Poicephalus

The genus Poicephalus comprises nine species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropic ecozone, including Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal in the west, Ethiopia in the east, and to South Africa 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 Ancient 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.

Poicephalus: Brown-headed

The rump is very bright, almost metallic green. As is the margins of the feathers on the underparts, with this coloration becoming more pronounced towards the vent and thighs. The neck is grey-brown merging to brown on the head but merging to greenish on the mantle. On some individuals, some random yellow feathers are visible …

Poicephalus: Brown-Necked

The plumage is generally green. The head is greenish-brown to yellowish-brown flecked dark brown and dull green. In some birds, the cheeks are tinged lightly with dull pink. Occasional they have a narrow reddish frontal band. The rump, breast and abdomen are tinged with blue. The feathers to the back and wing-coverts are black with …

Poicephalus: Meyer

Meyer’s parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well.

Poicephalus: Red-Bellied

The Red-bellied Parrot is a small parrot. It is a mostly greenish and grey bird with the green being more prominent over its lower surfaces and the grey more prominent over its upper surfaces. Adult birds have green feathers covering the upper portions of their legs, red irises and dark grey beaks.

Poicephalus: Red-Fronted / Jardine

Their wings have bright green feathers with black edges. They have a ridge of red emerging from under the wing along the edge of the wing. The rest is bright green with red rings around the bottoms of their leg feathers, and their foreheads have splashes of red, and or orange, and or yellow on …

Poicephalus: Rüppell’s

The plumage is mostly dark brown and its head is dark greyish. Both adult male and female birds have some yellow markings on their wings and upper legs. Adult female birds have blue feathers on the lower back and the rump. Males may also have some blue feathers, but they tend to be less extensive …

Poicephalus: Senegal

The Adult Senegal parrot has a charcoal grey head; green wings, back and throat; and the lower rump and the breast and abdomen have a distinct yellow to orange v-shaped section – sometimes known as the vest – with the upper breast being a bright green.

Poicephalus: Yellow-Fronted

The Yellow-Fronted parrot s mostly green with the upper parts being a darker green, the tail being olive-brown, and the legs a dark grey-brown. The face is orange-yellow. When two subspecies are recognized, the nominate is believed to have yellow to its head and face, while in P. f. suahelicus some of the yellow is …