Sri Lanka hanging parrot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sri Lanka hanging parrot |
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| Adult in Sri Lanka | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Loriculus
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| Species: |
beryllinus
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The Sri Lanka hanging parrot (also known as Loriculus beryllinus) is a small, colorful bird. It's a type of parrot that lives only in Sri Lanka. This means it's endemic to the island, like a special resident!
Contents
What Does the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot Look Like?
This little hanging parrot is about 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) long. It has a short tail.
Adult Parrots
Adult Sri Lanka hanging parrots have a bright red top of the head, called a crown. Their lower back, or rump, is also red. The back of their neck and main back feathers have a soft orange color. Their chin and throat are a light blue. They have a red beak and white eyes.
Young Parrots
Younger birds, called immatures, look a bit different. They don't have the orange color on their back. Their rump is not as bright red. They only have a little bit of orange on their crown. Their throat is a very light blue. Young parrots have orange beaks and brown eyes.
How Do Sri Lanka Hanging Parrots Behave?
These parrots are not as social as some other parrots. You will often see them alone or in small groups. This is especially true when it's not their breeding season.
Flight and Calls
When they fly, they are very fast and fly in a straight line. Their call is a sharp whistle. It sounds like twiwittwit..twitwitwit.
Diet and Movement
Sri Lanka hanging parrots move around a lot. They follow where their food is available. They eat fruits, seeds, buds, and blossoms.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The Sri Lanka hanging parrot lives in open forests. They always stay in trees and never go down to the ground.
Nesting Habits
They make their nests inside holes in trees. The female parrot lays 2 to 3 eggs. The female does most of the work building the nest. The male parrot usually stays nearby and watches her.
Breeding Season
The main time for them to have babies is in the first part of the year. Sometimes, they also breed between July and September.
Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot in Culture
This special bird is well-known in Sri Lanka.
Local Names
In the Sinhala language, people call this bird Gira Maliththa (ගිරාමලිත්තා). Another name for it is Pol Girwa (පොල් ගිරවා).
Stamps and Money
The Sri Lanka hanging parrot has even appeared on a 15-cent Sri Lankan postage stamp. You can also see this bird on the 1000 Sri Lankan rupee bank note. It was featured on the 2010 series of these bank notes.
Gallery
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Sri Lanka hanging parrot at Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
