Alternative name: Celyon Hanging Parrot
- Loriculus beryllinus
Identification
With 14 cm a tiny, short-tailed green Parrot. Red crown, rump and bill, and an orange tint to its back. Immature birds lack the orange hue to the back, have a duller rump, and have only a hint of orange on the crown.
Similar Species
Similar to the allopatric Vernal Hanging Parrot, but note the red crown. Could be confused with a Barbet in flight, but note the red rump.
Distribution
Sri Lanka.
Widespread and most common in the SW, almost absent from the arid North.
Taxonomy
Forms a superspecies with Vernal Hanging Parrot.
Monotypic.
Habitat
Wooded country, plantations, gardens, coconut groves. From lowlands up to 1250m, in NE monsoon up to 1600m.
Behaviour
Feeds on nectar (Erythrina, Salmalia, Eucalyptus), seeds (eg. Casuarina), flowers and fruit (mainly bananas).
Breeding season between January and September, but mainly from March to May. The nest is placed in a tree hole, in a tree-stump or in a hollow branch. 2 to 3 white eggs layed.
Like other Hanging Parrots this species is very arboreal and hardly ever descends to the ground. They are active and quite acrobatic but still hard to see in the treetops.
Resident species, but some altidunal wandering occurs during the NE monsoon.
