Vernal Hanging Parrot
Loriculus vernalis
短尾鹦鹉
Introduction
Small parrot belonging to the family Psittaculidae. Resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Undertakes local movements driven by food availability, particularly favoring banyan trees for fruit and plantain trees for nectar. Inhabits dry jungle and cultivated areas. Less gregarious than related species, typically found in small groups outside breeding season.
Description
Tiny parrot measuring 14 cm in length with a short tail. Predominantly green plumage covers the body. Adult males display a red rump, red bill, and distinctive blue throat patch. Females have a green throat patch instead. Immature birds show duller rump coloration and lack the throat patch entirely.
Identification
Very small green parrot with red rump and blue throat patch in males. Female lacks the blue throat patch. Similar to the Sri Lanka hanging parrot, which replaces this species on that island. Flight is swift and direct. Voice consists of raucous chattering calls. Typically encountered alone or in small groups rather than large flocks.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds throughout the Indian subcontinent and extends into adjacent Southeast Asian regions. Inhabits dry forest and woodland, including cultivated areas. Resident species with some local movements following food availability rather than long-distance migration.
Behavior & Ecology
Feeds on fruit, seeds, buds, and flower nectar. Nests in tree cavities, lining them with leaf fragments. Clutch size typically 2-4 white eggs. Female incubates for approximately 20 days. Chicks fledge around 33 days after hatching. Outside breeding season, found in small groups or pairs.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Loriculus
- eBird Code
- vehpar1
Vocalizations
Subspecies (2)
-
Loriculus vernalis phileticus
southern Myanmar and northern peninsular Thailand
-
Loriculus vernalis vernalis
southwestern and northeastern India and eastern Nepal eastward to far southwestern China (southwestern Yunnan) and Indochina; Andaman Islands
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.