The royal parrotfinch (''Erythrura regia'') is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. It is found commonly at mid-altitudes on the larger islands such as Espiritu Santo, above 300 m., but it also can be found at small sea-level islands in fruiting

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

s in forest edge in Emae and Tongoa. This species is usually found in singles, pairs or small groups feeding on figs in the forest canopy. Clements has lumped this bird into the

red-headed parrotfinch The red-headed parrotfinch (''Erythrura cyaneovirens'') is a common species of estrildid finch found in the Samoan Islands. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 to 50,000 km2. It is found in subtropical/tropical lowland ...

Identification

The royal parrotfinch is approximately 11 cm long. This species is a multicoloured finch. Male royal parrotfinches have a bright red head and tail, blue breast and turquoise-green upperparts, while females are greener in colour. Young royal parrotfinches are duller with a dull blue head. This species has a high, thin voice and trilling song.

Threats

This species is threatened by commercial logging which has removed its natural habitat. There are also reports of small-scale cage-bird trade of royal parrotfinchs. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has classified the species as being vulnerable.

Conservation measures

It was suggested to implement a captive conservation breeding programme on

Lake Letas Reserve A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

, Gaua. It was also proposed to investigate any

cage-bird 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 ...

, especially on Tongoa and Emae. The suggestion was to reduce commercial logging to conserve forest reserves, supporting the natural habitat of Lake Letas Reserve.

References

External links

Species factsheet
- BirdLife International

royal parrotfinch The royal parrotfinch (''Erythrura regia'') is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. It is found commonly at mid-altitudes on the larger islands such as Espiritu Santo, above 300 m., but it also can be f ...

Birds of Vanuatu Endemic fauna of Vanuatu

Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Estrildidae-stub