542:
raucous calls. Counts are made in the evening as parrots arrive at roost patches and in the following morning as the parrots leave. A complete census of the population is difficult to achieve, however, as these forests are naturally fragmented and there are insufficient volunteers to count the more remote patches. There are also difficulties in achieving a precise count because the birds fly long distances for food and may be 'double-counted' at both feeding and roosting sites. Counts increased from about 500 specimens in May 2000 to over 1000 in recent years, although this may be largely explained by an increase in the particular sites that were counted. The parrots are particularly threatened by the fatal
413:
31:
84:
59:
206:
360:). The Cape parrot is smaller than the other two taxa and has an olive-yellow rather than a silvery-grey head. A detailed genetic analysis of the three taxa published in 2015 confirmed the distinctness of brown-necked and cape parrots, and suggested that ancestors of the two had diverged between 2.13 and 2.67 million years ago in the late
534:, which uses the Birdlife International checklist, formerly lumped the common and widespread grey-headed parrot with Cape parrots and brown-necked parrots, each of which are more narrowly distributed and more threatened, leading to an assessment of least concern. This contrasts with alternative assessments of the South African endemic
541:
Hundreds of volunteers participate on the first weekend each May in the "Cape Parrot Big
Birding Day" which is an annual count of the population throughout its distribution. The parrots are relatively easy to count at any forest patch due to their distinctive silhouettes, slow, 'rowing' flight and
491:
of KwaZulu-Natal, or the moderate-altitude forests of northern KwaZulu-Natal province and
Eswatini, which separate the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and Limpopo escarpment populations. All of these areas are within the dispersal range of the parrots and there are old records of Cape parrots from northern
428:
The Cape parrot is endemic to South Africa. It occurs in
Afromontane forests at moderate altitudes in eastern South Africa from the coastal escarpment near sea-level to the midlands at around 1000m. These forests occur as a series of small patches around the south and east of South Africa and are
403:
spp. These species are sexually dimorphic, with females typically sporting an orange frontal patch on the forehead. Juveniles also show a larger orange - pink patch on the forehead but lack the red on shoulders and legs of adults. These plumage characteristics vary among individuals and among the
504:
parrots are kept as cage birds, most of which are wild-caught birds although they do breed reasonably well in captivity. To date there have not been any successful releases of captive birds and the survival of this species is dependent on
546:
virus (BFDV), and there have been suggestions that a diet heavy in yellowwood fruits greatly reduces the symptoms, although this has not been empirically investigated. Their habitat is being reduced by logging and modification of
517:
law. They are rare as pets, despite low-levels of ongoing illegal collection and trade. Those that are kept have demonstrated wonderful personalities, and a talking ability that rivals their larger cousin the
368:
epoch. This period was a period of changes in climate, where grassland and forest were expanding and contracting, which presumably led to isolation and eventually speciation of separate populations.
376:
The Cape parrot is a short-tailed moderately large bird with a very large beak used to crack all sorts of hard nuts and fruit kernels, especially those of
African yellowwood trees (
1427:
1592:
1479:
555:
with suitable nesting hollows. The provision of nesting boxes has had some success and offers some hope for increasing the proportion of breeding individuals.
1572:
1401:
1440:
1024:
1059:
The
Conservation and Protection of Endangered Species: (C.A.P.E.S): Cape Parrot, Breeding Parrots, Cape Parrot South Africa, Poicephalus Parrots
1582:
1112:
752:
744:
740:
644:
Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis
459:
and extending east, with several large gaps, through the
Mthatha escarpment and Pondoland in the Eastern Cape and the southern midlands of
1053:
543:
509:
to maintain wild populations. Trade and export of wild-caught Cape parrots from South Africa has been made illegal by the international
1054:
Percy FitzPatrick
Institute of African Ornithology, South Africa : The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is endemic to South Africa
1048:
1587:
1063:
1388:
912:
479:. Cape parrots are absent from large areas of afromontane forests such as those along the southern coast of South Africa, near
1058:
1445:
1073:
1466:
1536:
1336:
618:
281:
83:
1484:
701:
1105:
1068:
39:
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638:
306:
285:
195:
412:
1323:
1250:
1341:
1208:
1228:
1019:
1001:
678:
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435:
319:
178:
962:
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832:
506:
1213:
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447:
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353:
261:
48:
30:
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797:
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471:. A very small population, of around 30 individuals occurs over 600 km to the north in the
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860:
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647:(in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (13th ed.). Lipsiae : Georg. Emanuel. Beer. p. 344.
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1328:
1233:
1121:
1039:
996:
957:
850:
840:
789:
705:
591:
468:
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538:, as threatened and possible threatened status of the brown-headed parrot of West Africa.
