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[Original document written May 1996]
Copyright:
1996 (Version 1.1), 1997 (Version 1.2)
All rights reserved.
Translated by Dan Paulsen and republished with permission in
Svensk
Fagelhobby,
Reproduction by any means is prohibited
except with author's written permission.
This notice must remain intact.
March 2000,
under the title of "Svar Pa Vanligt Forekommende Fragor om
Kragpapegoja."
Table of Contents
 hawk-headed (red fan) parrot, |
The Red-fan or Hawk-headed parrot (Deroptyus
accipitrinus )
is a colorful yet little-known member of the New World parrot family,
Psittacidae. The genus, Deroptyus , comprises only one species
that is represented by two subspecies, D. a. accipitrinus , also
known as the "northern" or "buff-crowned" Hawk-headed parrot, and
D. a. fuscifrons , which is also known as the "southern" race.
While both subspecies are decidedly rare in the wild, the buff-crowned
Hawk-headed Parrot is much more common in American aviculture, due
primarily to the greater numbers that were imported into this country
from South America.
The Hawk-headed parrot is native to the Amazon River region of northern
South America; particularly Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and regions of
Brazil. While it has been reported to occur in Columbia as well, these
sightings have never been adequately substantiated. Red-fan parrots are
rarely seen in savannah, but instead, they live in dense rainforest near
large rivers and in mountain foothills, where they remain throughout
the year. Even though Red-fan parrots have a patchy distribution that
is seasonally variable, they are considered to be one of the rarest
Psittacidae throughout its range. They are usually seen in small family
groups during the breeding season and they occasionally gather in larger
flocks outside of the breeding season for the purpose of feeding. These
feeding flocks are still very small however; reports have shown that
they don't exceed 20 members. Sightings of lone Red-fan parrots are very
rare.
There are several physical characteristics that make the Deroptyus
unique among parrots. They have a unique ruff of feathers on the nape
of the neck that can be raised at will. This ruff consists of long,
blunt-ended, and brilliant red-colored feathers tipped in bright blue
that, when raised, frames the bird's dark face, making it appear larger.
This ruff is usually raised when the bird is excited or fearful.
Additionally, the bone structure and musculature of the Hawk-headed
parrot's beak and neck are typical of the largest genera of parrots,
and result in a more powerful feeding apparatus than that seen in the
similarly-sized Amazona . The structure of the beak and neck
suggest that Hawk-headed parrots are uniquely adapted to feed on very
large fruits that are usually untouched by the Amazona : they
are capable of detaching these large and heavy fruits from the tree
and carrying them to another location in order to feed.
The Red-fan Parrot is a very beautiful bird. The wings, back, rump,
undertail coverts, and central tail feathers are a lovely emerald
green color. The chocolate-brown feathers on the head and neck are
slender and pointed and they have a cream-colored streak in the
center. The forehead and crown are a rich cream or white color in
the buff-crowned subspecies and is comprised of tiny, rounded
feathers while, in the southern subspecies, this area is dark. The
nape of the neck has long, blunt-ended, erectile feathers that are
a brilliant scarlet red tipped with an irridescent medium blue. The
flight feathers are a dark blackish color with green and irridescent
blue on the outer webs. The blunt-ended breast and abdomen feathers
are a bright scarlet red with an irridescent blue edge, similar to
the nape. The tail feathers are fairly long and wide, with dark
blue on the outer edge, fading into a dark green, with a blackish
color on the inner web. Some individuals have a pale red spot at
underneath the base of the tail, but this is not correlated with
the gender of the bird as some aviculturists have claimed. The
beak and feet are black. The eyes are black with a yellow or red-orange
ring in adults, and is uniformly dark in young birds. These birds are
not sexually dimorphic.
Hawk-headed Parrots are known to be very intelligent and playful. They will roll onto their backs and play with toys, pounce on a companion from an overhead perch, and hang upside down from the roof of their cages, screaming with delight, when sprayed with a water mister. These birds also enjoy a trip into the shower with their owners. These birds' antics can get rough at times, so it is important to prevent the bird from getting overexcited during play to reduce the risk of being bitten. Hawk-headed parrots can be very adept escape artists, also. While it is true that they cannot destroy large padlocks, they will immediately take advantage of feeding station doors that are carelessly left open, and they can quickly open cage doors that have not been adequately secured. Once these birds have escaped, they find great joy in terrorizing other birds in neighboring cages, and destroying various items in the house, such as furniture or electrical wiring.
In spite of these mischievous and endearing qualities, Hawk-headed parrots are also very aggressive and unpredictable, especially after they have reached adulthood. This can pose problems for the pet owner because these birds are especially aggressive when defending their territories from intruders; intruders that can include the pet owner. Another problem encountered with Hawk-headed parrots is they generally do not tolerate changes in their environment very well. The smallest changes in a pet red fan parrot's environment may precipitate an episode of feather-plucking, which might either stop as suddenly as it started, or may escalate until the bird has denuded its body of feathers. This extreme reaction is not usually seen in young birds of the species, but is not uncommon in adult pet birds, and can occur even after they have been placed into a breeding situation. Another problem encountered by pet owners is the increasing unpredictability that the bird exhibits as it approaches adulthood. These birds can be very engaging and outgoing at one moment and then, within minutes, they can become hostile and aggressive. Even the tamest hand-fed pet may deliver a sudden, painful bite at these times. Thus, for these reasons, I do not recommend the Hawk-headed parrot as a pet for anyone but the most experienced parrot owners.
