slightly larger. Female as nominate type, but brown of head darker and extends down to nape; many birds with pronounced green tinge to crown. They average 8.5 inches (22 cm) in length.
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis … English: Aru Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Aru Roodwangpapegaai … German: Aru Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Aru … CITES II – Endangered
Blue-necked Red-cheeked Parrots aka Gilolo Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi cyanicollis)
Distribution: Can be found in Mortai, Halmahera, Batjan, northern Moluccas / Maluku Islands.
Description: As Red-cheeked (geoffroyus), but generally darker; reddish-brown patch to wing-coverts absent; blue crown and back of head extends to nape, there adjoining pale blue band; back variably tinged bronze-brown; breast and abdomen with bluish-green tinge; under wing-coverts darker blue; generally larger. Female as nominate type, but brown of head extends to nape; there adjoining a very broad pale blue band; crown tinged bluish; back variably tinged bronze-brown; breast and abdomen with bluish-green tinge. … Length: 25 cm (10 ins), wing length 170 – 185 mm (6.5 – 7 ins)
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi cyanicollis … English: Gilolo Parrot, Blue-necked Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Blauwhals Roodwangpapegaai … German: Blaunacken Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey à colette bleu … CITES II – Endangered
male-in general darker than geoffroyi; purple/blue of crown reaching to hindneck, meeting with evident blue collar; bronze/brown variable wash on mantle and upper back; blue/green upper breast and lower abdomen; red/brown on inner median wing-coverts absent; darker blue underwing coverts. Larger in size. Female-head darker than that of geoffroyi; purple suffusion on crown; blue nape reaching evident blue collar; otherwise as in male.
Rossel Island Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi cyanicarpus)
Distribution: The Rossel Island Red-cheeked Parrot is endemic to the Rossel Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua.
Description: They look like the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but their plumage is generally darker green. They lack the reddish-brown wing patch; and their cheeks and ear-coverts are partially strongly washed with violet-blue. The edge of the wing is partially blue; and at 9.5 inches (~24 cm) they are larger than the Aru Red-cheeked parrots. Female as aruensis, but also darker green; crown and nape washed with green; and the edge of the wing is partially blue.
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi cyanicarpus … English: Rossel Island Red-cheecked Parrot … Dutch: Rossel Roodwangpapegaai … German: Rossel Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Rossel … CITES II – Endangered
Goram Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi explorator)
Distribution: Goram Islands, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi explorator … English: Goram Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Goram Roodwangpapegaai … German: Goram Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Goram … CITES II – Endangered
Lesser Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi floresianus)
Distribution: The Lesser Red-cheeked Parrots are endemic to Lombok, Sumbawa and Sumba in the Lesser Sunds Islands, Indonesia.
Description: They look like the nominate form – the Red-cheeked (geoffroyus) – but the plumage is generally slightly darker. The reddish-brown patch to wing-coverts is also darker. The crown and the back of head is violet-blue extending to nape. The under tail-coverts are darker blue. They have a larger bills and at ~9.5 inches (~24 cm) are generally larger than the nominate form. Female as nominate hen, but the brown extends from head to nape and is darker; in many birds with scattering of reddish-brown. Compared to the male, the female has a darker darker brown crown that reaches to nape.
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi floresianus … English: Lesser Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Kleine Roodwangpapegaai … German: Kleiner Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Flores … CITES II – Endangered
Greater Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi keyensis)
Distribution: The Greater Red-cheeked Parrots are endemic to the Kai Islands (also known as Kei Islands) – found in the south-eastern part of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia
Description: Looks similar to the Red-cheeked (geoffroyus) featured above, but the crown and the back of the head violet blue, extending down to nape. The crown feathers with red base is not visible and the outer edge of ear-coverts become violet-blue. The under wing-coverts are pale blue. The tail upperside is green-yellow with paler edging. At ~10.5 inches (~27 cm) in length, the Greater Red-cheeked Parrots are also much larger than the nominate form. Female as nominate hen, but the brown of the head extends down to nape and is washed with green. Compared to the male, the female has a paler chestnut/brown on head; otherwise looks like him.
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi keyensis … English: Greater Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Grote Roodwangpapegaai … German: Großer Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Key … CITES II – Endangered
Jobi Red-cheeked Parrots: (Geoffroyus geoffroyi jobiensis)
Description: The Jobi Red-cheeked Parrot looks like the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but the lower back is reddish-brown; the facial area is a darker red and, in most birds, extends to the front of the crown. The upper back is faintly tinged bronze-brown. The under wing-coverts are paler blue and they lack the reddish-brown patch to wing that is so distinctive in the Aru Red-cheekd Parrot. At ~ 9.5 inches (~ 24 cm), they also tend to be slightly larger. Jobi females look similar to the Aru Red-cheeked female, except her head is slightly darker brown and the lower back is reddish-brown.
Distribution: Japen and Meos Num Islands in Geelvink Bay, Western New Guinea
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi jobiensis … English: Jobi Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Jobi Roodwangpapegaai … German: Jobi Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey de Job … CITES II – Endangered
Red-cheeked Parrot (Australian) / No Common Name (Geoffroyus geoffroyi maclennani)
Distribution: The Australian Red-cheeked Parrot (no common name) is only found on Cape York Peninsula and is considered near threatened nationally by Garnett and Crowley (2000)
Description: They look like Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but are in general darker. The red of the face is more dark and uniform. They have paler blue underwing coverts. Females look like Aru Red-cheeked hens, but they are in general darker; have a darker brown head and paler blue underwing coverts.
Neumann’s Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi minor)
Description: The Neumann’s Red-cheeked Parrot likes like the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but the lower back is reddish-brown. The marking on the inner wing-coverts that are visible in the Aru Red-cheeked are minimal or absent in the Neumann’s Red-cheeked Parrots. The facial area is a much darker red and the upper back is faintly tinged bronze-brown. At 9 ins (23 cm) they are also slightly larger. Female look like the Aru Red-cheeked hen, but her head is slightly darker brown and the lower back is reddish-brown.
Distribution: Northern and Western New Guinea
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi minor … English: Neumann’s Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Neumanns Roodwangpapegaai … German: Neumanns Rotkopfpapagei … French: Petit perroquet Geoffrey de Rivière Mamberamo … CITES II – Endangered
Biak Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi mysoriensis)
Description: The Biak Red-cheeked looks like the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but the lower back is reddish-brown and the facial area is a much darker red and extends to the throat, The violet-blue of the head extends to the sides of the throat and the under wing-coverts are dark blue. At 9.5 inches (24 cm), they tend to be slightly larger than the Aru Red-cheeked parrots. The female looks like the male, except her crown is brown reaching over the hindneck.
Distribution: Biak and Numfoor Islands in Geelvink Bay, Western New Guinea
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi mysoriensis … English: Biak Red-cheeked Parrot… Dutch: Biak Roodwangpapegaai … German: Biak Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey de Baie Geelvink … CITES II – Endangered
Obi Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi obiensis)
Description: The Obi looks like the nominate Red-cheeked Parrot (geoffroyus), except the plumage is generally slightly darker and they lack the reddish-brown patch to the wing-coverts. They have a very broad pale blue band to the back of the head. The back is variably tinged bronze-brown and the breast and abdomen have a bluish-green tinge. The lower back is reddish-brown and the under wing-coverts are darker blue. At 10 inches (25 cm) in length, they are generally larger than the norminate Red-cheeked Parrot. Female also look like the nominate hen, but the brown of her head is adjoined by a very broad pale blue band. The back of her crown is tinged bluish and the back is variably tinged bronze-brown. The breast and abdomen have a bluish-green tinge and the lower back is reddish-brown.
Distribution: Obi Group in the central Mollucas, Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi obiensis … English: Obi Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Obi Roodwangpapegaai … German: Obi Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Obi … CITES II – Endangered
Huon Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi orientalis)
Description: The Huon Red-cheeked Parrots look like the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but they have paler under wing-coverts. Some birds also have paler head. They average 9 inches (23 cm) in length (from head to the tip of the tail).
Distribution: Huon Peninsula, north-eastern New Guinea
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi orientalis … English: Huon Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Huon Roodwangpapegaai … German: Huon Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey dès presqu’iles Huon … Note: Geoffroyus g. orientalis is only known from a few museum specimens; sub-species classification questionnable as differences to aruensis too slight and inconsistent … CITES II – Endangered
Pucheran’s Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi pucherani)
Description: The Pucheran’s Red-cheeked Parrot looks similar to the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but its lower back is dark reddish-brown. The facial area is a much darker red and the upper back has an extremely faint bronze-brown tinge. The under wing-coverts are dark blue. The reddish-brown wing patch of the Aru is virtually absent in the Pucheran’s Red-cheeked Parrot and, at 9 inches (23 cm) in length, they tend to be slightly larger than the Aru Red-cheeked. Female as the Aru Red-cheeked hen, but her head is slightly darker brown and her lower back is dark reddish-brown.
Distribution: Western Papuan Islands, north-western and Western New Guinea
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi pucherani … English: Pucheran’s Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Pucherans Roodwangpapegaai … German: Pucheran Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Waigo … CITES II – Endangered
Buru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi rhodops)
Description: The Buru Red-cheeked Parrot l ooks very similar to the nominate form (Red-cheeked – geoffroyus) featured above, but at 10.25 ins (26 cm) in length, the Buru Red-cheeked is much larger than the nominate form and its plumage is darker. The reddish-brown patch to wing-coverts is also darker, and the red facial area is clearly defined. The crown and back of the head is violet-blue extending to the nape. The under wing-coverts are darker blue. Female as nominate type, but her head is reddish-brown and the color extends down to nape.
Distribution: Buru, Seram, Ambon, Saparua, Haruku, Seram Laut in southern Mollucas (Maluku Province), Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi rhodops … English: Buru Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Buru Roodwangpapegaai … German: Buru Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Rhodops … CITES II – Endangered
Misima Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi sudestiensis)
Description: The Misima Red-cheeked Parrot looks similar to the Aru Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi aruensis), but the plumage is generally slightly more yellowish. The underparts are darker and they lack the reddish-brown wing patch of the Aru Red-cheeked and tend to be larger. They average 9 inches (23 cm) in length.Female looks like the male, but she has green crown and nape.
Distribution: Misima and Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi sudestiensis … English: Misima Red-cheeked Parrot … Dutch: Misima Roodwangpapegaai … German: Misima Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’archipel Louisiade … CITES II – Endangered
Tanimbar Red-cheeked Parrots (Geoffroyus geoffroyi timorlaoensis)
Description: The Tanimbar Red-cheeked Parrots look similar to the Greater Red-cheeked Parrots (keyensis), but they are smaller in size, averaging about 10 inches (25 cm) in length. The female has a pronounced green tinge to the upper head, and the sides of her head are also partially green.
Distribution: Tanimbar Islands (Maluku province), Indonesia
Species: Scientific: Geoffroyus geoffroyi timorlaoensis … English: Tanimbar Red-cheecked Parrot … Dutch: Tanimbar Roodwangpapegaai … German: Tanimbar Rotkopfpapagei … French: Perroquet Geoffrey d’ile Tenimber … CITES II – Endangered
