Poicephalus cryptoxanthus (Brown-headed parrot) 

Bruinkoppapegaai [Afrikaans]; Yhokwe [Tsonga]; Bruinkoppapegaai [Dutch]; Perroquet à tête brune [French]; Braunkopfpapagei [German]; Papagaio-de-cabeça-castanha [Portuguese]

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates)  > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) > Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class: Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) > Tetrapoda (four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota > Reptilia (reptiles) > Romeriida > Diapsida > Archosauromorpha > Archosauria > Dinosauria (dinosaurs) > Saurischia > Theropoda (bipedal predatory dinosaurs) > Coelurosauria > Maniraptora > Aves (birds) > Order: Psittaciformes > Family: Psittacidae

Brown-headed parrot. [photo Callie de Wet ©]

The Brown-headed parrot occurs in woodlands from east Africa through to Mozambique and northern KwaZulu-Natal. It feeds mainly on fruit and seeds, with the rest of its diet largely made up of Lepidoptera larvae and tree shoots. It nests in old woodpecker holes in trees, laying 2-4 eggs from April-May in South Africa. Incubation is done solely by the female, with the male doing the foraging. The chicks are fed only by the male, but always with the female present. The brood stay in the nest for 50-54 days before leaving for a "nursery area", where they stay for 28 days before becoming fully independent.

Distribution and habitat

It occurs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from east Africa through to Mozambique and northern KwaZulu-Natal. It lives in open woodland with fruit or seed-bearing trees, occasionally in mangroves. Often found in Acacia nigrescens (Knob thorn) and Mopane woodland. It avoids sparsely wooded savanna and dense woodland.

Predators and parasites

• Protolichus megamerus (feather mite)
• Feather lice
  • Mimemammenopon zumpti. Found only on the Brown headed parrot.
  • Psittacomenopon impar
  • Neopsittaconirmus africanus

Food 

Forages in tree canopies, grabbing food with its bill. It eats a wide variety of organisms - its specific diet varies from region to region. The following food items have been recorded in its diet:

• Seeds
  • Cassia abbreviata (Long-tail Cassia)
  • Erythrina lysistemon (Sacred coral tree)
  • Trichilia emetica (Forest Natal-mahogany)
  • Acacia nigrescens (Knob thorn)
  • Acacia tortilis (Umbrella thorn)
  • Albizia gummifera (Smooth-bark flat-crown)
  • Eucalyptus grandis (Saligna gum) which is an alien plant.
• Fruit
  • Combretum (Bushwillow)
  • Terminalia (Cluster-leafs)
  • Diospyros mespilliformes (Jackal-berry)
  • Ficus sycomorus (Sycomore fig)
  • Kirkia acuminata (White kirkia)
  • Lannea schweinfurthii (False-marula)
  • Mystroxylon aethopicum (Kooboo-berry)
  • Manihot esculenta (Cassava), which is an alien plant.
  • Strychnos (Monkey-orange)
• Flowers
  • Erythrina lysistemon (Sacred coral tree)
  • Trichilia emetica (Forest Natal-mahogany)
  • Cocos nucifera (Coconut)
• Nectar of Aloe marlothii (Mountain Aloe)
• Caterpillars (larval stage of Lepidoptera)
• Ants from Acacia plants.
• Green shoots of trees

Breeding

• It uses old tree holes of woodpeckers as nest sites, 4-10m above ground. It often has to compete with Grey-headed parrots, Meyer's parrots, squirrels and hornbills for nesting sites.
• It lays 2-4 eggs, from April-May in South Africa. (other laying dates unknown)
• Incubation is done by the female only, for 26-30 days, with the male doing all the foraging.
• The chicks are fed only when both adults are present. The adults always clean the nest beforehand. The male has to forage for himself, the female, and the chicks.
• The chicks stay in the nest for 50-54 days before leaving for the "nursery area", which usually is an area with densely leaved trees with water nearby. During this time, the chicks are silent and largely immobile and they are dependent on their parents for 28 days after fledging.

Threats

Not threatened, but extensive decrease in its range since 1990, from illegal trapping for the cage bird industry.

References

• Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.