Philippine Hanging Parrot
Loriculus philippensis
The Philippine Hanging Parrot (Loriculus philippensis) is a rare old world parrot found only in the Philippines, weighing about 35 g. The Philippine hanging parrot, also commonly known as the colasisi from its local Tagalog name "kulasisi", is a small psittaculid parrot species endemic to the Philippines.
About the Philippine Hanging Parrot
The Philippine hanging parrot, also commonly known as the colasisi from its local Tagalog name "kulasisi", is a small psittaculid parrot species endemic to the Philippines. It includes about 9 subspecies but formerly included the Camiguin hanging parrot and the Black-billed hanging parrot which have seen been recognized as distinct species. While it is listed as Least Concern in IUCN, some subspecies, such as L. p. chyrsonotus of Cebu and L. p. siquijorensis of Siquijor, may already be extinct. The species is threatened by habitat loss, but a bigger threat is trapping for the illegal wildlife trade; wild-caught birds are often sold as pets in streets and online selling groups.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Philippine hanging parrots are about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, weigh 32–40 grams, and have a short rounded tail. They are mainly green with areas of red, orange, yellow, and blue varying between subspecies. The forehead is red and the irises are dark brown. Adults have red beaks and orange legs. They are sexually dimorphic with only the males having red on their chin or upper chest, except for the Loriculus (philippensis) camiguinensis in which neither the male or female has a red bib or chest. Juveniles have less red on their heads and paler beaks, but otherwise resemble the female.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Philippine Hanging Parrot can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Philippine Hanging Parrot?
- Philippine hanging parrots are about 14 cm (5.5 in) long, weigh 32–40 grams, and have a short rounded tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Philippine Hanging Parrot?
- The Philippine Hanging Parrot is a small sized bird weighing about 35 g.
- Where can you see a Philippine Hanging Parrot?
- The Philippine Hanging Parrot is endemic to the Philippines, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Philippine Hanging Parrot?
- The Philippine Hanging Parrot is most easily confused with the Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot, the Great Hanging Parrot and the Pygmy Hanging Parrot.
Learn the Philippine Hanging Parrot for real
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