The Niam-Niam parrot (''Poicephalus crassus'') is a

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 ...

nearly

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 the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

, of the genus ''

Poicephalus The genus ''Poicephalus'' belongs to the subfamily Psittacinae of the true parrots (Psittacidae) and comprises ten species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropical realm, which encompasses Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Sene ...

''. It is a mostly green parrot with a grey-brown head and orange irises. The Niam Niam is one of the world's most poorly-known parrots, with little known of its conservation status, and was one of the last unphotographed birds in Africa until 2017.

Description

Niam-Niam Parrots are not known to be

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

. This bird can be identified by a grey-brown head and breast, green belly and upper parts, green underwings, pale lower beak and orange eyes. Unlike other parrots in the genus ''Poicephalus,'' Niam-Niam Parrots lack yellow under their wings.

Distribution and habitat

''P. crassus'' has a large range extending across northern-central western Africa, from eastern Cameroon and southwestern Chad across the Central African Republic and extreme northern DRC into the southwestern edge of Sudan. Distribution and population of this parrot are currently unknown, and the conservation status of this bird is of least concern because it is not known to be globally threatened and does not approach a small enough range for a higher conservation status. Most of the range of the Niam-Niam Parrot is located in the Central African Republic and thus the species enjoys both plateau savannah and highly diverse forests. ''Poicephalus'' parrots tend to be

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

, resting and nesting in trees located within their territory. Niam Niam Parrot and a Meyer's Parrot

Lifespan

Though the average lifespan of a wild Niam-Niam Parrot is currently unknown, related parrots in ''Poicephalus,'' such as the

Senegal Parrot The Senegal parrot (''Poicephalus senegalus'') is a parrot which is a resident breeder across a wide range of west Africa. It makes migrations within west Africa, according to the availability of the fruit, seeds and blossoms which make up its ...

and

Meyer's Parrot Meyer's parrot (''Poicephalus meyeri''), also known as the brown parrot, is a species of parrot native to Africa. A Meyer's parrot has grey feathers, turquoise belly, blue rump, and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most ...

, live on average for 20-30 years in the wild and up to 50 years or more in captivity. Approximate range of the Niam-Niam Parrot

Diet

''Poicephalus'' parrots feed on a wide range of food. Seeds, fruit, leaves of a variety of trees and shrubs, nectar, insects, maize, and millet have all been observed to be part of their diet. Farmers may consider these parrots as pests for destruction of orchards and crops. Niam Niam Parrot flying

References

“Parrots of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands: Biology, Ecology and Conservation.” Parrots of Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands: Biology, Ecology and Conservation, by Mike Perrin and Cyril Laubscher, Wits University Press, 2012, pp. 451–453.

External links

* http://www.wingscc.com/aps/niam.htm * https://www.parrots.org/encyclopedia/niam-niam-parrot * *

Niam-Niam parrot The Niam-Niam parrot (''Poicephalus crassus'') is a parrot nearly endemic to the Central African Republic, of the genus ''Poicephalus''. It is a mostly green parrot with a grey-brown head and orange irises. The Niam Niam is one of the world's mo ...

Birds of Central Africa Fauna of the Central African Republic

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