The Meyer's parrot is found only in the northern half of southern
Africa, where it is common in Zimbabwe and northern Botswana. It lives in
various types of woodland, usually near water. It prefers to eat seeds and nuts,
as well as fruit, flowers and, rarely, insects. It nests in tree cavities,
sometimes made by woodpeckers and barbets, where it lays 2-4 eggs, which are
incubated by the female for 29-31 days. The chicks are fed by both their
parents, who regurgitate the food upside down, to help facilitate regurgitation.
The brood stay in the nest for 60-84 days (recorded in captivity), and, once they have
left the nest, may still be dependent on their parents into the next egg-laying
season.
Distribution and habitat
Occurs from Chad and Sudan to the top half of
southern Africa, where it is most prolific in Zimbabwe and northern Botswana. It
lives in woodlands, ranging from savanna and riparian woodlands to dry Acacia
scrub and miombo woodland, usually near water. Also occurs in woodlands dominated
by Terminalia (Cluster-leaf), Julbernadia (munondos) and
Combretum (Bushwillow).
Mainly eats seeds and nuts, as well
as fruit, flowers and, rarely, insects. The following food items have been
recorded in it's diet:
Fruits, nuts or seeds of:
Ficus (Figs)
Ziziphus abyssinica (Large jujube)
Uapaca nitida (Narrow-leaved mahobohobo)
Monotes glaber (Pale-fruit monotes)
Combretum (Bushwillows)
Grewia (Raisins)
Sclerocarya birrea (Marula)
Pseudolachnostylis maprounifelia (Kudu-berry)
Afzelia quanzensis (Pod-mahogany)
Brachystegia (Miombo). It is the only animal capable of opening
the seed pods of these trees, allowing it to have access to a plentiful food
source with no competition.
Oranges
Maize
Insects
Breeding
It nests in tree cavities 3-10 m above ground, which are
sometimes previous nest holes of woodpeckers and barbets. It sometimes uses
the same nest hole repeatedly.
It lays 2-4 eggs from March-August in Zimbabwe (peak April-May) and in
March or June in Mpumalanga.
Incubation is done solely by the female, starting 1-3 days after 2nd
laid egg, and lasts for 29-31 days.
The chicks are fed by both parents, who regurgitate the food
upside down, to help facilitate regurgitation.
The brood stay in the nest for 60-84 days (recorded in captivity), and, once they
have left the nest, may still be dependent on their parents into the next
egg-laying season.
Threats
Not globally threatened, but population has dramatically
decreased in South Africa and Zimbabwe, due to habitat destruction.
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.
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