Dracula parrot, Vulturine parrot
Pesquet's parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus) is a large unique-looking parrot that can be found only in New Guinea. It is the only member of its genus. The Pesquet's parrot is also known as the Vulture parrot due to its vulture-like appearance.
The Pesquet's parrot is black, with greyish scaling to the chest, and a red belly, upper tail coverts, and wing panels. The adult male has a red spot behind the eye, which is not seen in the adult female. Compared to most other parrots it appears unusually small-headed, in part due to the bare black facial skin and the relatively long, hooked bill.
Pesquet's parrots are native to New Guinea where they inhabit the hill and montane rainforest.
Pesquet's parrots are active during the day and are usually seen in pairs or groups of up to 20 individuals. They are quite noisy spending time feeding, flying above the canopy, or resting on the higher branches of trees. These birds are strong flyers and in flight, they alternate between rapid flapping and short glides. Pesquet's parrots do not migrate but in some parts of their range, they can perform some seasonal movements in search of better feeding areas.
Pesquet's parrots are herbivores (frugivores) and eat almost exclusively a few species of figs. They may also feed on blossoms, flowers, and nectar.
Little is known about the breeding habits of Pesquet's parrots in the wild. Typically they lay two eggs in a nest in a large, hollow tree. The female incubates the eggs for about 27-31 days while the male feeds her at this time. Chicks hatch naked, blind, and helpless.
The main threat to the Pesquet's parrot is hunting for its highly prized feathers, for the cage bird trade, and for food. Habitat loss due to deforestation is another serious threat to this species.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Pesquet's parrot is 20,000-49,999 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.