Un-cape Parrot
Grey-headed Parrot ( Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus )
The Grey-headed Parrot ( Poicephalus fuscicollis ) is a species of the genus -winged parrots. Together with the other species of this genus as well as the Grey Parrot, the lovebirds, the Rose-ringed Parakeet and endemic to Madagascar Vasa Parrots counts this type to the typical parrot species of the Afrotropical. The species was until the late 20th century as a subspecies of Kappapageis. Genetic and morphological studies have suggested the conclusion that the Grey-headed Parrot is indeed closely related to the Kappapagei that it is but this is a separate species. The type can be attributed to two subspecies: Kuhl's gray head parrot ( P. fuscicollis f ) is the nominate form. The second subspecies is Reichenows Grey-headed Parrot ( P. f suahelicus ).
Dissemination
Grey-headed parrots live in Gambia, northern Ghana and the Ivory Coast as well as in the north of the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda to the extreme south of Uganda. They also occur in various regions of Namibia and Ostangola and in the west of Mozambique and northern Tanzania.
Habitat
The used habitats seem to differ according to the two previously described subspecies. In Gambia Kuhl's gray head parrot found predominantly in dense mangrove forests that stretch along river banks. In Ghana the preferred habitats are forests. Basically, this subspecies keeps on near water.
Reichenows Grey-headed Parrot, however, uses a range of different habitats and can be found in forests of different vegetation zones. They come in the lowlands as well as before in the highlands. The maximum height reached spread this subspecies in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where they can be observed up to 4000 m altitude. They use also dry forests. Their preferred species is the African baobab tree. In some study areas only this species was used for the breeding caves the plant.
Food and foraging
Like the vast number of long wing parrots is the gray head parrot a dietary generalist, seeds, nuts and berries of a variety of tree and shrub species eats and takes care of the flower nectar to him. For food spectrum include immature seeds of Mabolapflaume, the Nyalabaums and Samtmyrrhe and mature seeds of black acacia, baobab tree, the Kaffirbaums and fruits of the mangroves and the ironwood tree and the Kapfeige and the donkey fig.
This broad food spectrum distinguishes the Grey-headed Parrot also from Kappapagei. This is different from the other types of long- wing parrots a food specialist and eats only fruits of Podocarpus, and to a much lesser extent fruits of an African type of nettle trees.
Stock situation
There are no reliable population figures. Due back view previous messages and a lack of messages in regions where they were once common, it must be assumed that their population numbers have declined markedly. The causes of this decline in inventory are probably the same ones that have also led to other long wing parrots in a decline. Habitat destruction have both led to a shortage of possible Nistbäumen as well as to a reduced food supply. The birds are also caught in some countries for export.
The systematic position within the genus Poicephalus
The following cladogram shows the genus Poicephalus with their respective degrees of relationship. It lacks the Niam - Niam Parrot ( Poicephalus crassus ), whose species status is disputed.
Poicephalus gulielmi
Poicephalus robustus
Poicephalus fuscicollis
Poicepalus flavifrons
Poicephalus senegalus
Poicephalus rufiventris
Poicephalus cryptoxanthus
Poicephalus meyeri
Poicephalus rueppellii
The following subspecies are described for the Grey-headed Parrot:
- Poicephalus fuscicollis fuscicollis
- Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus