Plum-faced lorikeet explained

The plum-faced lorikeet (Oreopsittacus arfaki), also known as the whiskered lorikeet, is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is monotypic within the genus Oreopsittacus.It is found in the New Guinea Highlands.

Description

The plum-faced lorikeet is a mainly green small parrot about 15cm (06inches) long with a long pointed tail. It has two white stripes under each eye. It has a narrow pointed black bill and dark-brown irises. The adult male has a red forehead and the adult female has a green forehead.^[1]

Taxonomy

The plum-faced lorikeet is the only species of the genus Oreopsittacus and it has three subspecies:^[2]

Oreopsittacus Salvadori 1877

• Oreopsittacus arfaki (Meyer, AB 1874)
  • Oreopsittacus arfaki arfaki (Meyer, AB 1874) (red-orange abdomen)
  • Oreopsittacus arfaki grandis Ogilvie-Grant 1895 (green abdomen)
  • Oreopsittacus arfaki major Ogilvie-Grant 1914 (red-orange abdomen and larger)

Range

The plum-faced lorikeet's native range is the mountains between about 2000 m to 3750 m of mainland New Guinea across both the Indonesian and Papua New Guinean zones of the island.^[1]

Cited texts

• Book: Forshaw, Joseph M. . Joseph Forshaw . Parrots of the World; an Identification Guide. registration . Illustrated by Frank Knight. . 0-691-09251-6 . 2006 .

Notes and References

1. "Forshaw (2006). plate 22."
2. Web site: Zoological Nomenclature Resource: Psittaciformes (Version 9.022) . 2009-03-28. www.zoonomen.net .