Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot
The Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta pusio) is a species of parrot in the Psittaculidae family. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Little-studied, it is known mainly for being the world's smallest parrot,at 11.5 g (0.41 oz) and 8.6 cm (3.4 in).
The species was first described as Nasiterna pusio by English naturalist Philip Lutley Sclater in 1866. The genus name Micropsitta is derived from the Greek mikros meaning small and psitta for parrot. The specific name is the Latin pũsǐõ, which means "little boy".
Four subspecies have been described, although their status has been questioned. The type subspecies, pusio, occurs on the Bismarck Archipelago and southeastern New Guinea; birds of Fergusson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago have blue-tinged throats and less distinct markings and are described as harterti; birds of Misima and Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago are slightly larger and have more yellowish underparts and are described as subspecies stresemanni; and those that range in western New Guinea from Cenderawasih Bay to the Kumusi River have darker plumage overall and are named subspecies beccarii.
Little-studied, it is known mainly for being the world's smallest parrot,at 11.5 g (0.41 oz) and 8.6 cm (3.4 in).
The species was first described as Nasiterna pusio by English naturalist Philip Lutley Sclater in 1866. The genus name Micropsitta is derived from the Greek mikros meaning small and psitta for parrot. The specific name is the Latin pũsǐõ, which means "little boy".
Four subspecies have been described, although their status has been questioned. The type subspecies, pusio, occurs on the Bismarck Archipelago and southeastern New Guinea; birds of Fergusson Island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago have blue-tinged throats and less distinct markings and are described as harterti; birds of Misima and Tagula Islands in the Louisiade Archipelago are slightly larger and have more yellowish underparts and are described as subspecies stresemanni; and those that range in western New Guinea from Cenderawasih Bay to the Kumusi River have darker plumage overall and are named subspecies beccarii.
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| Micropsitta pusio |
image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/
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| Micropsitta pusio |
image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/
