Charmosyna pulchella

General description: 

Colourization Adult: C.p. pulchella: male-dark green back, wings and upper tail coverts; blue rump; purple/black spot on hindcrown; breast and occasionally lower flanks streaked with yellow; thighs purple/black; uppertail green tipped with yellow, with central feathers red towards middle and tips. Bill orange/red. Eye yellow/orange. Female-lower back green/yellow on sides; sides of rump to flanks yellow. C.p. rothschildi: male-green breast streaked with yellow; black spot on hindcrown reaching forward to area behind eye and continuing as black wash on hindneck to meet green mantle; purple/black on abdomen; upper tail coverts suffused with yellow. Female-wide green chest band with yellow streaking; green/yellow spot on side of rump. Colourization Juvenile: C.p. pulchella: green crown and nape; breast washed green with yellow streaking absent or minimal; green rump; thighs dark green washed with black; underwing stripe dull yellow. Bill dark brown. Eye brown. C.p. rothschildi: dull green breast with yellow streaking absent or minimal. Call: Call notes vary from area to area; in west sounds are nasal, in the east sweeter and shorter.

Conservation status: 

Not Threatened.

Diagnostic description: 

Colourization Adult: C.p. pulchella: male-dark green back, wings and upper tail coverts; blue rump; purple/black spot on hindcrown; breast and occasionally lower flanks streaked with yellow; thighs purple/black; uppertail green tipped with yellow, with central feathers red towards middle and tips. Bill orange/red. Eye yellow/orange. Female-lower back green/yellow on sides; sides of rump to flanks yellow. C.p. rothschildi: male-green breast streaked with yellow; black spot on hindcrown reaching forward to area behind eye and continuing as black wash on hindneck to meet green mantle; purple/black on abdomen; upper tail coverts suffused with yellow. Female-wide green chest band with yellow streaking; green/yellow spot on side of rump. Colourization Juvenile: C.p. pulchella: green crown and nape; breast washed green with yellow streaking absent or minimal; green rump; thighs dark green washed with black; underwing stripe dull yellow. Bill dark brown. Eye brown. C.p. rothschildi: dull green breast with yellow streaking absent or minimal. Call: Call notes vary from area to area; in west sounds are nasal, in the east sweeter and shorter.

Behaviour: 

Size: 

18 cm, 24-34 g

Phylogeny: 

Taxonomy:

    Charmosyna pulchella G. R. Gray, 1859, Manokwari, New Guinea. Populations of C and E formerly considered separate race, bella. Two subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Distribution: 

Subspecies and Distribution:

    * rothschildi (Hartert, 1930) - Cyclops Mts and adjacent ranges, N Irian Jaya. * pulchella G. R. Gray, 1859 - mountains of New Guinea from Vogelkop to Huon Peninsula and E Papua New Guinea.
Habitat: 

Found in montane forest, forest edge and secondary growth from 750-2300m.

Trophic strategy: 

Eats pollen and nectar.

Reproduction: 

January-April. 2 rounded eggs, 19.0 x 16.0mm. Found in pairs, or flocks of 15 or more individuals. Groups with other Charmosyna lorikeets in the tops of flowering trees

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith