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 subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well. Forshaw (1989) recognizes six subspecies of ''P. meyeri'' which vary in home range, size and in markings, including the extent of yellow markings to the head and wings, and the intensity of turquoise markings on the belly and rump.

Taxonomy

German physician and ornithologist Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar described Meyer's parrot in 1827. The name commemorates the German ornithologist

Bernhard Meyer Bernhard Meyer (24 August 1767 – 1 January 1836) was a German physician and naturalist. Meyer was the joint author, with Philipp Gottfried Gaertner (1754–1825) and Johannes Scherbius Johannes Scherbius (1 June 1769, Frankfurt am ...

. The six subspecies are: *''P. m. meyeri'' ( Cretzschmar, 1827) — s Chad to w Ethiopia *''P. m. saturatus'' ( Sharpe, 1901) — Uganda and w Kenya to w Tanzania *''P. m. matschiei'' (

Neumann Neumann is German language, German and Yiddish language, Yiddish for "new man", and one of the List of the most common surnames in Europe#Germany, 20 most common German surnames. People * Von Neumann family, a Jewish Hungarian noble family A� ...

, 1898) — c Tanzania, se Congo, Zambia and n Malawi *''P. m. reichenowi'' (Neumann, 1898) — c Angola to s Congo *''P. m. damarensis'' (Neumann, 1898) — n Namibia, s Angola and nw Botswana *''P. m. transvaalensis'' (Neumann, 1899) — Botswana, Zimbabwe and n South Africa Subspecies ''P. m. damarensis'' and ''P. m. reichenowi'' lack yellow markings on the head, while ''P. m. transvaalensis'' may have little to no yellow on the head. Belly and rump colours vary according to subspecies from turquoise to blue.

Distribution and habitat

Meyer's parrots are native to the plateau woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa where they occur in several woodland types including miombo, savanna woodlands, wooded grasslands and forests bordering watercourses or agricultural land. They are found in high densities in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana. They are also found in southern and central Africa (Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo, Angola, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Namibia.

Behaviour

Food and feeding

Their wild diet includes fruit, seeds, nuts, berries and cultivated crops. Seeds of the various leguminous trees of the African woodlands are especially favoured, providing their staple food in some areas. Although they normally travel in pairs or small flocks, wild Meyer's parrots may gather in much larger numbers where food is plentiful. In drought years they wander in search of food.

Breeding

The Meyer's parrot nests in tree cavities. The eggs are white and there are usually three or four in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days and the chicks leave the nest about 60 days after hatching.

Conservation status

Meyer's parrots are still common in the wild, although numbers have decreased locally following destruction of woodlands. It is generally not considered to be at risk, as their large population, limited pressure from trade and hunting, and 6,000,000 km² home range make these birds unlikely to face extinction in the near future. Trade in Meyer's parrots that have been bred in aviculture is legal. Meyer's parrots are listed on Appendix II of the

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of intern ...

. Appendix II listing means the species can also be taken from the wild and traded in 'limited' numbers.

In aviculture

Meyer's parrots are commonly bred for the pet trade. They are relatively quiet and small and are able to learn dozens of words. File:Poicephalus meyeri damarensis 1.jpg, File:Poicephalus meyeri -Serengeti National Park, Tanzania-8.jpg, File:Poicephalus meyeri -two captive-6a.jpg, File:Meyers Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri) pet on table.JPG,

References

*Forshaw, Joseph M. and William T. Cooper. 1989. ''Parrots of the World''. Third (Revised) Edition. Landsdowne Editions, Melbourne. *Jordan, Rick and Jean Pattison. 1999. ''African Parrots''. Hancock House, Blaine, WA. *Wirminghaus, J.O., ''Meyer's Parrot''. In: ''The atlas of southern African birds''. Vol. 1: Non-passerines. 1997. .

External links

* Meyer's parrot
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1048800 Meyer's parrot Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa Meyer's parrot Meyer's parrot