Psittaciformes - Prosopeia - Maroon Masked Parrot

Maroon Shining Parrot - Prosopeia Tabuensis - Least Concern

The maroon shining parrot or red shining-parrot, Prosopeia tabuensis, is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is endemic to the islands of Vanua Levu and Taveuni in Fiji and was introduced to the islands of southern Tonga in prehistoric times. The species is sometimes considered conspecific with the crimson shining-parrot of Kadavu. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

Characteristics: Coloring: Both adults have variable plumage; red/black face; rest of head brown/red, darker on hindcheeks; underparts dark maroon; dark blue collar across upper mantle, obvious in some birds but in others narrow and nearly absent; upperparts and tail green, feathers on rump in some individuals edged with maroon. Bill grey/black. Dark grey eye ring. Eye orange/yellow.

Call: The call of the maroon shining parrot is a mix of high-pitched nea-nea and arr sounds that are repeated in bursts, in addition to a variety of other squawks and hoots. The maroon shining parrot most commonly calls at night or when returning to its nest.

Diet: Due to their primarily tropical forest habitat, the maroon shining parrot primarily feeds on seeds and fruits of various forest trees. Some of the specific species of trees which they eat from include the upper canopies of mango, guava, banana, and pawpaw[which?] trees. In addition, the maroon shining parrot occasionally resorts to consuming insect larvae or corn and other crops from cornfields that it may occasionally raid. The strong bill of the maroon shining parrot allows it to grab onto branches and move in order to locate and attain food. Their bill also allows them to bite into wood in order to get to insects and/or their larvae when this is their food of choice. They hold their food in their feet so that they can use their bills to get more.

Habitat: The maroon shining parrot is native to Fiji and Tonga, near the forests or on the islands of Kadavu and Ono. It is often found in mature forests as well as secondary growth forests, forested valleys (where they breed from June to January), coconut plantations, village gardens, farmlands, mangroves, and scrub. They are often found alone, in flocks up to 40 or in pairs.

Maroon shining parrots mate in their natural habitat during the cool and dry season. Mating happens specifically in May to October. They make their nests lined with rotten wood in cavities of dead trees or the stumps of palm trees.

The average clutch size of the maroon shining parrot is two or three eggs which are laid in tree cavities. The growth time lasts for about 25 to 34 days. Chicks are fed three times a day and the amount of food each receives depends on the age. When it comes time to leave the nest, the chicks are in the range of 7 to 9 weeks old.