1492:
978:
658:
573:
464:
417:
294:
939:
836:
1223:
855:
816:
552:
451:). Cape parrots have a disjunct distribution with the largest population around in the
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916:
1566:
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1168:
1029:
987:
948:
582:
531:
472:
460:
421:
323:
299:
289:
68:
801:
768:
Perrin, MR (2005). "A review of the taxonomic status and biology of the Cape Parrot
662:
642:
622:
522:. A small trade still persists in the related Grey-headed and brown-necked parrots.
1367:
514:
456:
253:
1393:
1354:
627:. Vol. 1, Part 1. London: Printed for Benj. White. pp. 296–297, No. 100.
1034:
845:
352:
The Cape parrot was formerly considered to be one of the three subspecies of the
1523:
1471:
1414:
1282:
1179:
1163:
1125:
682:
519:
488:
484:
365:
314:
284:
under the
English name, the "robust parrot". When in 1788 the German naturalist
248:
205:
155:
145:
1084:
667:. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 225.
1544:
793:
709:
548:
430:
393:
377:
346:
309:
is South Africa. The Cape parrot is now placed with nine other species in the
257:
1273:
1154:
342:
95:
864:
1497:
1267:
1090:
361:
115:
913:"SABAP2 | Cape Parrot | Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2"
1406:
1310:
1142:
476:
1419:
1020:
https://web.archive.org/web/20071008051919/http://www.capeparrot.org/
480:
243:
135:
105:
1380:
1244:
1049:
Kruger Times: Cape Parrot Count , South Africa's Only
Endemic Parrot
815:
Coetzer, W.G.; Downs, C.T.; Perrin, M.R.; Willows-Munro, S. (2015).
902:, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town.
885:, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town.
387:) which feeds on a wide variety of tropical woodland trees such as
298:, he included the Cape parrot with a short description, coined the
280:
The Cape parrot was described in 1781 by the
English ornithologist
1518:
1375:
1133:
510:
411:
338:
310:
898:
pp. 222-223 in Hockey, P.A.R., Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds)
881:
pp. 221-222 in Hockey, P.A.R., Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds)
125:
1248:
1094:
383:). This contrasts with the closely related savanna species (
1078:
1257:
1177:
1152:
1132:
1085:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
1002:
10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T119194858A179406641.en
597:
10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T119194858A179406641.en
963:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22732670A119197072.en
684:On the Natural History and Classification of Birds
687:. Vol. 1. London: John Taylor. p. 301.
551:trees, in particular the loss of old trees and
821:): implications for taxonomy and conservation"
318:that was introduced by the English naturalist
1106:
272:), but is now considered a distinct species.
8:
1069:The Cape parrot, University of Kwazulu-Natal
1040:Kruger Park Birds and Birding: Cape parrot (
772:, with reference to the Brown-necked Parrot
737:The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
817:"Molecular systematics of the Cape Parrot (
1245:
1113:
1099:
1091:
204:
57:
29:
20:
1000:
961:
854:
844:
595:
341:for "strong" or "robust". The species in
1199:Red-fronted parrot (or Jardine's parrot)
1209:Rüppell's parrot (or Rueppell's parrot)
1079:Companion Cape parrot training articles
564:
1194:Brown-necked parrot (or Uncape parrot)
242:is a large, temperate forest dwelling
1593:Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin
894:Symes, C.T. 2005. Grey-headed Parrot
739:. London: Christopher Helm. pp.
716:. International Ornithologists' Union
696:
694:
7:
1189:Cape parrot (or Levaillant's parrot)
513:agreement (appendix list II) and by
322:in 1837. The genus name is from the
988:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
949:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
583:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
544:Psittacine beak and feather disease
900:Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa
883:Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa
14:
1064:Cape Parrot Working Group website
1573:IUCN Red List vulnerable species
714:IOC World Bird List Version 12.1
664:Check-List of Birds of the World
260:along with the savanna-dwelling
82:
1025:Taxonomy of Poicephalus parrots
977:BirdLife International (2021).
938:BirdLife International (2017).
572:BirdLife International (2021).
333:"headed". The specific epithet
256:. It was formerly grouped as a
877:Downs, C.T. 2005. Cape Parrot
1:
1583:Endemic birds of South Africa
305:and cited Latham's work. The
846:10.1371/journal.pone.0133376
776:and the Grey-headed Parrot
624:A General Synopsis of Birds
1609:
995:: e.T119194858A179406641.
774:P. fuscicollis fuscicollis
735:Jobling, James A. (2010).
590:: e.T119194858A179406641.
268:) and grey-headed parrot (
956:: e.T22732670A119197072.
794:10.2989/00306520509485493
212:
203:
184:
177:
79:Scientific classification
77:
55:
46:
37:
28:
23:
639:Gmelin, Johann Friedrich
408:Distribution and habitat
404:three recognized forms.
1588:Birds described in 1788
1030:The Cape Parrot Project
942:Poicephalus fuscicollis
896:Poicephalus fuscicollis
708:, eds. (January 2022).
