Fig parrot

Fig parrot
Edwards's fig parrot
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittaculidae
Subfamily:	Loriinae
Tribe:	Cyclopsittini
Genera
Cyclopsitta Psittaculirostris
Synonyms
CyclopsittaciniSalvadori, 1891 Cyclopsitticini OpopsittiniMathews, 1912

Fig parrotsare a smalltribeof AustralasianparrotsnamedCyclopsittiniin the familyPsittaculidae,made up of seven species in twogenera(CyclopsittaandPsittaculirostris). Fig parrots are found on and around the island ofNew Guinea,within the territories ofIndonesia,Papua New Guinea,and tropicalAustralia.

Description

Fig parrots are small, stocky, arboreal parrots with short, wedge-shaped tails. They possess proportionately large, broad bills and smooth tongues. Sexual dimorphism is typically pronounced, with the exception ofCoxen's fig parrot(Cyclopsitta diopthalma coxeni). Those in the genusCyclopsittaare generally smaller than those inPsittaculirostris.

Their preferred habitats are the tropical and subtropicalrainforests,though they can also be found foraging in the surrounding biomes. They can usually be seen flying swiftly in straight lines, well above the tree canopy.

Their diets consist mainly of fruit, particularly their namesakefigs.They may supplement these with a variety of other fruits and berries, along with nectar, pollen, insects, and larvae. Fig parrots appear to be capable of detecting the figsyconiathat have been implanted with growingfig wasps,and targeting these for their extra nutritional content. They remember particular fruit trees, and return to them repeatedly over months and years.

Taxonomy

The fig parrot group was first proposed in 1891 at family rank, as Cyclopsittacidae, from the type genusCyclopsitta.This was later downgraded to tribe status and included into the family Psittaculidae.

Molecular phylogenetic studies support a grouping of fig parrots (Cyclopsittini) with the closely relatedbudgerigars(Melopsittacini) and thelories and lorikeets(Loriini) as the subfamilyLoriinae.Relationships between the tribes and within theCyclopsittaandPsittaculirostrisremain to be studied in detail.

Tribe Cyclopsittini

Image	Genus	Living Species
	Cyclopsitta	Blue-fronted fig parrot,C. gulielmitertii Black-fronted fig parrot,C. nigrifrons Dusky-cheeked fig parrot,C. melanogenia Double-eyed fig parrot,C. diophthalma Marshall's fig parrot (C. d. marshalli) Macleay's fig parrot or red-browed fig parrot (C. d. macleayana) Coxen's fig parrot(C. d. coxeni)
	PsittaculirostrisL. Reichenbach, 1850	Large fig parrot,P. desmarestii Edwards's fig parrot,P. edwardsii Salvadori's fig parrot,P. salvadorii