- Poicephalus
image_width = 240px
name = Poicephalus parrots
image_caption =Senegal Parrot eating fruit
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Psittaciformes
familia =Psittacidae
subfamilia =Psittacinae
tribus =Psittacini
genus = "Poicephalus"
genus_authority = Swainson, 1837
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =The
genus "Poicephalus" comprises nine species ofparrot s native to various regions of theAfrotropic ecozone , including Sub-SaharanAfrica , ranging fromSenegal in the west,Ethiopia in the east, and toCape Horn in the south. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms (or subspecies).They are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks for their size. ("Poicephalus", from the Greek, literally means made of head). Several of the species show marked
sexual dimorphism , where the adult male and female birds can be easily identified from variations in feather colouration, but in other species there is no sexual dimorphism or the differences are not so marked. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, nuts, and leafy matter.The
Senegal Parrot ,Meyer's Parrot ,Jardine's Parrot and theBrown-headed Parrot are popular aspet s because they are easier to keep in apartments, being generally quieter and smaller, than most othercompanion parrot s. Some "Poicephalus" parrot species are rare and not known or rare in captivity.Classification
*
Senegal Parrot , "P. senegalus"
*Meyer's Parrot , "P. meyeri"
*Red-bellied Parrot , "P. rufiventris"
*Brown-headed Parrot , "P. cryptoxanthus"
*Jardine's Parrot , "P. gulielmi"
*Cape Parrot , "P. robustus" (The two subspecies, commonly called the Brown-necked Parrot and the Grey-headed Parrot, have been classified as a separate species, theUn-cape Parrot ("P. fuscicollis"), but this is not widely accepted.)
*Rüppell's Parrot , "P. rueppellii"
*Yellow-fronted Parrot , "P. flavifrons"
*Niam-niam Parrot , "P. crassus"pecies
References
* [http://www.oldworldaviaries.com/text/lewis/poicephalus-taxonomy.htm Taxonomy of Poicephalus parrots]
* [http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/11184166631Map_-_Africa_LRG.jpgMap showing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa]External links
* [http://www.wingscentral.org/aps/faqcapes.aspx Cape Parrot FAQ]
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