- Perroquets éteints : Psephotus pulcherrimus

[jsf]

Psephotus pulcherrimus



Problem:
The Paradise Parrot is presumed extinct.  Its demise highlights the need to recognise declines in populations before they reach critically low levels.

Background Information:
Although 26 species of Australian birds are classified as endangered, the spectacular Paradise Parrot is the only mainland species of bird to become extinct since white settlement.  Paradise Parrots lived in dry open woodland and nested in terrestrial termite mounds.  The processes that caused their extinction operated largely unnoticed.

Research:
Claims of the continued existence of the Paradise Parrot have failed to give any hopes for its survival.  The presumed extinction of this bird has been variously attributed to over-grazing, clearing, changes in fire regime, choking of habitat by Prickly Pear and extended drought


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Paradise Parrot Psephotus pulcherrimus was found in open savanna woodland and shrubby grassland in central and southern (and possibly northern) Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. The species was locally common although generally scarce in the 19th century, but then declined rapidly and was thought to have become extinct as a result of the drought of 1902 until it was rediscovered in 1918. The last confirmed record was in 1927 and, although Kiernan claims to have seen five birds in 1990, the species is considered extinct. Its decline was probably caused by a reduction of its food supply (native grass seeds) due to drought, overgrazing, altered fire frequencies and the spread of prickly pears, with disease, trapping and egg-collecting, predation of nests by introduced and native species and clearance of eucalypti by ring barking also contributing.
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attendez je scan la suite

[jsf]

ERF CA MARCHE PA ?
ééé supermomo !! al'aide ! :lol:

[zebulon]

Salut,

Voilà  super momo est intervenu à  votre service  :lol:  :lol:

@+ momo

[cath]

c'est super Momo que ferait-on sans toi  ;)
faut reconnaître tes qualités

[jsf]

respect ,O ,grand super momo  :lol:

[Robinson]

Génial, dommage que la traduction électronique de l'article en français par Altavista ne donne pas grand chose!

[jsf]

oui ...

[Isa]

super les articles et les photos. :wink:

[jsf]

:oops:  :wink:

[jsf]

The Paradise Parrot lived in pairs or small family groups. They weren't shy and could be approached within few meters. In the evening and early morning these birds flew to waterholes or courses to drink. These parakeets foraged on the ground, and when they were disturbed they called in alarm and flew a short distance away to alight again on the ground. This species moved quickly on the ground and their flight was slightly undulating and rapid. The call of the Paradise Parrot was a soft whistling or short, sharp quiik.

 

In captivity it was a active parakeet with a soft melodic sound, but often shy. The birds that were brought to Europe were susceptible and mostly died after a short interval. Those kept in Australia were hardy. They were aggressive birds, which could not be housed with other birds, and they liked going on the ground.
 
 
 
Range & Habitat The Paradise Parrot or Beautiful Parrot was once found in central and southern Queensland as well as northern New South Wales, Australia. There they lived in open woodland and savannah with trees, especially in wide river valleys.
 
 
 
Food Their diet was almost exclusively grass seeds found on the ground. This parakeet supposed to have flown to thick grass and run its bill along blades to remove seed, afterwards they consumed the seeds that were fallen on the ground. They consumed probably also other vegetable matter as well as insects and their larvae. In captivity they were fed with canary seed and thistle seeds.
 
 
 
Reproduction The breeding season of the Paradise Parrot was from December to March. The nested in terrestrial termite mounds or sandbanks. The entrance was often very low. In one case they had a 23-cm (9 ins) tunnel, 4-cm (1,5 ins) in diameter, which led to a nest-chamber that was almost circular with a diameter of 38 to 45 cm (15-18 ins) and 20 cm (8 ins) high. The floor wasn't lined. Their clutch contained 3 to 5 eggs and only the female brooded them. The male regularly visited her. The egg measured 12,2 x 17,6 mm (0,83 x 0,69 ins). In captivity the incubation of the eggs was 3 weeks and the fledging period was 5 weeks.
 
 
 
History & Population
 The Paradise Parrot was locally common although generally scarce in the 19th century, but then declined rapidly. The decline of this species is well documented and may have started well before the Europeans invaded Australia.

By 1915 the species seemed to have disappeared. A newspaper campaign led to its rediscovery in 1918, though the bird had become very rare. The last confirmed sighting was on 14th September 1927 by C.H. Jerrerd in upper Burnett River area.

There were occasional rumours that the species was kept in captivity by Australian breeders, but never confirmed. Kiernan claims to have seen 5 birds over an 8-week period in 1990, but this is also still never confirmed and the Paradise Parrot is still considered extinct.
 
 
 
Extinction Information
 Their food supply was doubtless reduced by overgrazing by livestock and because the ranchers deliberately set fire to seeding grass to stimulate the growth of fresh green grass for their cattle. Also rats now had easy access to the eggs and young, which were hidden in burrows on the ground. Man also posed a direct threat. They collected their eggs and this species was favoured as a cage bird, especially in England.
 
 
 
Museum Specimen
 Although the species was never common, quite a few museum specimens remain, presumably because so many had been kept as cage birds. There are skins in Leiden, Sydney, Dresden, Genoa, New York, Cambridge Massachusetts and in several other places. The National Museum of Natural History “Naturalis” in Leiden (the Netherlands) possesses four mounted specimens and skeleton.
 
 
 
Relatives Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), Blue Bonnet (Psephotus haematogaster), Golden-shouldered Parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius).
 

mis à  jour 23/06/05