Blue-winged racket-tail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-winged racket-tail |
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| Illustration by Keulemans | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Prioniturus
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| Species: |
verticalis
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The blue-winged racket-tail is a special kind of parrot found only on Tawi-Tawi island in the Philippines. It's also known as the Sulu racquet-tail, and its scientific name is 'Prioniturus verticalis'. This beautiful bird is one of the most endangered parrots on Earth. It faces big dangers like losing its home and being caught to be sold as a pet.
Contents
What Does the Blue-winged Racket-tail Look Like?
This parrot is mostly dark green on its back. Its chest and belly are a lighter olive-green color.
Male vs. Female Parrots
- Male birds have a pale blue color on their forehead. They also have a small red spot on the front of their head.
- Female birds look almost exactly like the males. The only difference is that they do not have that red spot on their forehead.
Special Feathers
Their main wing feathers are blue on the outside edges. The middle tail feathers are green. What makes them really unique are their "racquet" feathers. These are long tail feathers that end in a black, paddle-like shape, which looks a bit blue. The side tail feathers are green with black tips. Their bill (beak) is a blue-grey color.
How Do They Live?
Blue-winged racket-tails are known to be quite calm birds. They usually don't get scared easily when people are around. This calm nature, sadly, has made it easier for them to be caught.
Daily Life
You can often see these parrots flying in pairs. They like to stay high up in the tops of tall trees. When they fly, they can be quite noisy! These birds enjoy eating fruit and the flowers from trees.
Where Do They Live and Why Are They in Danger?
The natural homes for blue-winged racket-tails are tropical lowland forests. They also live in tropical mangrove forests, which are special forests found near coastlines.
Critically Endangered Status
Sadly, the blue-winged racket-tail is now listed as Critically Endangered. This means it's very close to disappearing forever. Experts believe there are only about 50 to 249 adult birds left.
Main Threats to Their Survival
The biggest dangers to these parrots are:
- Losing their homes: Their forests are being cut down.
- Being caught: People catch them to sell as pets.
Hundreds of years ago, these parrots lived all over the Sulu Archipelago islands. But because so many trees have been cut down, they are now found only in a few isolated spots on Tawi-Tawi island.
Why Their Calm Nature is a Problem
Because these birds are so tame, they don't often fly away from people. This makes them easy targets for people who want to catch them. They are then sold in the illegal pet trade.
Why Their Homes Are Disappearing
Many forests where these parrots live are being destroyed. This happens for several reasons:
- Cutting down trees: Trees are cut down for wood, sometimes without permission.
- Farming: Forests are cleared to make space for farms.
- Mining: Land is dug up to find valuable minerals.
- Human settlements: More and more people are building homes and towns in these areas.
All these activities have destroyed most of the blue-winged racket-tail's original home.
