Chapter 11 - PIGMY PARROT

Since this book is to cover all Psittacine Birds, the Pigmy Parrot, smallest Psittacine Bird in the world, will be men­tioned. These tiny midgets are no bigger than your thumb, and are of the genus Micropsitta. They are delicate in cap­tivity, and are practically unobtainable for the average fan­cier. Their color is mostly green and size from 3 to 3% inches.

Little is known of their feeding habits except that they feed on termites and on certain fungi in their habitat. The stiffened shafts of their tail feathers help to keep the birds propped up when they are feeding on termites that live in tree colonies. Pigmy Parrots also excavate their nesting hole in termite nests. They are birds of the jungle, where, being sociable, they fly in small flocks, giving out their sibilant call notes.

Some species are found in New Guinea, and others are:

SOLOMONS PIGMY PARROTS: Habitat: Solomon Is­lands. Mostly green, with bill and feet grey, and the iris orange. The cock has a pink cere, the hen grey. Four sub­species exist.  3 to 3% inches.

MOUNTAIN PIGMY PARROT: (Micropsitta bruijnii). Habitat: Solomon Is. 3V2 inches. The cock has the hindneck and sides of throat brilliant blue; crown, cheeks and ear-coverts, pink. Back, wings and sides, green; center of ab­domen and under tail-coverts, rose. The hen is green above with yellowish abdomen and blue crown.
Much remains to be known about these little mites.

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