Hawk-headed Parrot
Deroptyus accipitrinus

All about the Red Fan Parrots

Red Fan Parrots belong to the parrot family, the Psittacine. They are monomorphous with both males and females having the same color, size, shape, and form. They have emerald green wings, white heads, and black beaks. Their necks are dark brown feathers and their underbellies are interlaced with iridescent bright red and blue feathers. They have featherless black eye patches and their cheeks are dappled dark brown and white. They are about a foot long and weigh about half a pound.

Diet/ Habitat/ Range

Red Fan Parrots are found in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela) where they inhabit tropical rainforests. They mainly feed on seeds, fruits, leaves, buds, nectar, pollen, and flowers.

Behavior

Red fan parrots have long feathers on the nape of their necks, which have splashes of iridescent red and blue speckled with dark brown. They display these feathers in an erect spread fan when they are being defensive, making them look bigger and more threatening.

Reproduction

Red Fan Parrots nest in tree hollows, stumps, and cavities. Females lay a clutch of two to three eggs during the breeding season. Chicks fledge when they are 10 weeks of age.

Conservation/Status

Since Red Fan Parrot populations in the wild have been estimated to be currently stable, and are categorized as Least Concern by the International Union for World Conservation.