Cyclopsitta gulielmitertii
Colourization Adult: C.g. gulielmitertii: male-deep blue forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes; pale yellow lores, throat, and sides of head; black mark on back of cheek; breast and upper abdomen orange; inner wing coverts edged with yellow; wide pale yellow bands on underwings. Bill grey/black. Eye dark brown. Female-as in male but pale yellow at front of cheeks and black at back; forecheeks bordered below by green/blue stripe; ear coverts to sides of neck orange; green underparts. C.g. nigrifrons: both adults as in gulielmitertii, but forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes black. C.g. ramuensis: both adults as in amabilis, but forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes washed blue and black. C.g. amabilis: male-forehead and crown to area below eyes black; pale yellow upper abdomen, breast, and sides of head; black on ear coverts absent; smaller in size. Female-breast to upper abdomen orange; lower cheeks dusty black, joining black crown behind eyes; lores, throat and cheeks pale yellow. C.g. suavissima: male-dark blue forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes; lores, front of cheeks and line beneath eye buff/white, rest of cheeks black; pale yellow ear coverts to throat; orange breast and upper abdomen; smaller in size. Female-as in male but back part of cheeks dusty black washed with blue; orange ear coverts; throat and breast dull green/yellow. C.g. fuscifrons: male-as in suavissima, but back area of cheeks and forehead to behind eyes brown/black. Female-as in suavissima but back of cheeks and forehead to behind eyes brown/black. C.g. melanogenia: both adults as in fuscifrons, but female has paler, more green breast. Colourization Juvenile: C.g. gulielmitertii: as in female but orange from ear coverts and sides of neck to area below front of cheeks; breast of males washed with orange/brown. C.g. nigrifrons: as in adults. C.g. ramuensis: as in adults. C.g. amabilis: as in adult female but breast more green. C.g. suavissima: as in adult female but duller head markings. C.g. fuscifrons: as in adult female. C.g. melanogenia: as in adults. Call: Calls in flight shrill and penetrating notes repeated at short pauses. Some sounds sharp. Also subdued chattering while feeding
Not Threatened.
Colourization Adult: C.g. gulielmitertii: male-deep blue forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes; pale yellow lores, throat, and sides of head; black mark on back of cheek; breast and upper abdomen orange; inner wing coverts edged with yellow; wide pale yellow bands on underwings. Bill grey/black. Eye dark brown. Female-as in male but pale yellow at front of cheeks and black at back; forecheeks bordered below by green/blue stripe; ear coverts to sides of neck orange; green underparts. C.g. nigrifrons: both adults as in gulielmitertii, but forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes black. C.g. ramuensis: both adults as in amabilis, but forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes washed blue and black. C.g. amabilis: male-forehead and crown to area below eyes black; pale yellow upper abdomen, breast, and sides of head; black on ear coverts absent; smaller in size. Female-breast to upper abdomen orange; lower cheeks dusty black, joining black crown behind eyes; lores, throat and cheeks pale yellow. C.g. suavissima: male-dark blue forehead and forecrown to area behind eyes; lores, front of cheeks and line beneath eye buff/white, rest of cheeks black; pale yellow ear coverts to throat; orange breast and upper abdomen; smaller in size. Female-as in male but back part of cheeks dusty black washed with blue; orange ear coverts; throat and breast dull green/yellow. C.g. fuscifrons: male-as in suavissima, but back area of cheeks and forehead to behind eyes brown/black. Female-as in suavissima but back of cheeks and forehead to behind eyes brown/black. C.g. melanogenia: both adults as in fuscifrons, but female has paler, more green breast. Colourization Juvenile: C.g. gulielmitertii: as in female but orange from ear coverts and sides of neck to area below front of cheeks; breast of males washed with orange/brown. C.g. nigrifrons: as in adults. C.g. ramuensis: as in adults. C.g. amabilis: as in adult female but breast more green. C.g. suavissima: as in adult female but duller head markings. C.g. fuscifrons: as in adult female. C.g. melanogenia: as in adults. Call: Calls in flight shrill and penetrating notes repeated at short pauses. Some sounds sharp. Also subdued chattering while feeding
13 cm. 28-35 g
Taxonomy:
- Psittacula gulielmi III Schlegel, 1866, Salawati and New Guinea. Controversy concerning application of correct genus name: junior synonym Opopsitta sometimes erroneously used. Seven subspecies recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * melanogenia (Schlegel, 1866) - Aru Is. * gulielmitertii (Schlegel, 1866) - Salawati and W Vogelkop, New Guinea. * nigrifrons (Reichenow, 1891) - N New Guinea. * ramuensis (Neumann, 1915) - NE New Guinea around R Ramu. * fuscifrons (Salvadori, 1876) - S New Guinea. * amabilis (Reichenow, 1891) - Huon Peninsula eastwards, Papua New Guinea. * suavissima P. L. Sclater, 1876 - SE Papua New Guinea
Found in rainforest, swamp forest, Melaleuca woodland, dense savanna and partly cleared areas up to 1100m, mostly below 500m.
Diet includes seeds of figs and other fruit, as well as whole small fruits, nectar from flowers and occasionally insects.
Probably September-June. 2 eggs. Found in small active groups of 6-10 individuals, either flying above the forest calling or grouping together to forage for figs or other fruits in the canopy. Birds feed quietly and are difficult to detect as they clamber around. May signal their presence by hanging upside down while feeding, dropping fruit as they do s