 A young red fan parrot, |
Red-fan Parrots are primarily fruit-eating birds, although they eat a fair amount of vegetable matter as well. In the wild, they prefer to eat the pulp from ripe and unripe fruits, dropping the uneaten seeds in the process. They also eat new terminal buds and shoots from specific tree species.
In captivity, Hawk-headed Parrots remain healthiest when provided with a diet that is composed primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables. My flock's morning feeding consists of cooked beans and rice, along with fresh fruits and vegetables (fresh fruits alone represent about 40% of the bird's total daily food intake). Although Hawk-headed Parrots will readily eat almost any fruits, their favorite fruits include apples, pomegrantes, oranges, banana, papaya, underripe mango, grapes, melons with seeds, and cactus fruits. Red-fan Parrots are not as fond of greens and vegetables but they do have a few favorites, such as corn-on-the-cob, peppers of all varieties, raw squash with seeds, broccoli, and cooked yams. Vegetables comprise about 20% of my flock's daily intake.
Even though Hawk-headed Parrots will also eat standard seed mixes, parrot pellets, and dog kibble, these foods should not represent more than 20% of the bird's total daily food intake. I have found that my Hawk-headed Parrots prefer smaller seeds such as millet, and they particularly enjoy millet sprays. I have also found that sunflower seeds are not necessary except during the cold winter months if the birds are housed out-of-doors. Nuts are a favorite of most Red-fan Parrots, especially macadamia nuts, pine nuts, and pistachios. I provide 5-10 nuts to each of my birds on a daily basis.
Since Hawk-headed Parrots are very active, they must be housed in a larger cage than is typical for a comparably-sized amazon or macaw. I recommend that Hawk-headed Parrots be kept in a large cage, suitable for the large macaw species. However, if such a large cage is purchased from a commercial supply house, be sure to measure the width between the bars of the cage before placing the bird inside. If the spacing between the bars is too wide, the Hawk-headed Parrot can put its head between the bars and may choke itself. Therefore, to avoid potential distaster, one should make sure that the bar width is not greater than one-and-one-quarter inches.
Hawk-headed Parrots produce many different sounds, ranging from a piercing and raucous "KEEya KEEya" made by both sexes, usually when they are waiting to be fed, to a soft and musical "yeeEEo" that is typically made by courting hens. They can growl, and usually do so when a stranger enters the room, and they can produce a loud hiss when they want to intimidate a stranger or another bird. They will also produce a loud, grating "shack shack shack," usually in the afternoons and evenings. These birds can be extremely loud on occasion and, if not trained properly, they will become very persistent screamers.
While Hawk-headed Parrots are not considered to be very good talkers,
there have been a few talented individuals that are able to imitate
the human voice well. Hawk-headed Parrots are better known as good
mimics and can imitate irritating sounds such a the yelp of a dog,
sirens, or human laughter.
Hand-fed Hawk-headed Parrots are occasionally available to the public as hand-fed pets. The best time to purchase a Hawk-headed Parrot is after the bird has been weaned but before it has reached a year of age. These birds are very pricey, however; the more commonly available males will cost $1000-$1200 each while hens will cost $1500-$2000. My personal opinion is that the hens should not be purchased as pets but instead, they should be set up in breeding situations as soon as possible since they are so difficult for breeders to obtain.
The author thanks Dave Crucq and Stefan Seifert for allowing their photos of hawk-headed (red fan) parrots to appear in this webpage.
 Northern or "buff-crowned" subspecies of the red fan parrot,
|
Duke of Bedford. (1969). "Hawk-headed Parrot (Often, Red Fan) Deroptyus accipitrinus." Parrots and Parrot-like Birds. (TFH Publications, Inc. Ltd. Neptune, NJ.)
Forshaw, JM. (1973). Parrots of the World. (TFH Publications, Inc.).
Greene, WT. (1979). "Hawk-headed or Ruffed Parrot (Psittacus accipitrinus )." Parrots in Captivity, vols 1-3. (TFH Publications, Inc., Ltd. Neptune, NJ).
Vriends, MM. (1984). "Deroptyus accipitrinus , Hawk-headed Parrot." Simon and Schuster's Guide to Pet Birds. (Simon and Schuster, New York, NY).
Desenne, P. and Strahl, SD. (1991). Trade and Conservation Status of the Family Psittacidae in Venezuela. BCI 1:153-169.
Duffy, K. (1990). Breeding the Hawk-headed Parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus accipitrinus ) at Penscynor Wildlife Park. Ratel 17:14015.
Joseph L. (1988). Range Extension of the Red-fan Parrot, Derotyus accipitrinus . Bull British Ornithology Club 108:68-72.
Mcoughlin, E; Butron, PJK. (1976). Notes on the Hawk-headed Parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus . Bull British Ornithology Club 96:68-72.
Prestwich, A. (1968). The Hawk-headed Parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus. Avicultural Mag 74:38-40.
Strahl SD; Desenne, PA; Jimenez, JL; Goldstein, IR. (1991). Behavior and Biology of the Hawk-headed Parrot, Deroptyus accipitrinus , in Southern Venezuela. Condor 93:177-180.
The studbook maintains a record of all captive hawk-headed parrots that are located in zoological parks in the United States. The purpose for this listing is to maintain the genetic records of these birds so inbreeding of the captive zoo population can be avoided. Since listing in this studbook is voluntary, there are few private collections listed, although they are certainly welcome. A publication of all registered birds is made available to all participants every two years.
Web -- http://loryresearchgroup.org/
[May 1999]
