The vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) is a small hanging parrot belonging to the family Psittaculidae.
These vernal hanging parrot species are distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Andaman Islands (India), southwest China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. These parrot species are unique in their ability to sleep upside down. There are two recognized subspecies of these parrot species.
Vernal hanging parrot - Overview
- Scientific name: Loriculus vernalis
- Species author: (Sparrman, 1787)
- Synonyms/Protonym: Psittacus vernalis Sparrman, 1787
- Family: Psittaculidae › Psittaciformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Vernacular names: English: Vernal hanging parrot, Chinese: 短尾鹦鹉, French: Coryllis vernal, German: Frühlingspapageichen, Spanish: Lorículo vernal, Russian: Весенний висячий попугайчик, Japanese: ミドリサトウチョウ, Malay: Burung Bayan Rambai
- Other names: Indian Hanging-Parrot, Indian Lorikeet
- Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southwest China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
- Diet and feeding habits: fruits, berries, nectar, seeds, buds, flowers
- IUCN status listing: Least Concern (LC)
The two recognized subspecies of vernal hanging parrot are: Loriculus vernalis vernalis (Sparrman, 1787) and Loriculus vernalis phileticus Deignan, 1956.
Appearance, physical description and identification
The vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) is a small bird measuring 13 cm.The overall plumage of the vernal hanging parrot is green. The underparts are yellowish green. The male has a pale blue patch on the throat. In females the throat patch is green. The rump and uppertail coverts are red in male.
The tail of this parrot species is short. The bill is red in the male. In females and immature birds the plumage and bill are duller. The irises are black and the eye ring is gray. The legs are pale yellow. Their call is a raucous chattering sound.
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| Birds of India - Image of Vernal hanging parrot - Loriculus vernalis |
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| Indian birds - Picture of Vernal hanging parrot - Loriculus vernalis |
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| Birds of India - Photo of Vernal hanging parrot - Loriculus vernalis |
Origin, geographical range and distribution
The vernal hanging parrot species are distributed in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Andaman Islands (India), southwest China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.The vernal hanging parrot nominate subspecies L. v. vernalis is distributed in India, Andaman Islands (India), southwest China, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam.
The parrot subspecies L. v. phileticus is distributed in south Myanmar and north peninsular Thailand.
Ecosystem and habitat
These vernal hanging parrot species are moderately forest dependent. These species occur in altitudes from 0 to 1800 meters.These parrot species inhabit artificial ecosystems like agricultural lands, plantations, rural gardens, groves, orchards, abandoned cultivated land and degraded forests.
The natural ecosystems of these parrots includes tropical and subtropical dry forests, evergreen forests, tropical and subtropical moist lowlands, moist and dry deciduous woodlands, tropical and subtropical dry shrublands, secondary growth forests and tropical and subtropical moist shrublands.
Diet and feeding behavior
The diet of these vernal hanging parrot species is mostly soft fruits. Wild fruits, berries, nectar, seeds, buds and flowers are their primary food. They have been observed to frequent fig trees for figs and plantain tree flowers for nectar.Reproduction and breeding habits
The breeding season of the vernal hanging parrot is from January to April in the Andaman Islands (India). They nest in tree holes and natural hollows. The nest is lined with cut leaves. The typical clutch contains 2 to 4 white eggs. The female incubates the eggs for twenty days. The young ones fledge in about 33 days.Migration and movement patterns
The vernal hanging parrot species are non-migratory resident birds.Post breeding, juvenile parrots may disperse and establish in new locations within the range. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range.
Conservation and survival
The global population size of the vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) has not been quantified. The overall population trend of these parrot species is considered to be stable. Except for China, throughout its range it is reported to be common to very common. The generation length is 3.7 years. Their distribution size is about 6,460,000 sq.km.The vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) does not approached the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion, or under the population trend criterion or under the population size criterion. Loss of habitats and trapping for pet trade are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these parrot species.
IUCN and CITES status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the parrot species and has listed it as of "Least Concern". CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) status is ‘Evaluated’ for the vernal hanging parrot (Loriculus vernalis) and it is listed in Appendix II.| Taxonomy and scientific classification of Loriculus vernalis | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Subfamily: | Agapornithinae |
| Genus: | Loriculus |
| Species: | L. vernalis |
| Binomial name: | Loriculus vernalis |
| IUCN status listing: |
 Least Concern |
1.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loriculus_vernalis_-Ganeshgudi,_Karnataka,_India_-male-8-1c.jpg (cropped)
Image author: viwake | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 4/1/17
2.Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vernal_Hanging_Parrot_jpeg.jpg (cropped)
Image author: Raj Dhage | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
3.Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indian_Lorikeet.jpg (cropped)
Image author: Swardeepak | License: CC BY-SA 4.0
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