385:Poicephalus fuscicollis
358:Poicephalus fuscicollis
286:Johann Friedrich Gmelin
266:Poicephalus fuscicollis
679:Swainson, William John
483:, the higher altitude
461:KwaZulu-Natal Province
425:
1229:Yellow-fronted parrot
489:Drakensberg mountains
457:Eastern Cape Province
436:Podocarpus latifolius
415:
320:William John Swainson
288:revised and expanded
1550:Poicephalus-robustus
1303:Poicephalus_robustus
1289:Poicephalus robustus
1259:Poicephalus robustus
1042:Poicephalus robustus
981:Poicephalus robustus
879:Poicephalus robustus
819:Poicephalus robustus
770:Poicephalus robustus
710:"Parrots, cockatoos"
576:Poicephalus robustus
507:habitat conservation
235:Poicephalus robustus
188:Poicephalus robustus
1214:Brown-headed parrot
837:2015PLoSO..1033376C
526:Conservation status
485:Afromontane forests
448:Podocarpus henkelii
442:Podocarpus falcatus
354:brown-necked parrot
262:brown-necked parrot
240:Levaillant's parrot
49:Conservation status
1219:Red-bellied parrot
704:; Donsker, David;
549:African yellowwood
453:Amathole mountains
426:
303:Psittacus robustus
1560:
1559:
1506:Open Tree of Life
1251:Taxon identifiers
1242:
1241:
919:on 5 October 2011
754:978-1-4081-2501-4
706:Rasmussen, Pamela
659:Peters, James Lee
500:Over one hundred
226:
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1472:NHMSYS0021109840
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1316:D21C1A59BBB9A895
1306:
1305:
1293:
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1291:
1278:
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1234:Niam-Niam parrot
1115:
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1007:
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1004:
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935:
929:
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915:. Archived from
909:
903:
892:
886:
875:
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858:
848:
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805:
788:(3–4): 195–205.
778:P. f. suahelicus
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477:Limpopo Province
469:Pietermaritzburg
431:yellowwood trees
349:are recognised.
270:P. f. suahelicus
216:
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190:
170:P. robustus
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1074:Cape parrot FAQ
1016:
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831:(8): e0133376.
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295:Systema Naturae
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42:, Eastern Cape
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16:Species of bird
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1224:Senegal parrot
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1204:Meyer's parrot
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1083:Cape parrot -
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661:, ed. (1937).
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619:Latham, John
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24:Cape parrot
18:
1578:Poicephalus
1415:iNaturalist
1283:Wikispecies
1180:Poicephalus
1164:Grey parrot
1126:Psittacinae
1035:Parrots.org
702:Gill, Frank
603:13 November
536:P. robustus
520:grey parrot
502:P. robustus
416:At Benvie,
372:Description
366:Pleistocene
329:"grey" and
315:Poicephalus
282:John Latham
252:endemic to
249:Poicephalus
230:Cape parrot
219:P. robustus
157:Poicephalus
146:Psittacidae
40:East London
1567:Categories
1545:Xeno-canto
559:References
553:dead snags
496:Aviculture
400:Terminalia
394:Commiphora
379:Podocarpus
347:subspecies
258:subspecies
196:Gmelin, JF
64:Vulnerable
1459:119194858
1329:119194858
1155:Psittacus
1122:Subfamily
397:spp. and
364:to early
343:monotypic
331:-kephalos
164:Species:
102:Kingdom:
96:Eukaryota
1519:Species+
1433:10193804
1324:BirdLife
1268:Wikidata
865:26267261
825:PLOS ONE
802:84397629
720:23 March
681:(1837).
641:(1788).
475:area of
465:Karkloof
418:Karkloof
362:Pliocene
335:rubustus
276:Taxonomy
142:Family:
116:Chordata
112:Phylum:
106:Animalia
92:Domain:
69:IUCN 3.1
1407:2479958
1381:brnpar1
1355:brnpar1
1311:Avibase
1274:Q569157
1143:Species
856:4534405
833:Bibcode
782:Ostrich
487:in the
467:, near
455:of the
198:, 1788)
152:Genus:
132:Order:
122:Class:
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1511:634388
1498:199073
1485:190152
1446:177615
1389:EURING
1342:114122
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481:Knysna
389:marula
327:phaios
244:parrot
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1537:14307
1428:IRMNG
1420:19056
1394:34410
1376:eBird
1368:4KWM3
1134:Genus
923:5 May
798:S2CID
511:CITES
345:: no
339:Latin
311:genus
238:) or
221:range
38:Near
1524:9707
1480:NCBI
1454:IUCN
1441:ITIS
1402:GBIF
1337:BOLD
993:2021
954:2017
925:2011
861:PMID
749:ISBN
722:2022
605:2021
588:2021
530:The
445:and
381:spp.
228:The
126:Aves
1532:TSA
1467:NBN
1363:CoL
1350:BOW
1298:ADW
997:doi
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