Poicephalus

Taxobox

---

image_width = 240px
name = Poicephalus parrots
image_caption = Senegal Parrot eating fruit
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Psittaciformes
familia = Psittacidae
subfamilia = Psittacinae
tribus = Psittacini
genus = "Poicephalus"
genus_authority = Swainson, 1837
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =

The genus "Poicephalus" comprises nine species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropic ecozone, including Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal in the west, Ethiopia in the east, and to Cape Horn in the south. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms (or subspecies).

They are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks for their size. ("Poicephalus", from the Greek, literally means made of head). Several of the species show marked sexual dimorphism, where the adult male and female birds can be easily identified from variations in feather colouration, but in other species there is no sexual dimorphism or the differences are not so marked. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, nuts, and leafy matter.

The Senegal Parrot, Meyer's Parrot, Jardine's Parrot and the Brown-headed Parrot are popular as pets because they are easier to keep in apartments, being generally quieter and smaller, than most other companion parrots. Some "Poicephalus" parrot species are rare and not known or rare in captivity.

Classification

* Senegal Parrot, "P. senegalus"
* Meyer's Parrot, "P. meyeri"
* Red-bellied Parrot, "P. rufiventris"
* Brown-headed Parrot, "P. cryptoxanthus"
* Jardine's Parrot, "P. gulielmi"
* Cape Parrot, "P. robustus" (The two subspecies, commonly called the Brown-necked Parrot and the Grey-headed Parrot, have been classified as a separate species, the Un-cape Parrot ("P. fuscicollis"), but this is not widely accepted.)
* Rüppell's Parrot, "P. rueppellii"
* Yellow-fronted Parrot, "P. flavifrons"
* Niam-niam Parrot, "P. crassus"

pecies

References

* [http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/lewis/poicephalus-taxonomy.htm Taxonomy of Poicephalus parrots]
* [http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11184166631Map_-_Africa_LRG.jpgMap showing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa]

External links

* [http://www.wingscentral.org/aps/faqcapes.aspx Cape Parrot FAQ]