The Sula hanging parrot (''Loriculus sclateri'') is a small species of

parrot Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoid ...

in the family

Psittaculidae Psittaculidae is a family containing Old World parrots. It consists of five subfamilies: Agapornithinae, Loriinae, Platycercinae, Psittacellinae and Psittaculinae. This family has been accepted into ''The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World' ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to forest and nearby habitats on the Banggai and

Sula Islands The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 3,338.67 km2 and consists of two of the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Description and taxonomy

The Sula hanging parrot has sometimes been treated as a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the Moluccan hanging parrot, but the two are increasingly treated as separate species based on their distinct differences in

plumage Plumage ( "feather") is a layer of feathers that covers a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage differ between species and subspecies and may vary with age classes. Within species, ...

and size (14 cm for the Sula hanging parrot versus for the Moluccan hanging parrot).Collar, N. J. (2007). ''Taxonomic notes on some insular Loriculus hanging-parrots.'' Bull. B.O.C. 127(2): 97-107. When recognized as separate species, the Sula hanging parrot has often been treated as

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

, but the subspecies ''L. s. ruber'' from the Banggai Islands has recently been re-validated, leaving the

nominate Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In the ...

for the Sula Islands. Both subspecies have an overall green plumage with red to the chin, rump and leading edge of the wing. In ''L. s. sclateri'' the mantle varies from all

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

-orange to red broadly edged by orange, while the mantle of ''L. s. ruber'' is red with very little orange edge. Furthermore, the red rump is brighter in ''L. s. ruber'' than in ''L. s. sclateri''.

Distribution and habitat

The Sula hanging parrot is found throughout the

Banggi Island Banggi Island ( ms, Pulau Banggi) is located within the Kudat Division of Sabah in Malaysia. With an area of 440.7 square kilometres, it is the largest island in Malaysia followed by Bruit Island, Langkawi Island and Penang Island Penang ...

Peleng Peleng is an island off the east coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia and is the largest island of the Banggai Islands (''Kepulauan Banggai''). It is surrounded by the Banda Sea and Molucca Sea and has an area of 2,406 km². Some of the smaller i ...

, Melilis Island, Labobo Island, Seho Island, and other small surrounding islands. However, it is absent from Bengkulu Island and

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

Ecology

The Sula hanging parrot is usually present in areas below 450 meters in

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

secondary forest A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...

, near agricultural land with scattered trees,

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

s, and forest edges. It is usually found singly or in small groups. Pairs usually nest in tree and stump burrows, as they prefer narrow, long burrows with small holes. To carry back nesting materials to build a nest inside the burrow, this species tucks in materials such as small twigs under its wing and then carries it back to their nesting site. Breeding usually takes place from January to April while a second season happens from July to September. During breeding season the male performs an elaborate

courtship display A courtship display is a set of display behaviors in which an animal, usually a male, attempts to attract a mate; the mate exercises choice, so sexual selection acts on the display. These behaviors often include ritualized movement ("dances"), ...

to attract a female. In the display, the male approaches the female with small steps and hops while making a warbling sound. He also extends his neck to show of his blue throat patch while raising his rump, displaying his tail feathers. The species also engages in courtship feeding. Females lay a clutch of 2 to 4 eggs. The female incubate the eggs for approximately 20 days while the male feeds her. Eggs are usually 15 – 18 mm long. Young birds fledge at around 32 days of age and are usually fully independent in 10–11 days.

Conservation

Like most other birds in the genus ''Loriculus'', the Sulu hanging parrot is threatened by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

to make way for farms, mining operations, and

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

. It is also threatened by the illegal pet

wildlife trade Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1263571

Sula hanging parrot The Sula hanging parrot (''Loriculus sclateri'') is a small species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to forest and nearby habitats on the Banggai and Sula Islands in Indonesia. Description and taxonomy The Sula hanging par ...

Birds of Wallacea

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot