Eunymphicus cornutus ...........................................................By Gideon Scheepers

Description

This bird is green, a bit lighter on the breast, abdomen and under tail. The lower back has a yellow cast and the ear-coverts and nape are yellow. The forehead and crown are red. The crest consists of two red tipped black feathers. The lores are black. The flight feathers are violet-blue and the iris is orange. They have dark feet, legs and toenails. The bill is a silver-grey with black tip. They grow to a length of 32 cm

Range and Habitat

There are two sub species, namely Horned Parakeet (Eunymphicus c. cornutus) and Ouvean Parakeet (Eunymphicus c. uvaeensis) They are found on Ouvea, pat of Loyalty Islands. They inhabit the forest areas, in particularly the humid areas. They are seen in pairs or small family groups outside breeding season.

Housing in Aviculture

They are active birds and need space to fly. They can be kept in long conventional as well as suspended aviaries. Nest boxes should be 20 cm X 20cm and 35-45 cm deep.

Breeding in Aviculture

They breed quite well in Aviculture and there are usually no problems with the rearing of the young. They will breed at around 8 months , but this should be avoided as young hens are susceptible to egg binding, it is better to wait a couple of months than to loose the hen and then try to replace her. The hen will lay a clutch of 3 to 5 eggs, which are incubated for a period of 20 days. The young will fledge at around 35 days.