Description
The
Red Bellied Parrot, Poicephalus r. rufiventris
does not as its name suggests have a red belly but rather an orange
one. It has the head, back and wings grey-brown. The lower back to
the rump has a yellow-green tinged with blue colour. The under tail-coverts
and thighs are bluish-green. The iris is red and periophthalmic ring
black. It also has a black bill and grey legs and feet. The female
looks similar to the male but she lacks the orange on the belly, her's
is green. . The young birds could either look like the mother or the
father, and the adult plumage is only obtained at one year old. They
grow to around 22 cm. There is another sub-species Poicephalus
r. pallidus it looks similar to rufiventris, but has the
head a greyish-brown and the upper breast is paler.
Range and Habitat
Red
Bellies Poicephalus r. rufiventris are
found in Africa in central to southern Ethiopia and northeastern Tanzania.
Poicephalus r. pallidus is found in eastern
Ethiopia and Somalia. They prefer savannah and acacia (thorn tree)
scrubland, especially with baobab trees. They are seen in pairs and
small family groups.
Housing in Aviculture
They
are well suited to small gardens as they are not that noisy, they
can be housed in conventional and suspended aviaries. We use suspended aviaries for all our smaller Poicephalus species, they are also supplied with a natural nest log or a boot
shaped nestbox.
Breeding in Aviculture
These birds are being bred on a more regular basis in South Africa, we do tend to breed more females than males, this is a big problem when trying to set up new pairs. They should be housed in a quiet, dark corner, away from any traffic. Our pairs breed best in the winter. They will have a clutch of 3 to 4 eggs, the incubation lasts 25 - 26 days. The young are fledged after 60 days.
Pet Quality
Same
as most other Poicephalus, they make great pets, will learn to talk,
but in a slightly raspy voice.
Mutations
I know of a pied and a red-suffused mutation, if you have any more info or photos please send them to info@thomasriver.co.za
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Although all reasonable efforts have been made by Thomasriver Aviaries to validate the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Thomasriver Aviaries shall not be held responsible for any errors in, amendments to, or any damages arising from information supplied as aforesaid. Thomasriver Aviaries does not give any warranties as to the accuracy and completeness of the information and shall not accept liability whatsoever for the use by any party of such information. No claims whatsoever shall be accepted for any loss or damage arising from reliance on the information by any party. We are not responsible for any bites due to our birds when they are viewed or bought, you take full responsibility when you handle the birds.
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