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Lesser Vasa Parrot  

Also Known As: Black Parrot, Bang's Black Parrot (C.n. libs), Seychelles Black Parrot (C.n. barklyi)
 
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Wild Lesser Vasa Parrot perched on branch, Seychelles

Credit: (c) Giuliano Gerra and Silvio Sommazzi | http://www.justbirds.org/home.htm
 
photos Photos videoVideo 1
Video 2
 
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Did You Know?
The incubation time for the eggs of the Lesser Vasa Parrot is 14 days - shorter than any other parrot.

Species Profile
Genus:
Coracopsis

Species:
nigra

Size: Adult Weight:
35 cm (13.6 in) 315g (11 oz)

Races including nominate:
four: C.n. nigra, C.n. libs, C.n. sibilans, C.n. barklyi

Colourization Adult: C.n. nigra: both adults black/brown; undertail covers marked grey; outer webs of primary feathers grey; tail brown/black, banded darker towards tip. Bill pink/white, becoming grey after moult. Bare eye ring grey; eye dark brown. C.n. libs: both adults paler in colour; underparts more brown; upperparts tinged with blue/grey; no dark band on tail. C.n. siblans: both adults paler brown, less black; grey on primaries absent. Bill brown/grey. Smaller in size. C.n. barklyi: both adults similar to siblans, but grey/blue reflections on outer webs of primary feathers; pale brown patches on crown.

Colourization Juvenile: Immatures paler than adults with yellowish tinge on bill and pale grey tail feather tips.

Call: Varied sounds, more pleasant sounding than Vasa Parrot. Flute like whistles. Some calls shrieking or discordant. Also melodic whistle quite different than Vasa Parrot.

Recent Academic Research: Google Scholar - search results

 

Content Sources:

BirdLife International http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1495&m=0

CITES http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html

Internet Bird Collection http://www.hbw.com/ibc/

Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998.

Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1989.

Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.

Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.

Psittacine Aviculture, Schubot, Clubb and Clubb, 1992.