Finsch's pygmy parrot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Finsch's pygmy parrot |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Genus: | Micropsitta |
| Species: |
M. finschii
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| Binomial name | |
| Micropsitta finschii (Ramsay, 1881)
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| Range in red | |
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The Finsch's pygmy parrot (Micropsitta finschii) is a tiny bird from the parrot family. It's also known as the emerald pygmy parrot or green pygmy parrot. These small birds live in the warm, wet rainforests on islands like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago.
The parrot's common name and scientific name honor a German explorer and naturalist named Friedrich Hermann Otto Finsch. He was born in 1839 and passed away in 1917.
Contents
What Finsch's Pygmy Parrots Look Like
Finsch's pygmy parrots are special because they have a green head and neck. This is quite unique among other pygmy parrot species. These tiny birds are usually about 9.5 cm (3.7 in) long. That's about the length of your finger! They weigh around 12 g (0.42 oz), which is lighter than a few coins.
You can often tell male and female parrots apart by their colors. For example, in some groups, males might have a blue patch near their beak. Females, on the other hand, might have a pink patch there. There are five different types, or subspecies, of Finsch's pygmy parrots. Each type lives in a different area and has its own slight color differences between males and females.
Where Finsch's Pygmy Parrots Live
These parrots make their homes in tropical rainforests. They can be found at heights of up to 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. You'll often spot them deep inside the forest or near rivers.
Finsch's pygmy parrots spend most of their time in trees. They even build their nests inside old ant or termite mounds found on trees. They dig a tunnel into the mound, which they also use as a safe place to sleep. These parrots are quite common in the places where they live.
How Finsch's Pygmy Parrots Behave
What Finsch's Pygmy Parrots Eat
These clever birds find their food by climbing up tree bark. They can even climb along the bottom of branches while hanging upside down! As they look for food, they use their tail feathers to help them balance against the tree.
Finsch's pygmy parrots enjoy eating fungi and lichens that grow on tree bark. They also eat seeds from the casuarina tree, which is a common tree in their habitat. Sometimes, these parrots will even join slow-moving groups of other bird species while they search for food.
Finsch's Pygmy Parrot Sounds
The song of a Finsch's pygmy parrot is a series of repeated whistles. Each whistle sounds like a "tweet-tweet." The second "tweet" is usually longer and higher in sound. They also make other noises, like loud squawks and chattering sounds.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Finsch's pygmy parrots are often seen in pairs or small groups. These groups usually have three to six birds. They often include a male and female pair that stay together for about a year.
The breeding season for these parrots is from March to May. A female parrot usually lays one or two eggs at a time. Both parent birds take care of their babies. The chicks are born helpless and need a lot of care from their parents. We don't know exactly how long the eggs take to hatch or how long the parents care for the chicks. This is because it's hard to keep these parrots alive in captivity.
 | Jessica Watkins |
 | Robert Henry Lawrence Jr. |
 | Mae Jemison |
 | Sian Proctor |
 | Guion Bluford |
