When we think about parrots, the color usually comes in our mind is green, red, or blue.
However, the world of parrots is a lot more different and wide than you think. There are 393 different species of them that all are quite different from one another. From sulfur-crested cockatoos to bronze-winged parrots, these birds surprise us every time with their intelligence and beauty. But do you know about Pesquet’s parrot, which is more commonly known as the Dracula parrot?
These amazing birds can easily be recognized by their black and grey chests, pitch-black beaks, and strokes of bright red feathers.
Dracula parrots have short-tail and stretch to nearly 50 cm (20 in) in length. Their weight is around 680–800 g (24–28 oz).
Females and males almost look similar but the only difference between them is that males have red patches behind their ears.
Like other parrots, Pesquet’s parrots don’t climb from one branch to another. Instead, they move by jumping. They are one of 3 parrot species that have featherless faces. The Dracula parrot can only be found in New Guinea.
Unfortunately, local poachers have targeted these striking birds, which, in addition to increasing habitat loss. It has made the Dracula parrots’ population dangerously low in numbers.
These bird feathers are used for ceremonial dresses, as well as for the meat and cage bird trade. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species evaluated Dracula parrots as Vulnerable.
An Australian parrot expert, asks, “If avoiding soiled and matted head feathers is a significant advantage to individuals, it is surprising that bald-headedness is not more widespread among the other fruit-eating parrots.”
The Dracula parrot doesn’t just look like something you’d see sitting menacingly on the shoulder of a Disney villain, it sounds creepy too. Its call has been described as a “harsh and rasping growl,” and a “drawn-out scream” when the bird is in flight.
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